Motor at the track
Work in progress: This section is still a work in progress — content is being added and revised continuously.
What is checked? Whether a side-mounted turnout motor has room next to its turnout. Trackplanner places the motor’s footprint next to the turnout as it is mounted in the plan and reports two cases: the motor sits on the sleepers of another track at about the same height (it cannot lie there, however flat it is). Or it is taller than the lower step of the vehicle profile per NEM 102 and at the same time closer to the centre of a track than half the vehicle width. This also applies to the turnout’s own track.
Why does it matter? Next to a parallel track at minimum spacing there is often no room for the motor beside the turnout. On the plan you hardly notice; when building, the motor then sits on the neighbouring track. A motor that is too tall and close to the track gets brushed by passing vehicles.
How to fix it: If the motor allows both sides and the other side is free, the quick fix “Move the motor to the other side of the turnout” puts it there. Otherwise move the tracks further apart or change the mounting in the turnout’s motor chip.
Numbers & defaults: the lower step of the profile (NEM 102, dimension HL1 above rail top) is Z 4.5 · N 6 · TT 8 · H0 11 · S 15 · 0 22 · I 30 · II 43 mm by scale. Up to this height, functional parts such as a motor may reach in next to the track (footnote 2 of the standard). Half the vehicle width follows your clearance setting (H0: 24 mm). A motor flush against a sleeper counts as clear (0.5 mm play). Motors without known dimensions are not checked. The check is part of the Premium analysis.