Most of the turnout manufacturers provide accurate scaled templates that can be photocopied for use in layout planning and actual roadbed mock-up. I suggest that you select a brand of turnout and give this a try.
Regards

Rich suggests connecting a 1000 ohm resistor to each rail. Please clarify. Do you connect a resistor in series with the feeder wire to each rail? Or is there some other connection such as across the both rails to achieve a better current sink?

I had two shays that did not appear to have split gears, but when I carefully examined the pinion gears under a microscope I discovered that they had expanded causing the tooth spacing to distort and expand. This makes the pinion jam against its mating gear at one point around its 360 degree rotation. Or you notice a jerking motion as the loco goes down the track.

I agree with comments below that Bachmann is very responsive with repair parts and warranty replacement offers.  Every Climax and Shay that I have has split their original pinion drive gears. The new style gear with raised ring reinforcement does help. As stated elsewhere, if you trim this ring you will defeat the purpose of the reinforced design.

All plastics are fugitive materials that tend to creep or flex when placed under a mechanical stress load. That load typically does not come from driving the locomotive down the track. Rather it comes from the press fit of the gear over the knurl or spline on the steel drive shaft. The press fit causes the plastic gear to expand a few thousands of an inch which eventually distorts or cracks the gear. Plastics can cross-link with age like old human skin or aged car tires. Cross-linked polymers become brittle. Overall the gear problem is really a materials engineering problem in my opinion.

But in Bachmann's defense, if they manufactured the gear from better plastic material or metal the final product cost goes up. All products are built to a price point adjusted to market competition.  I guess it is sacrilegious to mention on this forum that Northwest Short Line makes replacement metal gears for Climax and Shay. I have used these as permanent fixes for the gear splitting problem but I also have a jewelers lathe that allows me to precision fit the gears to the shafts and trim gear back-face or bronze bushing clearance to achieve proper gear mesh which is vital to smooth performance. This almost gets into micro machining. Most owners simply want to glue on a new part and run.

However you decide to effect repair, I believe it is worth the trouble. It is a real joy to see the miniature mechanical motion of a Shay or Climax winding it way around your layout. These locomotives are a very unique part of railroading history.

AMACH Replys: Many thanks to all of you for the descriptions of the belt drive system.  The fact that Bachmann uses a cog belt is very reassuring.  Cog belts are a solid mechanical design equal to gear drives. As an indication of their reliability they are used extensively in scaled up versions for industrial machinery and automobile cam drives.

When I posted this information request, I had visions of a friction belt drive. I recall running some of the old Athern diesel locos on my layout back in the 1970's. These units had a rubber band twisted 90 degrees that traveled around the motor shaft and then down to the drivers. The engines jerked and lunged when pulling a medium consist due to elasticity inherent in the rubber band. Bad design! Thank goodness that era is over.

I am considering purchasing a Bachmann, Baldwin 2-8-0 Consolidations, UP #724 .  However I understand that these locomotives use a belt drive that might be prone to slip or wear when compared to positive gear drives. 

One description that I found on the Internet mentions that is has an "idler gear box" yet the Bachmann official site indicates belt drive in the specifications.   Does this loco use a combination of both belt and gear drive?   Could someone please advise regarding the reliability and pulling strength of this model along with the actual as-built motor to driver wheel mechanism used.           PS. I have several gear driven Spectrum steam locos on my layout and they have been great products.