Ten Degree Turns I concur with hegstad1. However, 18" is no where near an authentic 10 degree turn used by most class 1 railroads as a minimum radius. Still it is close to an HO equivalent of a 34" radius curve. Which isn't bad. On my main line I insist on 18" radius curves as a minimum. The correct question to ask: What's the largest radius curve I can build into my layout?
Thanks for the info. I'm building on hollow core doors 36"x80". I will be making it a U shape with a 24" door connecting the two 36" doors. I just wanted to know the radius so I could make it wider if needed. Which looks like I will have to do that.
For your space 15" radius should be more than adequate. That will handle 99 percent of available equipment easily. Naturally longer locos and passenger cars will look much better on wider radius, but compromises to space are necessary. Ben
Ben, Thanks for the info. What is an easement. Is it using greater radius track leading info lesser radius track? I have heard folks talk about easements, but have no idea what they are.
An understandable way to describe easements is this: When you build a curve without easements, your straight sections transition directly into a curve. Sometimes this is a very abrupt transition, especially with tighter curves. If you built a curve with easements, you transition your straight sections into a gentler curve (wider radius than the curve's minimum) before the curve tightens up. This allows a smoother transition, and allows the train to not "jerk" into the curve, giving the train a smoother ride. It looks and works much better. A tight curve without easements, and a train at speed could derail, but an eased curve may allow the train to keep the wheel side down. Easements are best for all layouts, no matter how big the curves, but really shine on smaller layouts with tight curves An example of an eased curve on a minimum radius of 15"; the easement portion of say 6-8" length, would be a much broader 20" radius. These numbers are not set in stone--experiment, and discover what you need for your layout. We're happy to help with any Q's you have!
HemiAdda2d, Thanks for the explanation. I think I understand now. Lets say I was using Kato unitrack and a 15" radius turn. Would I start the turn with 28" radius and then 15". Or would I go from 28" to 19" and then to 15"? What about coming out of the turn?
The suggestions for easements are excellent, I suggest easements as well. If you can afford the space, the best Kato Unitrack easement for your 15" would be 28"->19"-15", then the reverse coming out. If you don't have the space, entering with 28"-15" or 19"-15", either one would be fine. The key is to have some sort of easement. Note that the 15" radius curves only come in 30 degree size.... the 19" and 28" come in 15 degree sizes.... here's a link to the different sizes avail : http://www.nscalesupply.com/Images/KAT/KAT-UnitrackConfigCurves.gif I suggest buying a few pieces of the different radius's, try the different combo's, and see what looks best to you. That's what I did, and the final combination I picked was determined this way, and it's worked out great.
Can you imagine a model RR in a silo built as a dounble helix with an elevator in the middle so one could stay with their train.
John, I like your idea of buying some track of the radius and giving it a try. Then go from there. Thanks for yours and everyone else's help.
This is where we all got started. This is where we all started and eventually by trying and fitting things together we each established a set of rules for constructing our own layouts. You won't/don't know till you try. Allow me to give you a fictional account of my experience with several newbies. This is to hide the actual identity. Before I get started allow me to disclose... I resemble the newbie. I spent hours in person, on the phone, via the internet and at this persons residence explaining to a newbie how to construct a model railroad. I proceeded to show him by example while working on my layout, while working on a friends O and S scale layout. By providing drawings, purchased how to books, videos, a note book of information regarding suggested radius curves and a long list of other recommendations. On one occasion after spending hours on the phone and time consumed on Sundays, at this newbies home to what seemed to be wasted hours and a hopeless situation...I gave up. I chanced to catch up with him again and was invited over to see what he had created. His train table and bench work would have won him an award. When it came to the track work he had all but ignored just about everything I had ever shared with him. Depending instead on another newbie just down the street to help him and it showed. Gosh. I couldn't run a train around the tight circle once without it derailing. Did I mention he had no idea... why? That's ok. The best teacher is quite often... the school of hard knocks. Some of us, just aren't inclined to learn any other way. I might add: I learned later that what he wanted was for me to build the layout for him. To many road blocks. There was no way and it just wasn't going to happen. Why should I steal all his fun!! I did build a layout for a handicapped person.... but, that's another one of those stories from the lessons learned files of mine. So, anymore my best advice to a newbie is..."Try it". Decide for yourself what you want and pursue it. In either case it will be lessons learned. Then when you are ready feel free to ask me any question you'd like. Grab that track and lay it out on a piece of wood, the kitchen table but not the front room carpet and see how it fits together. Unless I forgot to say so...It's Ok to make a mistake. One piece of good advice shared with me by a non-model railroader at my LHS. Use thumb tacks to temporarily attach your track to a piece of wood. This will be easy to remove and allow you to make those learning and teaching oop's. Well, that worked in HO...anys way. Enjoy and have fun!
Totally off topic, but it brought back a memory from a lot of years ago. Back in college I had a physics professor who was a storm watching fanatic. He bought an old farm simply because of the larger diameter than usual grain silo. He put a spiral staircase inside, then topped it with a lighthouse-like glass all the way around enclosure...then filled with several 360 degree swivel captains chairs (my contribution), and observation & recording equipment. It was a seriously cool place to watch lightening storms since it was in an area almost so flat that if you dropped a bowling ball, there was a danger it would roll clear through the next county...you could see for miles. I wonder if he would have any model railroad inclinations.
Thanks Rick for the advice. I'm doing that right now. Building the bench work and then getting some track and laying it out. I also want to get a controller a loco and run it around on one of the doors while I work on the others. All this reading and planning is giving me a head ache. I just want to start having some fun.
Zandoz and all tuned in, Where do I sign-up. Only, I want to be a mobile storm chaser. Yep, off topic but that does sound like fun. Let's see "Storm Track", you know this might work out. Grin! Have fun!
No more head-aches. Congradulations, now you are doing and making it happen. A whole lot more fun...this way. I guarantee it!
