Glimer of sanity on the horizon

Suggest get him a peco catalogue, has lots of dimensions in it as well as track geometry.

What make of track curves are they ? Peco show

1st radius 2*14 5/8 = 29" 2nd radius 2* 17 1/4 = 34.5 " 3rd radius 2* 19 7/8 = 40"

Hornby ...

1st radius 2*371mm = 29" 2nd radius 2*438mm = 34.5 3rd radius 2*505mm = 39.7

Seems you've got 1 and a bit radius which is too small for most modern locos.

Cheers, Simon

Had intended to pick the catalogues up on the trip to the shop, but he wasn't up to the trip. I'll get him one at my end and take it over with me. He is just starting to get a handle on what can be done in the space available.

I think it could end up rather good, but I'm still having a problem adjusting after 20 years playing in N myself (the proposed track plan would just about fit on a decent dining table in N).

Thanks for the assistance, I was tired, not used to the scale, wanting to get it right as he will probably only get one shot at this and dealing with some fairly unrealistic expectations on his end.

Regards

Mike

In message , simon writes

Out of curiosity, where do the definitions of the various radii come from ?

Adrian

Peco from the Peco catalogue and Hornby from Hornby catalogue - might be on their website as well. Both for settrack. Both give it as a radius, Hornby in mm and Peco with fractions of an inch.

Cheers, Simon

In message , simon writes

Thanks, but not what I meant (bad phrasing on my part I suspect).

What I meant was, who decided what constitutes a first radius, and a second, and a third. Since Peco and Hornby seem to pretty much the same, it looks like a "standard".

Adrian

Hornby invented the terms, the other manufacturers followed suit in order to make it clear to customers that their track is compatible with Hornby's.

All the measurements are based on the tightest - the "1st radius". A

2nd radius curve is designed so that a double track circuit with 1st on the inner track and 2nd on the outer will have the correct distance between the two tracks, and the same then applies for a double track circuit formed from 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Mark

Adrian -

It's a de facto standard, dating back I think to the days of Tri-ang Super 4 track in the 1960s, which had two radii, small and large (it might even go back to Series 3 and Standard). These were perpetuated into System 6, and when the third radius was added small and large became first and second respectively. There is now a fourth radius as well.

When Peco Setrack came out the radii were the same as Tri-ang (later Hornby) but I have a feeling that the geometry of the pointwork might be slightly different.

Why the actual radii are what they are is a question I can't answer. Perhaps something to do with getting a double track oval on a 3 feet wide board? The distance between centres of 2.625 inches allows long vehicles to pass on the curves without hitting each other.

Hope this helps.

On Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:53:13 +1300, Adrian wrote:=

"Mark Goodge" wrote

< pedant mode >

That very much depends what you mnean by 'correct distance' between two tracks. It certainly is NOT a correct scale spacing, but one designed to allow long(ish) coaches & other items of rolling stock to pass each other on tight curves without clouting each other.

< /pedant mode >

Clouting = good old Yorkshire word meaning meaning hitting or colliding.

John.

In message , John Nuttall writes

The geometry of Series 3 (the short black widely spaced sleepers) and Standard (integrated sleepers on grey ballast base) was different in that the smaller radius was 13.5 inches. The common feature was that the larger radius for Series 3 and Standard was 17.25 inches which is the same as the current second radius. Standard straight pieces of track were 7.25 inches long and each curved section was 30 degrees.

I think Standard 4 and the systems that followed were an attempt to tidy up the geometry to give closer parallel track centres and make more complex track formations easier in terms of using a pair of turnouts to form crossovers.

"Greg.Procter" wrote

I think the dimensions actually predate the days of Roco manufacture.

As a matter of interest Bachmann seem to be having their set track manufactured by Roco in Austria, and are even using the same catalogue numbers as Hornby.

Makes you wonder about the economies of relative manufacture in China and Europe. Peco are still making their track in the UK and it's cheaper than Hornby's Chinese manufactured products. Same comment applies to Bachmann's Austrian made track.

John.

From: "John Turner" Snipped

I imagine that labour costs are not so crucial in track manufacture as in other model railway products. Not too much time consuming assembly work will be required and is largely automated.

Add to that the transportation costs and it probably makes sense for Bachmann to use European manufacture, even though their parent company owns the Chinese factory. In 2003 I saw Bachmann E-Z track being manufactured by Kader and it only required one person to watch the machine. I didn't see any turnout production though.

I wonder if they ever approached Peco!

Riddles.

Common down in the Midlands - especially from clout round the ear as used to be administered by teachers, police and parents in the good old disipline days. Then of course theres 'never cast a clout before april is out' know what it means but not where its from. Cheers, Simon

It's more old Engllish than old Yorkshire.

MBQ

In article , simon writes

The way I recall it, the verse goes "Ne'er cast a clout till may is out"

- that's the may blossom, not the month: even in the frozen North, it was getting distinctly warm long before the end of May.

David

But surely it is a contemporaneous reference to the interminable labour government, hanging onto power at all costs, and should be read as ...

"Ne'er cast out a clot until May 6th" ?

There's a another saying, "Better the devil you know"!

Or, put rather better by The Who

" ...... ...... There's nothing in the street Looks any different to me And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye And the parting on the left Is now the parting on the right And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution Take a bow for the new revolution Smile and grin at the change all around me Pick up my guitar and play Just like yesterday Then I'll get on my knees and pray We don't get fooled again Don't get fooled again No, no!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Meet the new boss Same as the old boss"

I'm afraid I am a "None of the above" voter, or would be if I were allowed to ......

Cheers Richard

The message

from " snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com" contains these words:

Certainly! The Dark Side doesn't have a monopoly of "unusual" words...

"Riddles" wrote

At one time Peco were manufacturing N-scale setrack for Bachmann.

John.