4.5/12V Parallel Track Crossover

[zzap64]

Hi all, I'm trying to figure out how to do a crossover for 2 tracks in parallel and haven't had much success either trying myself or Googling. Maybe it's just not possible with the track geometry...?

The crossover on the right of the attached image is ideally what I want, but of course there are no track pieces like this, so I have tried my own solution on the left with Track A and Track B.

There is a horizontal and vertical displacement of 2 studs or so as you can see, this I assume is due to the fact that while the straight part of the junctions is the same as two regular straight tracks, the curves of the junctions are not equal to two curved peices of track. :(

I want two ovals of track where trains can run on each independently but can cross from A to B and also from B to A without having to reverse etc.

Is it possible? Can anybody direct me to a layout etc. were it has been done?

[mrblue]

what about flip the two lower switches?

later I'll post a similar situation I faced in my layout.

have a nice train lego day

mrBlue

[Andy Glascott]

I've achieved this by using points facing each other with an isolating track in between them on my 12v loops.

The blue track section is simply to highlight the location of the isolating track from a 12v signal. Each pair of points is controlled by one switch on the control panel. Each loop is powered by a separate 12v controller and the isolating tracks (between the points)prevent short circuits which means I can run trains in opposite directions to each other. The other isolating tracks are for the station.

To switch a train from one loop to the other I simply stop one on a signal in the station area, make sure the current from both power controllers is running trains the same direction and open the points to switch the train from track to track, then repeat the process with the other train.

This set-up suits me as it gives a gap between the loops for a platform, though further playing around with loops and points can bring the tracks next to each other if you want to.

Hope this helps,

Andy

[Pet-Lego]

Here is my solution for RC track (without using the 7996 set)

I want my double track close together and have the minimum of 4 studs apart (station platforms are 2 studs away from the track, times 2 equals 4 studs)

Emerald night and Maersk train pass each other perfectly on straight and curves.

Maybe this will spark some ideas.

Wish I was out of the dark age when set 7996 was on 50% off at S@H :(

[zzap64]

Thanks guys. The solution seems to be keeping the curves out of the picture all right (although probably not for the 9V since the junctions are different).

Here's what I have now. (Apologies for the image quality, I only seem to have 100K of uploads per thread :( I assume this changes after I'm here longer?)

I tried to move the tracks closer together at the beginning and end but the issue with 2 curves not equal to the curve of the junction seems to be the problem again, but I solved this with another junction and then a deadend track (for storage etc.), marked by my son's teether (since he kept on grabbing the standing up sleepers I had there! :) )

Andy, I can see the advantage of the gab between the tracks for a station etc. but I kinda like the look of the tracks right beside eachother as well...

[mrblue]

sorry, I was not at home and away from computer.

here you are my solution keeping the tracks very close to each other:

hope it can help

have a nice lego train day

mrBlue

[Legoless]

I think your first pic has the parallel tracks too close together- possibly of passing trains coming into contact?

Your second is better but you may want to put another straight between the points so that the train isn't 'slaloming' (for want of a better word) and risking a derailment- not to mention that from experience blue track isn't particularly stable due to the number and type of sleepers used. Yours look remarkably clean! The ones I had back in the '80s were very yellow by comparison. And if you want to 'justify' having a large gap beween the tracks you could always put an island platform or a bridge support peir in between.

[zzap64]

sorry, I was not at home and away from computer.

here you are my solution keeping the tracks very close to each other:

Emm, very nice! It should look a bit more tidy than the way I have it at the moment. I guess it's all about cancelling out the curve changes by the direction of the junctions etc.

@Legoless. I see your point about more straights, the train (Cargo #7939) tends to sway a bit with all those junctions and the blue junctions aren't that secure so the odd derailment does occur. Trains may hit eachother, I only have one going around at the moment, must try it with a stationary train on a parallel track as well.

The majority of my white sleepers are new (to me) but generally in good condition, I think the light of the photos makes them look whiter than they are however.

I have double the amount of sleepers with my blue track, so it is actually quite stable. I used to assume it was the clips on the grey rail sleepers that made them so much more stable, but it's the extra sleepers that make most of the difference... of course since I discovered this a couple of days ago, I now don't have enough sleepers for all my rails again... after just buying around 200 of them x-)

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

I've adopted the same solution in my layout, as you can see in the lower right side:

[mrblue]

parallel tracks are not a problem if you have 4.5/12v, classic 9v trains or moc 6 wide. troubles come when you start "using" modern lego trains like the emerald night, which are wider than 6 studs. a better solution would be to use tracks separated by 8 studs. you can get this by inverting the two upper switches in my previous pic, but I guess you need this situation to be able to use the classic electric level crossing, right? to use that (and other too) I had to make a huge order of 1x8 tiles and 6x8 ramp on bricklink!

have a nice train lego day

mrBlue

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

parallel tracks are not a problem if you have 4.5/12v, classic 9v trains or moc 6 wide. troubles come when you start "using" modern lego trains like the emerald night, which are wider than 6 studs. a better solution would be to use tracks separated by 8 studs. you can get this by inverting the two upper switches in my previous pic, but I guess you need this situation to be able to use the classic electric level crossing, right? to use that (and other too) I had to make a huge order of 1x8 tiles and 6x8 ramp on bricklink!

have a nice train lego day

mrBlue

That's true MrBlue!

Very usefull point of view!

[hoeij]

parallel tracks are not a problem if you have 4.5/12v, classic 9v trains or moc 6 wide. troubles come when you start "using" modern lego trains like the emerald night, which are wider than 6 studs. a better solution would be to use tracks separated by 8 studs. you can get this by inverting the two upper switches in my previous pic, but I guess you need this situation to be able to use the classic electric level crossing, right? to use that (and other too) I had to make a huge order of 1x8 tiles and 6x8 ramp on bricklink!

have a nice train lego day

mrBlue

For my trains, I found it sufficient to add just 1 extra stud between 12V straight tracks. That's a minor modification of the electric level crossing (only need a few extra 1x8 gray tiles). When one track is curving and the other is straight, then I had to add 2 extra studs in between to avoid collisions. The track has enough flexibility to shift it over by 1 stud without making any real changes in the track layout. So I can design the track with the usual track setup software, and then build it 1 or 2 studs shifted.

Edited May 29, 2011 by hoeij

[zzap64]

I don't have any double track 12V crossings just a modern single one, so there's no technical reason for my parallel tracks needing to be right up against each other, I just liked the look of it, but with the current layout I now have, it doesn't leave room for stations etc. since for a lot of the layout, there's now 3 parallell tracks right up against each other :) It does look nice and compact though! ;-)

Will post a picture later.

@MrBlue, wider trains does make a good reason to have more space between all right.

[LegoSjaak]

I think you'd better be buying a 7996 set... i bought it new, but second hand they are also available...

Crossover video

Crossover

Greetz, LegoSjaak

Edited May 30, 2011 by LegoSjaak

[zzap64]

I think you'd better be buying a 7996 set... i bought it new, but second hand they are also available...

Greetz, LegoSjaak

I've seen them all right. A good idea but I've a big supply of blue junctions now and would have to do 4 conversions of blue track to PF track.