Wye Junction

[HODenew]

I am trying to make a Wye Junction.

Do 3 #5 Wye Turnouts, part 44569, and connecting track have to be used or can other switches be used with one Wye switch and the connecting track?

I made it work using a computer layout program with 3 #5 Wye switches, but it seems to take lots of space and the Wye switches are more expensive.

[Len]

You can build a wye using three standard switches, either two left and one right, or two right and one left.

If you think of it as a triangle sitting on it's base, with the point at the top, the base will be roughly 4.5ft wide from the point end of the switch on the left to the point end of the switch on the right. The top of the triangle will be about 3ft about the base of the wye.

The top will "lean" about 6in left or right of center, depending on the switch combination used. With two two left and one right, the top "leans" to the right. With two right and one left switch, the top "leans" to the left.

Using two left and one right switch, the layout of the pieces would be:

Triangle base:

LH Switch, 9in straight x 3, 3in straight x 2, 2.25in straint x 1, RH Switch

Left leg:

18in radius curve, 9in straight x 2, 3in straight x 1, 1.25in straight x 1, straight leg of upper LH Switch

Right leg:

18in radius curve, 9in straight, 18in radius curve, curve leg of upper LH switch

The left and right leg pieces swap if you use two RH and one LH switch.

About the only way to get a smaller wye would be to use Code 100 #4 wyes mounted on cork from a different track system.

Len