Help! What curvature is needed for Aristocraft streamliner cars. I'm assuming I need LGB16000 track which is 8 1/2 feet but not really sure. Can somebody give me the 411 on what I'll need? Many thanks!
I was about to suggest a couple of web sites, including AristoCraft's, to find the answer, but it seems that no one has them in stock or has any information about them. Even Aristo's site comes up blank when you click on their streamline passenger car link.
Based on my experience with heavyweight passenger cars, I would say "As big as you can possibly make it" for appearance more than anything else. Nothing looks more ridiculous than a long passenger car on a tight radius.
I have both type witch do have? The fluted side will run all day long on 8ft dia, the smoth side will run on 10foot and larger. The smothside is longer so it need's a bigger diameter.
Dave
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
I'm jealous! Can't find those Aristo smoothsides any more. Sure wish they would have kept making them.
Greg
Visit my site: http://www.elmassian.com - lots of tips on locos, rolling stock and more.
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I had some of those a while back (sold 'em), both lengths, and my experience is that anything under a minimum 20' diameter / 10' radius, however you want to express the curve measurement, runs poorly and looks awful.
Like everybody usually says, the wider the curve the better; I read somewhere once that real railroads abhor curves that aren't straight and any grade above 0 percent!!!
The St. Francis Consolidated Railroad of the Colorado Rockies
Denver, Colorado
I have been able to get those cars to go around a 5' dia curve when we had a loop in the livingroom. granted, not the prettiest thing to watch, but they did it.
My Aristo extruded aluminum cars and SD45's run on my 8 foot diameter track and LGB 1600 switches with my 24 volt power source and at full speed with no problems.
I am not concerned about overhang, these are toys to me and I really like toys.
And I have been in Boston, South station where if you stand between 2 passenger cars, you will be cut in half due to the really tight turns these cars go through. In fact the conductor stands there and will not allow passengers to walk between the cars when going into the station.
According to the Aristo catalog, the cars will track properly on 5' diameter curves. That being said, I think that the minimum is 8 foot diameter. The user manual for the product. says 5' curve minimum.
The manual suggests,8 or better yet 10 foot curves.
Another consideration is how closely you have coupled them. If you close mount the couplers you need wider curve track.
The pulling engine is also important. If you pull these streamliners with an RDC on 5' track the RDC will pull the trailing passenger car right off the track, especially at turnouts. There are other engines whose coupler swing or extension distance is limited and have the same effect. Some hobbyists say to modify the coupler mount to allow a wider swing.
I shortened the coupler mounts on my extruded aluminum cars and have had no issues with my 8 foot diameter curves. Cars are 3/4 inch closer (i took 3/8 inch off each coupler mounting tab).
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