Track Radius

[Anonymous]

I' m thinking about starting a toy train layout, what would be the best curve radius to start out with ?

[Anonymous]

earnarko, welcome to the CTT forum.
The answers you get here will all tell you it depends on what type and size engines you intend to run on your layout?

If you have the space, 072(36"R) minimum curve arcs are very desirable for operating the 8-driver and larger steam engines as well as 20"(80' )passenger cars. For example my 8-drivered N&W "J Class" (4-8-4)engine runs on my 054(27"R) curves okay, but it don't like them. I don't have any large, modern diesels so I don't know the restrictions there. But my Atlas SD-35s run fine on 054 and probably okay on even sharper curves.

You have to pay attention to equipment overhang and track spacing in curves if you intend to have parallel tracks of say, 054 and 072 alongside one another. A big articulated engine(Challenger,Y6-b,etc) will overhang ,front and rear,on the outer curve arc and the inner arc at equipment mid-point, about 2-1/8" on 072 when measured from center rail----a 20" car almost as much. I haven't measured overhang on 054 but it is well over the 2-1/8" of 072.

[pbjwilson]

I run traditional O27 sized engines and cars. Although it's meant to run on O27 curves they really perform nicely onO42. If you have the room I'd try to go O42 or larger.

[lionelsoni]

If you want to use tubular track, I will suggest (again) Marx O34. It has the lower, less obtrusive, O27 profile; and the curves are a little gentler than O31; so you can run anything that would run on O31. It is no longer manufactured, but not that hard to find.

[IronHoarse]

I am running 0-27 Traditional rolling stock and engine and they seem to perform quite well on my 0-36 Fastrack. Like mentioned above if you have the room go as large as space will allow.

[3railguy]

042 tubular or 036 fastrack is about the mininum diameter you should go if you have the space. 027 and 031 curves just don't cut it anymore since many of the new engines use rubber band wheels and have no magnetraction. With the exception of engines with motors in the trucks, engines generally have a higher center of gravity than rolling stock and need that added grip of magnetraction for tight curves. Especially steam engines with cast boilers.

[Anonymous]

I would go with the largest/widest radius possible, consistent with (1) the space you have available, and (2) the type of locomotives and rolling stock you plan to operate.

I like mining, logging, and industrial lines (in O gauge), so don't really need wide-radius curves because nearly everything I like to run is in the small category--K-Line Plymouths, Lionel and MTH Docksides, the K-Line Porter (when it is released), and several other similar models. An NW-2 (Williams) is the largest locomotive that operates regularly on my small pike. Still, if I had more space available, I would go with wider-radius curves simply because any/all of these trains will look better on wider curves. Large/long locomotives look fairly ridiculous on tight-radius curves, and with big motive power (Big Boys, Challengers, articulateds, etc.) even O90 and above is too tight, in my opinion. Yes, the stuff will negotiate O72 curves and the like, but it just looks funny doing so. Again, that's just my opinion.