Model Railroading > No. 7 Ho Turnouts?

I have a spot where 7s would fit better than 8s. Does anyone have any No. 7 turnouts and crossovers in operation? How do they look with long cars like passenger and auto-rack cars?

Victor Baird



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/25 19:58 by wabash2800.

I can operate anything (4-8-4s, pig flats, 85' passenger cars, etc. through all my No. 6 turnouts and one set of No. 5s.
 

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> I can operate anything (4-8-4s, pig flats, 85'
> passenger cars, etc. through all my No. 6 turnouts
> and one set of No. 5s.
>  

What about #6 crossovers?

Posted from Android

I know that about anything can negotiate a No.. 7, but I'm intersted in seeing what a passenger train, for example, will look like negotiating a No. 7 crossover.

Victor Baird

What does a protoype number 14 switch work out to in HO?

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> railstiesballast Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I can operate anything (4-8-4s, pig flats, 85'
> > passenger cars, etc. through all my No. 6
> turnouts
> > and one set of No. 5s.
> >  
>
> What about #6 crossovers?
>
> Posted from Android

I'm able to run all that (except the pig flats as I don't have them) through number six crossovers. The only locomotive I had trouble with was a MT-4, which pilot truck doesn't like my ME turnouts. Oh, and I don't run the cab forward through the #6 crossover either as it's sort of iffy. 

Something I learned recently was the a #8 crossover was only about four inches longer then my #6 crossovers. So when replacing two balky crossovers, I went from #6 to #8 because I had plenty of room to upgrade.

This planned interlocking is all No. 7s.

It is how my Wabash RR Indianapolis Branch trains will get to Union Station and the PRR Hawthorne Yard. (Detroit, Ford trains and the Wabash RR Toledo Passenger train will utilize the connector to the Pennsy to access the PRR Hawthorne Yard and Indianapolis Union Station. All other Wabash freight trains, including the every other day mixed btw Fort Wayne and Indy will go straight to the  smaller, cramped Wabash RR yard. I visualize the Wabash branch coming into Indy (from Fort Wayne) and making a hook to the east, connecting up with the Pennsy at Schultz Creek. I threw in the B&O wirh a B&O style tower and interlocking control to model yet something different among my five interlockings.) By having the Wabash run under the B&O rather than cross it, that allowed me to make the inbound and outbound tracks to the Wabash yard more functional and longer.  (That will be a spring switch by the way.)

I wanted to use all No. 8s, but a drop gate and the location on the layout here complicated things. So, I wonder what passenger trains will look like negotiating through the No. 7 turnouts?

Victor Baird
 



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/25 05:25 by wabash2800.

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I hope to be ruining a test this week with temporary track to see if my three unit Wabash red ball 25 car freights can make it up the short 3% grade onto the Pennsy. I have most of the roadbed in and the drop gate is in the works.

Victor Baird

How long is a no.14 in HO? Probably about two feet long...<G>

Victor Baird

Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/25 05:26 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> So, I wonder what passenger trains will
> look like negotiating through the No. 7 turnouts?
>

Dim memory, I think Chicago Union Station uses No 7.

TAW

Thanks Tom. A No. 7 is sharp for real railroad.

Victor Baird



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/25 10:30 by wabash2800.

I don't have any No. 7 turnouts right now, but I printed out a No. 7, Fast Tracks template from 3rdPlanit in HO. (I was very careful to line up the wheels to the printed rails.) This actually doesn't look a whole lot different than one of my No 8 crossovers.

Incidentally, I was over at the 3rdPlanit I.O. Groups (replaced the yahoo discussion forum) and the owner has not been active with the software for awhile, because he is having some "life issues",  whatever that means. My sympathies. 

Victor Baird



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/25 05:00 by wabash2800.

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#7 in the real world is the shortest turnout that a 90' car can go through.  According to my TT from years ago.  As reference a #10 crossover would be good for 20 but TT speed of 15 mph. 

Since it is part of a junction, I'm sure it would be OK, with a slow speed signal. :)

Eng.Shadetree