Stub Yard Track Spacing

The width of a prototype train is 10 feet 8 inches, which is about 2.666 inches in 1/48 scale.  Your proposed 2 7/8 inch spacing is around 2.865...uhhh  I am bad with math...perhaps someone should check that. 

2 7/8 is 2.875, thats a bit of a squeeze IMO. Not every car will be the same width, and with so little clearance, anything hanging over the side is at risk of getting knocked off. All it would take is a small dip in the trackwork to make something rock and you'll make contact. Its probably not wise to assume that every detail is exact scale, things are sometimes slightly oversized (for example, boxcar door tracks to enable the doors to slide open). 3.5" seems to be the tightest recommendation. Its enough room to lift things in and out and keep things from touching eachother. I'm sure you could get away with a little less than that if you wanted to, but if you have any plans to ever run anything of an "oversize" dimension, give yourself some room.

I agree - 3.5" spacing should be the minimum. Keep in mind that if your tracks are not perfectly parallel, the tight spacing could create some seriously close clearances between adjacent tracks.

I would recommend using Ross #4 turnouts, as they will give you 3.5" between track centers. Ross' 3 and 4-way special turnouts have the same angle as the #4 turnout, and these are good for maximizing the number of tracks in your yard while minimizing the switch ladder footprint.

-John

This is why I do not do my own Income Tax.  Doing math in my head is not wise.

Thanks for the catch.  And I agree that it is too little room.

According to this document from NS, paragraph 4.06, the spacing should be 14 feet, or (14'x12"/48scale=) 3.5", as already has been suggested as a minimum.

Excerpt:

"4.06 TRACK CENTERS

Industry track centers for multiple parallel and concentric tracks within the industry facility must be no closer than 14 feet, centerline to centerline, compensating (increasing) for curvature in accordance with Railroad MW&S Standard Procedure 040, assistance for which may be obtained by contacting the Railroad’s Design & Construction Department when appropriate. . ."

Alex

Wide enough to get your fat fingers, and thumb, on the car so your 0-5-0 Switcher can operate freely.

Not sure what it means, but I've been vacillating on what turnouts to use for my yard, so I put together a little comparison chart to show the difference in footprint and yard length.

conrad50:  I realize you are space limited.  So the "traditional answer" of 3.5 inches may not be the answer you want to hear.  I really think that less than 3 inches is asking for problems with any parallel track for all the reasons stated.  But it IS "your" layout so if you want to try it, by all means, go ahead...but, if this is "hidden and unreachable" staging that you can only access by climbing under the layout and removing a brace or strut to reach in...or a staging section that is behind permanent scenery...you might want to think about that a little longer.  If you already have the wye, why not mock it up on the work bench and see how it works as you roll 3 long cuts of cars down parallel tracks.  Maybe even some of your larger locomotives or similar wide cars to test for snags, etc.

I have done several things that were not quite within "standard practice" and gotten away with a few, and failed miserably on several.  But if your track is perfectly straight and the benchwork solid and reinforced to prevent sagging, etc....and if you plan to pull cars with a locomotive and do your 0-5-0 switching "in daylight" between sessions...then it might work.  Or it might fail miserably....but if you experiment and mock up the staging area, you can find out and know that you did your best...

My freight yard uses Ross 11 degree switches on the ladder and they give exactly a 3.5 inch track spacing, center rail to center rail.  I'm not sure why your software is showing less than 3 inches.  For what it's worth, I can reach between cars to pick one up if I want to.  I run scale equipment.  I tested 3.25 inch spacing before building the yard and found that I could not easily get my fingers between the cars using that spacing.  I have what I consider average sized hands.

Because I screwed up and swapped out the wrong transition track when I saw I have 2 different tracks on the right and left, sorry. The middle spacing should have been right and I've corrected the original. Thanks for pointing that out.

Edit: Now you've got me wondering how to get 3.5" spacing with ScaleTrax. RR-Track doesn't show a specific transition track like the Ross TR35. I guess I need to figure that out because it does make a difference in the overall yard footprint, not just the turnout.