Will I Regret This?

[bman]

So quick question. Messing around with the plan a bit trying to lengthen the sidings for Southwest Portland Cement I've moved the south end back a bit. This results in an "S" curve between the #7 right hand turnout and the curve(likely 13.5" radius) back to the left the area circled in red. Like the title says am I going to regret this? I've always stayed away from "S" curves unless there is a good foot of straight in between them. The sidings are primarily for locals not being long enough on the plan for a mainline freight to use.

[chessie system fan]

Why not use a left hand turnout there? I think that would solve your problem.

[bman]

I'd have to purchase another one. I changed my mind to this plan and had already purchased the turnouts I thought I would need.  Oops

[garethashenden]

From this angle I don’t think it looks too bad. Can you put it together temporarily and test it? Push some things through and see how they do? A combination of long and short is going to be the most problematic I think.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Why not use a left hand turnout there? I think that would solve your problem.

Yeah, but if the straight through is the mainline, the diverging route would make sense.

Honestly, you're probably fine if it's a slow speed move.

[basementcalling]

Add rail joiners, hook up the track pieces and a piece of flex track on the end, alligator clip some leads to it, and test it out. Definitely wouldn't want that curve in a mainline. Might give long cars with short couplers issues, but if it's a cement plant spur, you'll only be switching 2 bay hoppers in and out so it might work out. Test it to be sure.

[bman]

Yeah, but if the straight through is the mainline, the diverging route would make sense.

Honestly, you're probably fine if it's a slow speed move.

I should have mentioned it in the original but you are correct Ed the straight route is the main. The diverging route is to the tracks to the cement plant.
I'll take the advice to connect it up and test it that is the safest route.

[Brian M]

I think it depends on whatever the longest piece of equipment is that you'll be running through that route.  As long as you're not going to try pushing autoracks or some other such long cars through there, you'll probably be fine.  Also, if you do need to ease the S curve out, can you slide that turnout further back (push it more to the lower left corner of your picture)?  That would let you widen the radius of the curve or add a little tangent section.

-Brian.

[randgust]

A lot of this depends on the era you are modeling.   Things like running the main on the diverging route, curved switches, three-way switches, #4 frog turnouts, sharp vertical curves..... you'll see that all the time in historic photos. 

Now, if you dig into current industrial track design standards by NS, CSX, UP, anybody (and they are online) that design would get tossed with the reverse S curve in there.  And putting the main on the diverging route gets tossed too...   You simply couldn't have a turnout there and if you did, probably a #10 as the Class 1's using six axles as switchers have now made that a standard.   There's a lot of grandfathered stuff out there that works fine that would never, ever, get built today.   I collect photos of that stuff.

Even locally, at our G&W yard, the main goes through the diverging route headed west, with a switch point guard just to make sure they don't derail as that's where all the heavy moves go.
https://www.westernsafety.com/rail/western-cullen-hayes-stfm-standard-fabricated-manganese-switch-point-guard-for-steel?srsltid=AfmBOoptQVTRSFrMLmXdPSvy686L1Dy91lI-wRBQaGsZN4Mp6l9bFX90

Oh, and life might get interesting if you have short-shank body mounts on longer cars, that will be the killer on that reverse S if anything will.

[davefoxx]

From an Atlas#7 turnout?  As long as the track joining the switch point end of that turnout is reasonably straight (or at least not curving in the opposite direction of the turnout, you’re fine.  If I remember correctly, Atlas #7s have a funky geometry, so there’s actually a fair amount of practically straight track in the “curved” side of the turnout.  To quote our very own Dr. Hotballz . . .

I feel like we make a bigger deal about S curves than they really warrant.

Hope this helps,
DFF

[nkalanaga]

That's part of the reason prototype turnouts are straight through and beyond the frog - to avoid S curves.  Even a crossover will always have some straight track between the curves.

Radius-type turnouts don't work that way.  They may be fine for streetcars, but don't work well with mainline equipment, in situations like this.  On the other hand, they'd be ideal for a turnout in a mainline curve, as a curve could continue smoothly through the turnout.

[bman]

so after joining everything and running several combinations of cars through it everything ran smoothly through. I even tried 3 different curve radius to boot.
thanks everyone