I am trying to run 2 loops of C track one R5 on outside and one R4 on the inside. I am having trouble figuring out how to connect the two loops with a turnout. If I connect one side it pulls the loop too close to one side and then I'm not able to get the turnout on the other side of the 2 loops to connect. Should I be using a croosover instead? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Alsterstreek, thanks for the quick reply. I have seen that plan using the high speed curved turnouts. What I mean by loops is two full circles one inside the other. I there any way to allow a train to travel from one circle to the other by using a normal not curved turnouts?

Or, a little bit more challening, a version without S-curves for smoother train runs. Never mind the gaps, Märklin C track has enough slack to compensate slight mismatches.

175x136 cm

The sleek switches are designed for the track spacing of R4 and R5. With the sleek switches, it is difficult with limited space to have switches at the entrance and exit of a station area. What you can do is to have sleek switches allowing for movement from the outer to inner at one spot and from the inner to the outer at another. For a station area, you can add an external or internal track to have a passing option

You can then have a separate switch to allow movement from R4 to R3 at another spot.

What I was planning to do was to have a parade line using R4 and R5 to show off my longer express trains and unit freights and then R3 and maybe R2 for local, regional and freight traffic. There would be limited interchange between the inner and outer tracks.

Seeing that my focus is Swiss, the trains would be running on the left in most circumstances. For German prototype, it would be right running.

Regards

Mike C

In that context I would like to raise your attention to this 2008 post on "transition curves" or "easements" (click on link):

https://www.marklin-user...9-on-75-cm.aspx#post9281

Easements result in a nicer appearance of long cars entering a tight curve by reducing the lurch:

“Appearance-wise, trains don’t look too good just standing on sharply curved track. It’s that lurch as the cars enter into a curve, though, that changes what should be the smooth gliding of a serpent-like train into something more like the amusement park Whip.”

Source: Armstrong, John H. (2001). The classic layout designs of John Armstrong, pg. 14 ff.

And the lurch reduction effect of an easement is greater for a tight curve than for a broad curve.


If you cannot elevate the track, you can depress the landscape - example of an approach selected by another German model railroader (click on link):

https://abload.de/img/img_20160527_2042274ssxt.jpg