How do I establish whether the second hand Hornby Duke of Sutherland Patriot Class Loco I have just acquired (R311), or any other older model for that matter, is suitable to run on Hornby first radius track? I don't want to damage my Locos.
Thanks
ROB
"Robert O'Brien" wrote
Put it on the track & run it. If it falls off it ain't suitable.
John.
=>How do I establish whether the second hand Hornby Duke of Sutherland Patriot =>Class Loco I have just acquired (R311), or any other older model for that =>matter, is suitable to run on Hornby first radius track? I don't want to =>damage my Locos. =>
=>Thanks =>
=>ROB =>
=>
Just try it. So long as the loco doesn't bind or derail as it goes round the curve, and front and rear trucks don't short out on the frame, it's OK.
Whether a loco can traverse a given curve radius depends on several factors:
a) fixed wheelbase of locomotive - the longer, the wider the minimum radius b) gauge of the track - the wider, the longer the wheel base that will be accommodated c) gauge of the wheels - the narrower, the longer the wheel base that can be accommodated d) amount of play in the chassis - more means tighter radius is possible e) amount of play in the side rods - more means tighter radius is possible.
There may also be electrical or mechanical problems if the pony (front) and trailing (rear) trucks can swing far enough to contact the frame, and there may be the same issue with the rear of the cab contacting the tender.
What this means in practice is that two models of the same loco built to different track/wheel standards and play in the chassis and siderods will not run on the same minimal radius track.
BTW, what's with this "first radius" etc stuff? Why can't Hornby just tell you what the radius is in inches (or centimetres)? Do they think their customers are too stupid to understand actual, real numbers? Or what?
Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)
In message , John Turner writes
And you won't damage your locos, unless when they fall off the track they also fall onto the floor.
I would think anything labelled "Made in Great Britain" will run fine on first radius. My only problem has been an A4 with skirts, where the pony wheels contact the body on points. A little judicious filing inside the body, plus adjustment of the wheel spacing has solved the problem.
The finer-scale Chinese-built locos with fully-flanged drivers and tender wheels are "not recommended" for 1st radius; however I have a new Black 5 that will traverse Peco 1st radius curved points in the yards, although things are obviously tight.
G'day All, "Wolf Kirchmeir" wrote > BTW, what's with this "first radius" etc stuff? Why can't Hornby just tell
No. In most of the catalogues & Track Plan Books I have seen the radius is called First. Second or Third Radius but it is always followed by the Radius.
No. Just the Or What.
Graeme Hearn
They're not neat round numbers like Atlas' 15, 18 and 22 inches.
Hornby/Peco first, second and third are 371mm, 438mm and 505mm.
=>They're not neat round numbers like Atlas' 15, 18 and 22 inches. =>
=>Hornby/Peco first, second and third are 371mm, 438mm and 505mm.
OK, thanks, that's 14-1/2", 17", and 20" as near as makes no difference.
How far back do these radii go? Do they go all the way back to the Dublo track - you know, the rails were fastened to a lithographed tinplate ballast
Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)
"Wolf Kirchmeir"
Dunno how far back they go, but my first Dublo train set, which I still have, was that track and came with a blue Sir Nigel, lithoed LNER passenger coaches, a N2 0-6-2T, good wagons, railway station with self stick name boards, good shed and other stuff. All of which is still packed carefully away in my basement.
-- Cheers Roger T.
Home of the Great Eastern Railway
You could sell that, you know. Who are you keeping it for?
"MartinS" <
I know Martin, and for a good price, but I'm hanging on to it for sentimental reasons. Never know, one day I may set it all up again.
Even know a guy here in Victoria who'll buy it from me. :-)
-- Cheers Roger T.
Home of the Great Eastern Railway
=>
=>"MartinS" =>>
=>> You could sell that, you know. Who are you keeping it for? =>
=>I know Martin, and for a good price, but I'm hanging on to it for =>sentimental reasons. Never know, one day I may set it all up again.
Christmas is a great excuse to do that. It will fit on a 36" diameter patio table. I made an 8" high frame (too low, next year I'll make it about 18") to fit under our resin table top, assembled some Atlas code 83 Ready Track (it just fit). We put the tree in the middle, and added a variety of Christmas village stuff, not bothering with with scale consistency. Ran Percy and Harry Potter trains. Looked good, the kids loved it, and best of all, they could make the train go all by themselves. You could get both Hornby's first and second radius track down one 3ft table, run two trains at the same time. Cool!
Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)
Modern Hornby track has the same geometry as the old Tri-Ang Super 4 track. Remember that when Tri-Ang took Hornby over, the bulk of Dublo models were ditched, and the modern Hornby range contains lots of items descended from the old Tri-Ang Railways. It bears hardly any relation to Dublo at all, so I suspect the track geometry is not the same.
Lee
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