I am toying with adding an outside loop of Kato N Scale Double Track. I know that the super-elevated curves have an angled profile. Do the easement tracks instead have a flat profile? I found this video with the left side track I'd like to emulate as my outside loop on my 4'x8' platform. Does the double track system require two power packs? Thanks, Dave
Yes. You need one for each 'track'. Edit 1: In one of his videos he has a V11 set and a V16 giving hime 4 'concentric' loops. He would need a power supply for each. That is: 4 power supplies. Edit 2: In the description he says it is all one loop. I'm guessing he is under 18yo so there are restrictions on information.
One cool feature of the easement curve pieces is that you don't need to match the easement track radius with the curved double track pieces. For example, you can use 381/414mm easement track and the tighter 282/315mm curved double track.
The easements pieces are just as they sound, they 'ease' between super-elevated and flat. You use them as transition pieces between the normal double track curves and straight track. You couldn't make a full circle out of just easement tracks, unless you wanted a bunch of cyclical undulations in super-elevation to flat and back again.
But you could, as his layout suggests, have easement curve, easement curve, straight track, easement curve (twice) to make one end of the loop, right?
The easement curves are 22.5 degrees. To make a 90 degree (quarter circle) turn, you should have easement curve - full superelevated piece - easement curve. The regular fully superelevated sections are 45 degrees. Then you can add as much straight track as you want, and then use easement-superelevated-easement again to make another 90 degree turn.
