?

[thatboy37]

when coming around a curve and i have a 4 mainline set up. the minimum radius is 72 degree. so that means the other 3 radiuses will be bigger and i don't know what they are either.  my ? is what is a good center track spacing for those mainlines going around the curve. is a 5" spacing from center rail to center rail to much or not enough spacing. is there like a way to calculate the different radiuses. if i took a guess would it be if the radius is 72 degree you add the distance you move out from each end to the 72 for instance what i have would mean i would add 10 to each mainline and that would give me the radius for the other tracks right? so if i took another guess at the radiuses they would be 72, 82, 92, and 102. the type of equipment i have is gunderson twinstacks, and the acella with the longest. how close can the spacings be without the trains clipping each other going around the curves. thanks in advance for any help.

[RR Redneck]

Play around with it, you might find something that works better.

[dwiemer]

Reggie, not sure about that.  Just bumping you to the top so hopefully someone can answer....a good question.

dennis

[chuck]

The clearance varies with the equipment you are trying to run.  Location of the pivot point on a truck and the trucks location on the frame will vary how it will track through a curve.   The easiet way to figure this out is to hand push a car/loco through a curve and note the overhang.  Do the same for the next radius up or down and see how it goes.  On most scale or near scale cars/loco's on wide curves, a 6 inch spacing will probably be fine.  You MAY be able to get by with closer spacing depending on what you run.  Laeve about 1/2-1 inch fudge factor to deal with cars rocking/tipping unless you like sideswiping your gear through turns.

[thatboy37]

thanks for the info i placed them 4 1/4" center rail to center rail around the cuvre starting with 72 degree in the inside curve and moving out with 80 1/2 degree, 89 degree, and 97 1/2 degree being the widest. i put my acella cars on the inner most rail and the secon inner most rail and they cleared each other in the curve by like a 1/2" which is close but not to close to were they will side swipe each other. i think i have done a great job so far will take pics when i get finished. doing the door end curve.

[poppyl]

If you have a crossover between your mains, I believe that you will find the spacing to be 4.5 inches.  I wouldn't go any closer than that on the corners for the reasons already mentioned.

 Poppyl

[jefelectric]

Reggie you got it just about perfect.  It is generally accepted that a good spacing is 4 to 4-1/2" center to center.  If you look at the listed diameters of gargraves you will see that they increase by 9", such as 54, 63, 72, 80, 89, etc.  Other brands such as Atlas keep it pretty much in 4-1/2" increments by increasing the diameter by 9" steps.

I assume you are bending flex track so you can do as you wish.  On the larger radius curves you can get by with slightly less spacing since there is less overhang of large cars and engines.

Please check that your equipment will clear each other before you fasten and ballast everything.  It would be very discouraging to find that one of your large engines sidswipes cars on an ajoining track.  .

Enjoy your layout & post pictures of the new trackwork.