Having recently acquired enough space to get out my collection and blow the cobwebs out, I realized that I have gotten far more prototypical than I was before. My question is too simple. How close can I place parallel mainline tracks on a straightaway? Years ago, stuff like this never mattered, and I'm not even an old timer yet.
I would suggest no more than 2 1/2 inches, but then again, I am just starting the planning stages on my first real layout. But that's the width distance I have gleaned from ten years of research. Although, now that I think of it, I'm not sure if its outside rail to outside rail, or center to center.
2 and a half center to center is a good distance. I would have to check the plans, but I think I chose that for my mains. That said, you want more like 3 to three and a half on center for yards and places where you need to stick your fingers. My suggestion (and this is how I do a good deal of my track planning) is to take some of that old, useless, brass track and lay it out in a table or somthing and play with it until you find the right mx of "looks right" and "works for you". Remember, thins is your layout and the correct answer is whatever is best for you.
I have been at it a few years, and have yet to need to try to get my fingers between cars on yard tracks. It ma have to do with the couplers you use. I use Mantua loop and hook type, so there is no need to crash the cars together to make a couple, like knuckle types do. Unless you had a runnaway engine that crashed in the yard, why have to remove any particular car? I have 3/8" between cars, and could easily pull the whole string out if I should want to remove a single car. I do use 1/2 inch on dual mainlines, but only because of the side rods on some of the plastic engines that stick out a lot. Maybe I'm missing your point for having such a wide space between cars.
I use 2" centers on my mainlines, with 30" radius curves. Tighter curves will require 2 1/4 or 2 1/2". Yard tracks are closer, I think about 1 3/4". Gary
Well, do you want to be prototypical, or do you want to have room to stick your fingers? Prototype spacing tends to be on the 13-16 foot range for most time eras (narrower earlier). There are some areas today which have 20 foot spacing so that derailments don't block the opposing track. Yards tend to have slightly narrower spacing, since trains move slower, and there isn't as much curving in most of them (there are excpetions to every rule). All track spacing I am referring to is centerline-centerline. 2 Inch Spacing Since we are in 1/87th scale, we convert the 2" to real life. So 2*87 = 174 inches, divide that by 12 for 14.5 feet. Pretty much right on the prototype. I probably wouldn't go less than this. 2.5 Inch Spacing Same formula. 2.5*87 = 217.5/12 = 18.125 feet, pretty large by most RR's standards, with the exception of today's most modern stuff. So it is up to you. This just offers a view of how to figure it out based on the prototype. You may have other restrictions you want to consider (fingers, minimum curve radius, etc.) so try out a spacing and make sure it will work for you before you put it down permanently.
Thanks, guys. I was trying to get an idea of prototypical spacing vs. model size compromises. I never really thought it about until this was typed and sent, but I suppose I could measure the the full size track spacing on my prototype, since I work next to it(almost) I really don't think I would have a need to get my hand in between two cuts of cars, but I didn't want the auto racks to sideswipe the ac4400's, either. I'll try to lay it out without too much thinking.
Two inches is about right, maybe a little wider on the curves especially if you are running long cars (60 scale ft +). When I laid my track I had a little device I picked up from Micro-Mark. It was slotted so you could put in on the track that was already laid and then put the other slot on the track you were laying. It was easy no nonsense spacing.
