Obviously, the prototype doesn’t measure in inches, but the same principles apply. In typical railroad applications, most yards use No. 8 or larger switches. Mainline crossovers might be as large as a No. 22. Few people have this type of room on their layout, but their trains are also much more forgiving. Most switches are not a consistent curve radius. There are exceptions to this, however. Especially in O Gauge, switches which correspond to the popular curve sections (O-48, O-36, etc.) are commonly offered to make track planning much easier. In these cases, the switches will be numbered accordingly. These switches are commonly used in the track arrangement of the same name which can be used to turn a locomotive or train. But they can be used in other applications as well. Wye switches have a distinct advantage for compact layouts. Since both routes diverge, the overall length of the switch is cut in half. For example, a No. 3 wye has the same degree of divergence as a conventional No. 6 switch. Most manufacturers will list the two radii for the switch, but some simply use large, medium, or small. Note that you can’t always judge the sharpness of the radius by the length of the switch itself. Some very long switches have a small difference in track separation but still have a tight radius. Curve turnouts tend to be more expensive than traditional switches. However, they can be a tremendous space saver on any railroad. Used selectively, they can be well worth the cost. An alternative to fixed-radius commercial turnouts is hand laid track or turnout kits. Both switches are shaped like an “X.” On slip switches, trains can either cross the X or take one diverging route (upper left to lower left or upper right to lower right.) On a double slip switch, a crossing route or both diverging routes are options. On the prototype, these elaborate switches are only used where speeds are low and space is very tight. The most common use is at the entrance to large passenger terminals. Because of their complexity, premade models of this type of switch are also rather expensive. They have their place on a layout if you are trying to duplicate prototype track arrangements, or if you too are very short on space and want to throw something interesting into an industrial switching area or yard. That being said, the saved space comes at a higher cost and greater difficulty in fixing switch machines on the tightly-spaced points. Some operators will find it more difficult to determine how the switch is aligned as well. These are not commonly found on the prototype but they do have their uses. Common installations include the end of passing sidings or runarounds where traffic only goes one way through the switch. This saves the time of having to line the switch for the repetitive route each time. These are also seldom modeled, though again, they do have their place on a model railroad. Not only passing sidings but staging yard tracks can be simplified with easy-to-make spring switches. Which is right for you? That’s all a matter of preference. And you can use different types on the same layout depending on your requirements. Take a look at these instructions for installing a slow-motion motor to become more familiar. If your railroad uses DCC, a stationary decoder can be used to control the switch with your cab. This can put the entire railroad control at your fingertips, or you can go a step further and integrate these switches into a complete signal system or even computer control. This problem is fairly easy to fix with a few wires and a relay. You can solve this problem in minutes by making a powered frog. There are many places where a feature like this could be a nuisance on a layout, but there are also some applications where it is very beneficial. For example, using power routing turnouts in a staging yard will ensure that your trains don’t accidentally creep out onto the mainline and reduce the need for track power toggle switches and the Amperage load on your power supplies. Some companies make power routing turnouts, but they are easy to make using a switch machine, relay, and some insulated rail joiners.
