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N-Gauge curves

Hi Guys

I am attempting to fit the proverbial quart into a pint pot by setting up a very small N-Gauge layout on a 40" X 16" baseboard.

At one end of the board I would like to have a curve off the front to the rear [effectively a half oval] to allow me to have a very small fiddle yard [cassette] located centrally within a factory type building at the rear but within the area of the board. I intend to run only three small tank locos drawing up to a maximum rake of eight short wheelbase wagons.

My problem is the curve from front to the rear within the confines of the 16" base board. It will of course have to be flexible track curved to shape. I note that the general recommendation for "N" seems to be a radius of no less than 10 inches. Has anyone actually operated such a tight curve as the one I require and got away with it? I appreciate that with some sort of head shunt at one end of the board I could point switch to the rear running road as a "V" and relocate the cassette off centre. I just fancied the idea of a completely hidden curve.

Cheers.

Reply to
Roy Holt
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Peco have a 18" with 30 wagons going round it at Modelrama

Reply to
Trev

Yes, but decades ago when I had some N. You will need to ensure the curve is perfect with no tight spots, and ideally should be fractionally gauge widened (probably just theoretical rather than reality in N). I suggest it will be better if using set-track parts (if Peco still do them), or some set-track parts from one of the German makers (Fleischmann go down to 7.5in I think) who offer tight radius curved track. Perhaps using flexible track to make up just the first 10 or 15 degrees of the curve where it comes out to the plain running lines. You might get some set-track bits from a s/hand trainset (the old Minitrix trainsets came with some quite decent tight radius set-track parts).

Your main problems will be couplings;

- if vehicles have radically different wheelbases, the couplers can end up a long way from each other as the curve is made. If you stick to short wheelbases (ie. usual UK opens and vans) or bogie stock with couplings on the bogies, you should be OK.

- any form of close coupling will need some serious thought about curves.

- and don't expect to reliably propell around the curves; it should work, but I wouldn't bank on it.

- Nigel

Reply to
Nigel Cliffe

Bachman Farish said somewhere last year that their new N locos would not run round anything smaller than 10.5 inch curves. Fleichman will run round their smallest curves (with very impressive close coupling), modern Fleichman track seems fine with other makes of stock, the older stuff was a bit wobbly on the points. Bachman US outline handles 7.5 inch curves but this comment relates to a couple of locos and a couple of wagons, the cheap N US outline (cant recal the name) tends to uncouple (but it does on the straight as well).

HTH

Mike

Reply to
Mike

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