Track Design - Help needed

[mojo]

For the entry and exit to my stockyard comprising 6 lines, the 2 centre ones needing 2 way running, I need to decrease the length from the LH baseboard edge to the start of the straight tracks.
In the first photo that length is 25" and the second 20"
Can one of our experts improve further on this?
Track is a mix of code 80 and 55 for the double slip.
Maurice C.

[ntpntpntp]

This photo is my layout and fiddleyard built in 1994/5 and still working fine.   As you can see I have facing and trailing crossovers at the throat of the yard. Not shown in this photo (taken 1996) but I also have similar crossovers at the far end, which effectively lets me use any track as bi-directional if desired. 

All the trackwork in the yard is code 80 and yes they are Setrack points, but as I run Continental I don't suffer the "minimum R2" limitations of some of the British N models  

All my scenic trackwork is code 55 (the two codes only meet at baseboard joints).

[Greygreaser]

I learnt by experience that the "Grand vision" i had for the track failed miserably. I started with a batch of Minitrix track and points on which the '27' ran round everything i curved. The next GF steamer i bought stuck on most curves so I had to start again! This 'test track'  (shown below) has approx 10" radius outer curves and the inside is Minitrix 1st radius - 194.6mm or 7 5/8ths inches!



If the sidings can start earlier and all have curved portions you might add some length?
Could you have a crossing at the entrance to the fiddle yard so the outer 'main' track feeds the inner sidings and the inner 'Main' track the outer sidings which would even up the lengths



- it might need forming from a pair of curved points, as here on my layout where i needed to 'tighten' the spaces, and would add the ability to change tracks as it forms a double switch.



My dilemma was to avoid pushing out the curve to a wider radius and using up too much board width - how much can you spare? Can you move what look like tunnel entrances or use a skewed entrance - i use two? Finally I used flexi-track to 'bend' the passing loops into the space beneath the scenery and to create 10" radius curves wherever it was tight using a homemade "track setter".



The same portion of layout from above



The 2 points are a Peco curved point followed by the largest size of Minitrix curved point - everything manages these two reasonably well! Hope this adds thoughts if not solutions, cheers Chris

[mojo]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions GG & NTP.
They reminded me to look at the Settrack curved points and I have now managed to reduce the length down to 18" at each end which allows me the required length for storing trains by utilizing one of these at each end.

Maurice C.