minimum radius

[asciibaron]

still having a hard time with n scale radius - not sure what would be too tight.

18" is tight in HO, does that become 9" in N?


i have been trying to maintain a 15" minimum radius with a 16" minimum on the main.  i would need about three feet square to have a 16" reverse loop and that really eats into my aisle space.  i would like to run long trailer flats and the occasional autorack.  can i relax my mainline to 15" and still keep things looking good?

[Mark5]

18" in HO equals a little over 9 3/4" in N (9.7875").

On my current layout I am going with 16" min on the main, due to the size of my layout. I want a 21" minimum, but current space will not allow it.

"Looking good" is a relative term - 15" will certainly look far better than 11" or smaller.  ;D

I'm hoping the longer cars won't look "too bad".

Mark

[Dave V]

It really depends on your prototype! ;D

And don't worry, I know the person that made the video.

AND...  the similarity between the video and my trackplan is not lost on me... :-[

[Philip H]

Steve,
I've run 89 ft TOFC flats on 10 inch radius, and while they CAN handle it, they have a ton of overhang and really look bad.  I'm building 14 inch radius on my switching layout, and the 89 footers look much better on that.

Here's my suggestion - get a large piece of cardboard , mark off a series of radaii using a yard stick and a pencil to draw them, and then slap down some flex track on each using some double sided tape.  Run your larger cars around it by hand, and see what radius you like.

[asciibaron]

Run your larger cars around it by hand, and see what radius you like.

have you met me?  my longest car is a 50' boxcar.  you think i'm gonna commit to a long car with a vaporware layout

[Philip H]

i have been trying to maintain a 15" minimum radius with a 16" minimum on the main.  i would need about three feet square to have a 16" reverse loop and that really eats into my aisle space.  i would like to run long trailer flats and the occasional autorack.  can i relax my mainline to 15" and still keep things looking good?

Steve, I was just trying to help you answer this question.  I figured that if you do some radii on a scrap, you wouldn't be dealing with vaporware.

[Dave V]

Philip's right; more than once I've tested stuff on the bench.  I have even bought sectional c55 at various radii to test loco wheelbase.

I know you want answers before you buy, but really, you won't know 'till you try.  That rhymes, by the way.  Hey.

[asciibaron]

i have a board with various radii marked out - i just don't have long cars to test with it - my plan is to add some.  15" is the best i can fit in my space, so it might just be moot.

i have some track laid out and i can run a train, but the manager told me to redo it to make it more "welcoming" for visitors - no duck under just to see the layout.

this was drawn in MS Paint, so be gentle...  it's just an overview, not the actual plan.  would love to have a 4 track yard as Warwick in there and 2 staging tracks  along the bottom wall on both levels plus the main.  a girl can dream can't she?

[oakcreekco]

After much thought, trial and error on above tips, and BUYING a couple of modern 89'ers, I built my mainline with 21" radius and superelevated.

Granted, I model "modern" but 21" was the least that I could do.............and be happy with the looks.

[Mark5]

After much thought, trial and error on above tips, and BUYING a couple of modern 89'ers, I built my mainline with 21" radius and superelevated.

Granted, I model "modern" but 21" was the least that I could do.............and be happy with the looks.

21" is my goal for the next layout (5 to 10 years from now). I don't think it matters what era you model, but that's me.

Mark

[oakcreekco]

After much thought, trial and error on above tips, and BUYING a couple of modern 89'ers, I built my mainline with 21" radius and superelevated.

Granted, I model "modern" but 21" was the least that I could do.............and be happy with the looks.

21" is my goal for the next layout (5 to 10 years from now). I don't think it matters what era you model, but that's me.

Mark

I agree. "Bigger is better" for radii in any era. All I knew is that I wanted to run 89'flats and autoracks without looking "odd" or worse yet, causing operational problems.

Grain trains and coal trains look outstanding with a 21", but sometimes the "trackplan" has to be altered to get a larger radius in the given space.

Bottom line, keep yourself happy with what you see. That's all that really matters

[Erik W]

Steve,

I'd go with the biggest radius that'll work.  Its sounds like 15" is what you can do.  I have one 17" radius curve.  My passenger cars (equivalent of 89' flat) look OK on it.  I've farted around with some track plans for a future layout in the space I have.  If I keep my isles no narrower than 30", I can manage 20" radius curves on the mainline.  I think the thing we all have in common with minimum radius is, we all want to have it be bigger!

Erik

[Mark5]

Yeah, I guess it comes down to the fact that the space you have to work with sometimes will force you into compromise. That's why I'm at 16" min on my current layout rather than my desired 21" min.

[wm3798]

Steve,
Go with 15" as a minimum on your return blobs, and if you go multi-track staging blobs, it's probably okay to just keep the big stuff on the outer track(s).  36" isn't unreasonable for a return blob, and you can lessen it's impact on the room by cutting the platform with a radius that follows the track, or at least by lopping a 45 off the corner.

I've got 15" on my layout, but it's for the most part buried in the mountain behind the paper mill.  Longer cars like pig flats and high cubes roll around it just fine, but they could obviously look better, so I bury the offending curve in scenery.

One trick you could use to justify the tight curve would be to make the scene look like a junction, where trains would be moving at a reduced speed.  Surround the scene with structures and vehicles, and it will look just fine.

Lee

[Ian MacMillan]

I think at 15" is going to be fine for your loops Steve.

I'm using 36R" return loops and I'm not noticing any encroachment into the isles!