MTH 0-31" S-curves

[Anonymous]

ATSJer, like I said, if you put even a section of half track in between the curves, it softens them down some.  You've got room to do that.  

Yeah, I've thought about putting a spacer section of track between my "S" curves, but what I'm running now is just temporary (experimental), so I'm not worrying too much about perfection right now.  I kinda like the added movement on the track (I know its not prototypical) and with a smaller engine and cars I think the affect would be greater than it is right now. 

[ChiefEagles]

ATSJer, like I said, if you put even a section of half track in between the curves, it softens them down some.  You've got room to do that.  

[Anonymous]

As you can see from my pic I'm running two sets of "S" curves with my O-31 tubular and my Berkshire has no problems negotiating the turns, granted I tend to keep my speeds under control, but I regularly run through this section at 60% power on my 80watt transformer.  The only time I've had a derailment was after I replaced a piece of track and in the process pushed the track too close to the wall and made contact.  Other than that no worries here.

[ChiefEagles]

Try throwing in a straight section between the two curves.  I'm using 072 and I found my long SD80 [scale] do better [especially at high speeds] with one or two straights installed.

[Wes Whitmore]

I really like my design, and don't want to change it if I don't have to.  It makes it through the 0-31 S-curve, but it looks close to the limits.  At high speeds, it might not.  I will have to crank it up and see.  I can go full throttle through the 0-42 Scurve, and planned on using the outer loop for the longer trains.

Thanks,
Wes

[lionelsoni]

They're everywhere on my O27 layout.  (You should see the Big Boy going through one!)  The only pieces that can't handle them are four-wheel ETS models with body-mounted couplers.  I run them on a separate loop.

[Wes Whitmore]

Thanks for the images Brent.  Way above and beyond!

 

My track is so shallow that I don't think I can do much more than one straight, if that.  I will rework the design and see.  I do know that my 0-31 minimum trains with handle a 0-42 s-curve without the straight, so since that probably takes up less benchwork, I might have to convert to all of that.  Of course, my future 0-42 minimum purchases probably won't make it through the 0-42 S-curse without the straight, so I'm stuck again.

 I'll see what I can do!

Thanks,
Wes

[Anonymous]

Wes,
When designing 'S' curves I take the longest car that will run through them and using their minimum radius, I add enough straights to allow 1 car inside the 'S', so if the car is 18 inches long and requires a minimum O-42 I will put 2 10 inch straights inside 'S'.

You could also use easements to accomplish this O-72, O-54, O-42, O-42, O-54, O-72 (or something along those lines to make a 180 degree turn).

Here are some images:

Using O-31 RealTrax:


Using O-72 to O-31 RealTrax:


Using O-42 RealTrax:


Using O-54 to O-42 RealTrax:


Brent

[Wes Whitmore]

I finally picked up a couple of 0-42 switches to complete my lower level track on my layout, but I was also messing around with parts up the upper level, which is comprised completely of staights and 0-31 curves.  When I put 2 0-31 curves in an S curve, my MTH 2-8-0 clicks trying to swing the two front wheels back the other way of the S curve.  It makes me think that I don't want to use and S curve with 0-31 curves.  I can see where this would be just about the worst type of curve on most trains, since the wheels are in opposite directions on the same car.  Is anyone else running S curves on small diameter track?  It does fine on the 0-42 S curves.

Thanks,
Wes