Dear All,
I have a question about building an N gauge layout. I have the width
available of 1' 7" In that width would I be able to build in N a half
circle of track to make an end of a loop?
Does N gauge suffer the same as my native OO whereby the newer loco's
don't run on the tighter first radius track (does N gauge even have
1st / 2nd / 3rd radius curves?)
Many Thanks
Graham
Don't think 1st/2nd/etc radius curves, think curve radius in inches.
Much easier to figure what will fit.
You need at least an inch clearance from the centre line of straight and
wide radius track. On tight curves, you need 1-1/4" to 1-1/2". So, on a
19" (1' 7") wide board you can run a 16" to 16-1/2" diameter circle, ie,
an 8" to 8-1/4" radius curve, which is a very tight radius. (Radius is
measured to the centre of track.)
If you plan to run the larger locos and scale length passenger cars,
that's much too tight. You should be using 11" radius or larger. (I'd
use at least 15" radius for such a layout.) If you are planning to run
0-4-0 tank engines (and the smaller 0-6-0Ts), with 4 wheel wagons and 4
or 6 wheel coaches, 8" radius will do. But any rolling stock longer than
about 30 scale feet (2-1/2" or so) will give you serious troubles on
such a tight curve.
The smallest commercially available radius was around 7-1/2" (Arnold,
IIRC). AFAIK, it's no longer available. The most common smallest radius
is 9-3/4", which won't fit on your board. All the major manufacturers
make track of this radius and larger. Peco's smallest radius is 9",
still too large for your board. So if you must limit yourself to a 1' 7"
wide board you'll have to use flextrack.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Very tight. Might just get away with it if you select stock which works well
together over tight curves (eg. all vehicles about the same lengths and
wheelbases, so the couplings move compatible distances).
If you use flexi-track for such a curve you need to lay it very carefully so
that its not got a short bit of even tighter radius.
Going out a bit will help no-end. Is there anyway you can squeeze an extra
few inches just where the circle would be widest ?
I think Wolf's sums are wrong. If Peco Settrack comes in 9inch radius,
that's 1ft6 diameter, so just in the space available (assuming sufficient
over-hang space. However, I would agree about preferring 11 or 15inch
minimums if at all possible.
Any larger loco will struggle round very tight curves.
- Nigel
[...]
[...]
The 9" radius is measured to the centre line. 1' 7" is 19", which would
leave 1/2" of clearance, measured from the centre line. That's not enough.
Nail a short piece of 2"x1" timber with tapered ends on edge where the
curve extends to the edge of the baseboard. Paint them to match the
baseboard quickly before anyone notices. Centre the track so your trains
miss the back edge and blindly claim you haven't gone over the 17"
limit. No one will notice!
(Shhh, I never said that)
Greg.P.
NZ
"Graham Kendall" wrote
My last brief excursion into N-gauge modelling was approaching 30 years ago,
and even in that dark-age some of the larger Graham Farish locomotives
didn't like the sharpest set-track curves.
Common sense should dictate that if sharp curves are a must, then small
locos are the best at coping with them as a general rule.
John.
Many Thanks All for your comments, The insight into how you go about
curves in N gauge has been very interesting and I am about to review
where I put this model railway!
Thanks to All
Graham
John Turner wrote:
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