So, what are

your Givens and Druthers?  what sort of operation do you like, and how close is the rest of the layout to prototype?  Few layouts I've operated on have true to life track arrangements, so compromises are usually best negotiated from the owners stand point, not the prototype - or even your operations crew.

If it were me

If it were me, I'd preserve the prototype's schematic, but have the Front Track come off the left or middle of that 180° curve using a curved turnout.  Preserving the prototype's track arrangement has always been high on my personal list of goals, since straying from it can have a ripple effect into operations.  We may not immediately understand why the tracks were laid out in a certain manner on the prototype, but as research reveals more details about how and why things happened, I've often been glad I avoided the temptation to stray.  

Curved turnout

You could put a curved turnout in V2 at about the 12' mark.  It might have to be hand laid to fit the exact arrangement, but I'd say that's preferable to having the siding do a 180 deg. turn.

Just my 2 cents.

Kerry 

Curved turnout?

Is there really a curve there on the prototype or is the curve just to turn back the mainline the other direction? If the prototype had a sweeping curve with spur off it I'd use a curved switch and maybe start about half way around to leave some room between it and the siding. If it's a turnback curve while the real tracks went straight I'd probably move the Lotus grain complex down a bit till the turnout could come off the tangent. I think the bottom line when trying to compress a prototype scene is to build it from the viewpoint most folks would recognize it from.Same side of the tracks, same track schematic as much as possible and same signature buildings or terrain. Force their view toward stuff they'd remember from being  there in person......DaveB

Options

1.  The simplest solution is the first option.  What this does though is change the industry from one that has to be worked in both directions to one that is worked in one direction (the changes to which Joe alluded).

2.  Having the long spur preserves the orientation but stretches out the scene and may have other scenic operational impacts..

3.  Putting in the curved switch is another answer.

4.  Moving the elevator into the curve (essentially rotating it 90 degr) and have the spur closest to the main  come from the right (with a tighter radius so you can get a couple cars of tangent) and the spur closest to the center come from the left from a switch next to the diamond.  This solution preserves the orientation but stretches out the scene and may have other scenic operational impacts.

5.  Slide the whole thing down so the elevator is at the 5 ft mark.  Put the switch for the track close to the main near the 9 ft mark and the switch for the back track at the 2 ft mark.  This solution preserves the orientation but stretches out the scene and may have other scenic operational impacts.

My preference is 3 first, 1 second, 5 third, 2 fourth and 4 last.  YMMV.

Great minds think alike...

Thanks for the comments. The idea of putting a curved turnout at the top of that curved track was my original intent.  But, try as I might, I couldn't get one to fit.  The outer curve can't move, there is another track outside of it that isn't shown here, it can't move either because it is already against the wall and the electrical box.  That inner curve is about 28" radius, this is HO scale, and a Peco curved turnout won't work.  At least, I couldn't get one to work anywhere but where you see it.  I tried placing one all along that outer curve, and I couldn't get it to work until I made it all the way around the curve to where you see it now.  

Joe summed up my thoughts exactly.  I have chosen to follow the prototype track arrangements as much as possible everywhere.  It has been really interesting while operating in XtrkCAD or learning more about a certain industry, to find that something that seemed like an odd track arrangement suddenly makes sense.  So I want to have the lower version of the two above, but would love to move that switch more to the twelve o'clock position on that curve.  But, how can I do that?  I'm not hand laying a switch.  All of my switches are Peco.  Is there another type of commercial curved turnout that might work?  

Thanks! 

Randy

Moving Lotus...

Moving Lotus Grain down would be great, except there is absolutely no room to do that.  I left off all of the tracks serving the distillery that is right below what you see here.  Lotus can't move down, that real estate has already been fully developed by the railroad.  I have spent a ton of time researching those tracks and I have them down exactly like the prototype and I know what each spot was used for, not going to change that.  I actually was working on some finishing touches on the distillery when I took a second look at the Lotus tracks and realized that I had deviated from the prototype to fit the space and decided that I could do better and switch Lotus just like the prototype, which is my goal.  I am modeling the operations, so that is my main concern. 

Randy

Hand-laying

Randy, I wouldn't dismiss hand-laying just yet.  It wasn't that many years ago that I'd never hand-laid, and now I've got a layout that's almost entirely hand-laid.  There isn't a single step in hand-laying that's difficult.  The only challenge is in performing each step in the right order, being careful to get it right before moving on to the next.  If you can use a file and/or Dremel tool, and you can drive spikes, then you can hand-lay.

As another alternative, I've heard of people modifying commercial turnouts in order to modify their radius, so that'd be worth a try as well.

As another alternative

For the price of a curved Peco you might be able to get someone to make a curved fast tracks jig turnout for you. Check the ebay sellers and see if any of them have a suitable radius jig. After the layout is done you won't recall how hard it was to get the proper turnout but if you place it where you don't want it you'll look at it every day....DaveB

Hand laying and fast tracks...

I hear you , Joe, but about the only thing I have less of than money is time.  So, I won't be doing any hand-laying. I'm sure I could do it, and probably save a bit of money.  But I need something like 150 turnouts and I have zero interest in building them.  I've already accumulated over 500 pieces of flex track too.  

Dave, great minds thinking alike again. I just came here from looking on Ebay for somebody selling Fast Tracks turnouts and I found some. Not exactly what I need, but I sent one guy an email to see if he could build what I need. Looks like I can get a 30" outside radius, which is perfect, and maybe about 24" or more of inside radius.  I should be able to fit that in near the top of that turn, and that should be just about perfect.  Not cheap at almost $40, but like you said, money well-spent versus the inevitable tear-out and re-do.  

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips.  

Randy

Hand-laying

I'm glad you appear to have found a solution that'll work for you Randy.  To clarify, I wasn't suggesting that you hand-lay everything - I just had this one turnout in mind.  However you go about it, based on what you described of your goals, I think moving that turnout as you're planning to do and retaining the prototype's schematic is definitely the better way to go.  I'm looking forward to seeing this come together.

Walthers?

Did you check out Walthers #7 or #7 1/2 curved turnouts?

Kerry

Curved Turnout

Heard back from the Fast Tracks guy.  He said he can make a turnout with a 30" outside radius and a 27" inside radius.  I think that should be about perfect. I think I'm going to take a good long look at the rest of the track plan now to see if any more custom turnouts would help anywhere else.  Now, if he could just put a Peco over-travel spring on there too...  

Randy

What do you think?

Here it is with the 27"/30" simulated turnout in place.  I think I like it.  

if he could just put a Peco over-travel spring on there too

You could add a bent spring in the ties but you'd still need to power the frog so a blue point controller or tortoise motor  is probably the easiest way to go unless you want to use a frog juicer on it. Caboose makes a ground throw with turnout power contacts  which also might be useful in that situation if you want top of  layout control.....DaveB

Powered frogs

I was kind of wondering if that might be necessary on a switch of this length.  I won't be using any tortoise machines or similar anywhere else on the layout.  I don't plan to power any other frogs, and all my other switches are Peco insulfrogs.  What is the cheapest and easiest way to make this turnout dead reliable? Sounds like maybe the Caboose Industries ground throw might be the way to go to keep it similar to the rest of the hand-thrown Pecos.  All of my power will be four-axle Diesel, well, maybe a six-axle here and there but they were pretty rare in my area.  

thanks 

Randy

cheapest and easiest way to make this turnout dead reliable?

 I'd just try the diesels on it and see if they run thru it ok without a powered frog. If they all have clean wheels and all their wiper wires intact they'll probably be fine then you can just use a regular caboose sprung ground throw on it.. Short wheelbase locos like 0-4-0 steamers or industrial diesels are the ones that can't span a long dead frog. If most of your diesels run over it  but one doesn't I'd inspect the wheels and the pick up wires to make sure it's not the loco's fault....DaveB     PS: I see that Peco offers a #7 curved turnout so you might look at modifying the large curve a bit to make one fit if you really like the Peco spring points? ......DaveB

Thanks for all the help

I have a custom Fast Tracks 30"/27" turnout on the way. 

Randy