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Well, I could try to describe this but it's probably easier
if you
go straight to the illustrations. If you can't for some
reason:
each piece of track is like a piece of jigsaw puzzle, each
one
has the same outline and they all fit together any way.
Sort
of like Escher's lizards. Each
piece has a groove in the
top
surface, either a straight section or a 90 degree turn.
There
is a bit of slop in how they fit together so long sweeping
turns
are also possible. The locomotive and cars have a guide
pin
that follows the groovy track.
EDIT: updated (based on annotations), to make the track
pieces on a hexagonal grid. This makes the turns wider,
with a choice of 30 or 60 degree turns.
one piece of track
http://howdymam.dev.../90-track-162218023
[afinehowdoyoudo, Apr 28 2010]
a bunch of pieces put together
http://howdymam.dev...art/track-162223992
it's half baked [afinehowdoyoudo, Apr 28 2010]
Minimum Turning Radius
http://modeltrains....tp/track_curves.htm
I'm no expert... [jurist, Apr 28 2010]
Interlocking Toy Train Tracks
http://www.toottoot.../c464/p5254/summary
A more typical approach to toy trains... [Jinbish, Apr 28 2010]
Railroad Tycoon & Rails of Europe
http://blog.cartoph...ailroad-tycoon.html
Illustrations of the hexagonal sort of track layouts. [jurist, May 01 2010]
hextrack50 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 on Shapeways
http://www.shapeway...odel=117413&mode=3d
[afinehowdoyoudo, May 07 2010]
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Annotation:
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To be honest I think I saw this somewhere but could
not find it on the internet, therefore it is unbaked? |
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I like the concept, but the scale must be very much larger than your linked illustrations would indicate. Only the tiniest toy trains would be able to navigate a corner so tight as to be described on a single "puzzle" piece. Are these interlocking pieces actually large enough to be proportionate with the train equipment? Or should the described curves and corners be much more gently graduated than the illustrations suggest? |
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And, since jigsawed pieces of this type require a vertical installation, what sort of linking or bayonet design will you use to provide the electrical continuity between pieces (assuming these are the traditional electric toy trains)? |
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This would be better with hexagons, like the Railroad Tycoon board game. |
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Ah, hexagons! I knew there was a reason to post this
:) |
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Those 'square' pieces are on a 2 inch grid, so the
running gear would be roughly HO-scale, but would
be in a custom style having rubber tires and a single
guide pin protruding from each undercarriage. The
locomotives would be self-propelled, most likely by
an electric motor, with batteries or photovoltaic
panels. |
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I don't think HO scale could make a 90° turn in anything smaller than a 12 inch square because of the distance between the wheel carriages and their limited turning range, regardless of how the unit was powered. <edit: I stand corrected. Per the attached link the minimum turning radius for HO gauge would be 18 inches, and N gauge would be 11 inches.> |
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Custom designed rolling stock can make turns as small as you like. Those recommended minima are for standard commercial scale models. |
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The turning radius was part of the reason I suggested hexagons, so you turn 60deg per hex with a radius of about 3/4 of a hex. It would also make having points easier. |
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[Jurist] 18" and 11" are his recommendations. There is a table lower down with the minimums. Then there is a note about N-gauge track with a 4" radius. |
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I think a 4" hex layout would be ideal, like Settlers of Catan (which has nothing to do with trains). |
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Hex is better, now who can figure out the least number of piece types needed to make common track layouts like an oval and a figure 8. I think it's 6. |
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If we use a notation describing track connecting to Hex sides that are numbered clockwise : 1-6 |
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Hex based oval: 4 pieces
2 pieces with curves going through adjacent sides: {1,2}
+
2 pieces with curves going through sides 1 side apart: {1,3} |
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Hex based 8: 7 pieces
4 pieces of {1,2}
2 pieces of {1,3}
1 crossroads {1,2,5,6} |
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I'm off on a steamtrain ride on monday! woo woo!
my stationmaster grandfather would be so proud. |
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Oval: 2 types. 6x curve (1,3), 2x straight (1,4). |
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Fig 8: 2 types. 10x curve (1,3), 1x crossover (1,2,4,5). |
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[marklar]: The plan that I've suggested is based on the assumption that a {1,2} turn is permitted. If that's the case then 7 hexes are all that are needed. |
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In any case, your track plan is a much nicer layout. |
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{Just realised question was minimum number of *type* of pieces, not actual number of pieces. Ok - your suggestions are the classical answer to the figure of 8} |
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[marklar], nicely done, I was stuck on being able to create tracks that could make 90 degree turns. Included two kinds of straight track, one 1-4 and another 1-3. My T was 1-4/2-6 and then I got lost in the two different kinds of turns to interface between the centered and offset straight tracks. |
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Ok - my figure-of-8 layout is only 7 jigsaw pieces in total, but there were three types of piece 4x{1,2}, 2x{1,3}, and 1x{1,2,5,6}. [marklar]'s is 11 jigsaw pieces in total, and is made from 10x{1,3} and 1x{1,2,5,6} |
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The full selection of possible pieces is {1,2}, {1,3}, and {1,4}. However you can have a {1,4}{2,3}{5,6} on it. Thus two piece types would allow every non crossing track. Crosses would introduce two more, a {1,4}{2,5}{3,6} piece and a {1,4}{2,6}{3,5}. Pretty sure, therefore, that all possible static piece can be covered with only 4 pieces. One more if you want a switchable Y if you give it a 5 position switch (or 6 5 position switches if you want to get really complex). |
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You could also, possibly, have some pieces with two or three curves on them:
{1,2;3,4;5,6} - three {1,2} curves<br
{1,3;4,6} - two {1,3} curves |
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I didn't mention it specifically, but I figured the {1,3} curve
would double up. But the 3x{1,2} curve I did miss, and the
{1,3}{2,4}{5,6}, so we're up to 7 different pieces including the
switch. |
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//so we're up to 7 different pieces//
Did you remember terminus pieces ? |
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The edited idea states that you can have 30deg pieces, which you can't; you can only have 60 (1,3)or 120 (1,2) and I think a 120deg curve is too tight. |
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I would suggest the 6 different types: curve(1,3), straight(1,4), 2-way cross (1,4 & 2,5), 3-way asterisk(1,4 & 2,5 & 3,6), right points (1,4 & 5), left points (1,4 & 3). |
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Edit: just thought of Fleur de lys points(1,4 & 3 & 5). |
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It would be nice to have specialist pieces, such as: turntable, bridge over river, tunnel, level crossing. |
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I really want to bake this. Get me China on the phone ... that's right, all the tea. |
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i have a toy car track that is much like the idea as originally posted. It works well. |
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I can't be arsed to find it or to look it up. |
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I doodled a piece of hexagonal track sized to a 50mm
inscribed circle and with tracks {1,2} {3,4} and {5,6},
and posted it to Shapeways (linky). $12.71 delivered
is cheep cheep for 3D printing but it would add up to
an expensive toy train set! |
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[afinehowdoyoudo] ~ The Shapeways site that you linked to is very impressive. I'm planning to bookmark that one for future reference. Thanks! |
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To keep the number of manufactured parts to a minimum, I would suggest only 2:
"Straight", with 3 straight tracks thru' the centre;
"Corner", with 3 60deg corners.
As mentioned (and I tend to agree), a 120deg corner will be too tight or make the unit too big.
Adding complications such as points takes it to the next level, but it could be done with just 1 more piece, combining all options: each edge of a hex unit has a 3-way point, allowing the train to go 60deg left, straight, or 60deg right. Because of the way the lines curve, the point (actual place where the direction is changed) will have to be at or near the initial edge. Of course, this this means each "points unit" will have 6 3-value inputs (and I'm naively assuming there is such a thing as a three-way point...), which could quickly get complicated for a control system. |
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Thanks neutrinos, let me noodle on that. bigsleep, I
did that piece in solidworks, which some might say is
a cheating way to sketch, but I would maintain that
it was done in a Doodlist style: fast and easy without
ironing out all the details. Hopefully nobody actually
pays to print it out :) |
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