Five-rail Atlas track section

"If no one has ever done it that way, lee certainly will. . . "

I'd like to see videos of this in operation when you get it completed.

I've seen dual gauge prototypes but never a combination like this.  It looks cool, but I'd still like to see it run.

Thanks.

(Anyone want to try a triple set-up?   

Quite interesting idea Lee. 

You are just having way too much fun with this new track, Lee. Oh wait, there's no such thing as too much fun in O gauge....

Bruce

I'm just waiting for Lee's post describing a head-on collision on this section of track. I imagine that the narrative will be full of BEEPs. 

A collision will never happen.  Since only BEEPS and other conventional locos run on it, the loop will always have only one train at a time on the loop.  that fact really made this possible - otherwise it would never work.  

There is a real life version of these gauntlet tracks.

Here is one in Germany.

Well, I count six, not five rails, so they out-did me.

Nice track though.  Thanks

Here's one in Hong Kong:

Wow. I had no idea. Very interesting!

Thank you!!!!

Hi Lee:

I believe there’s a gauntlet track on the layout at the Westinghouse Castle in Wilmerding.

Regards,

Fellow former (W) employee Bill

This is so cool, there is a near real world prototype for what I am doing.

I say "near" because, strictly speaking, at least as I understand it, my track section is not a pure gauntlet because  on a gauntlet track there is a discrete set of rails for each direction/gauge.  By contrast, on my five-rail section, the "center outer rail" is shared - the train uses it in both directions.  However, I have no doubt that somewhere, someone did this in the real world (it saves the cost and width of that extra rail).  

I will have the section laid down in an hour or two and post more pictures.  I have it in plqace but am testing it before screwing it down, etc, right now. 

Lee, you mentioned more pictures, thanks for that. Do you post videos?  I would get a kick out of seeing your set up in motion. Just a thought. Sweet project. 

What a great project..inasmuch as I always wondered why this was not available commercially as it would add another dimension to signalling, dispatch etc, let alone a special work for bridges..