Does any company make 27 and 30 inch radius curves?

[Anonymous]

Does Atlas or another company manufacture 27 and/or 30" curves, or am I better off using flex track? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Lionel makes 27, 31 inch diam circles for 0-27 and 0 guage. I think that these two sizes are standard with most companies.
Hope that this could help.
Angelo

[nfmisso]

In HO, your choice is flex track. Bachmann is offering (or soon will be) 26", 28", 33¼ and 35½ E-Z track.

[Anonymous]

Flex track is very easy to work with and can be any radius you want. Go with flex track. Keep the sliding rail on the inside and trim with a Xuron tool.

[Anonymous]

I always use Flex Track... It allows your precise radius, and you can build in your easments to suit you. (Try to always allow easments, especially in mainline, so the train can begin to "adjust" to the curve.)

[ndbprr]

Years ago I bought some track gauges that you place between the rails so your curve with flex track was perfect. You could get them all the way up to 48". I assume they are still made and would pay for themsleves rather quckly if you have a couple of curves to do.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr

Years ago I bought some track gauges that you place between the rails so your curve with flex track was perfect. You could get them all the way up to 48". I assume they are still made and would pay for themsleves rather quckly if you have a couple of curves to do.

I believe these are made by Ribbon Rail, if I'm not mistaken. There is another set made by MLR, too. Both are available through Walthers if your LHS doesn't carry them - let them order them, that way, you don't pay shipping and handling.

[:D]

[Anonymous]

I have gone to using flex track unless I have a turn out or crossover. I have had electrical problems in the past and this seems to solve the problem. I also found that the bigger the radius the better for your train. When he says easement I take this to mean that you raise the outside edge of the track slowly to be about 3/64ths of an inch as the turn begins and stays till the radius ends then slowly levels out. I do it about a foot away from the start of the turn.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by snakeriver

I have gone to using flex track unless I have a turn out or crossover. I have had electrical problems in the past and this seems to solve the problem. I also found that the bigger the radius the better for your train. When he says easement I take this to mean that you raise the outside edge of the track slowly to be about 3/64ths of an inch as the turn begins and stays till the radius ends then slowly levels out. I do it about a foot away from the start of the turn.

No. .

Easement is the gradual decrease in radius as you enter the turn. AKA spiral easement, because the easement is a spiral from straight to the constant radius, and back to straight. Not the sudden change from straight to curved like standard track gives you.

[Anonymous]

Flex track is your best option for the curves you ask about. Easement refers to a curve of decreasing radius leading into the actual curve radius you are trying to create. The raising of the outside rail in a curve is called superelevation. Superelevation is actually a banking of the track to offset the lateral forces of the train in a curve. Like on a race track (well, kind of like), it allows the prototype to negotiate curves at higher speeds. We do not generate these lateral forces on our model railroads, so superelevation is purely cosmetic. If it is overdone on the layout, you can pull your train off the track on the inside of a superelevated curve. Done in moderation, superelevation and easements add a lot to the appearance of your layout.

Tom

[Anonymous]

Not to blast anyone, just to clarify...

I specifically did not mention superelevation. In the past I tried banking curves and it turned out EXACTLY like tpaulsen suggests. Long cuts "pull" the cars off of the track to the inside, trying to force the tail of the train to chase the head (even with minimal banking.) In Prototype trains, they do superelevate, but their Gforce loads are much higher in center of gravity than ours, and do press to the outside of the curve like a race car on a track.

Easements allow you to highball (go really fast,) on your mainline track with longer trains (with appropriately wide radius curves.) It also gives big cars and locos a chance to "get ready" for the curve. (And, it is very prototypicaly on mainlines to allow the gradual change from straight to curve, although in real life it its almost imperceptable without an arial photo.)

[Anonymous]

By trade, I'm a gage/template-maker, supplying my customers with the above for tracing lathes. I make my goods from .031"/.062"-thick sheet-steel or aluminum, as requested by my customers.
I'm thinking of 'breaking-ground' soon, and using flex-track exclusively, except for cross-overs & turn-outs, as stated earlier.
I'm considering making both 'male' (to secure against the inside-rail), and 'female' (secured against the outer-rail) radius-gages 18"-long, in radii ranging from my minimum radius of 24", to 36", 48", and 60",
as well as 'easement-gages', with a 12"-segment of 60" radius, followed by radii of 24", 36", and 48", to aid in laying free-flowing curves with-out 'kinks' .
#1: Has anybody ever done this before?
#2: How did this work?
#3: Would any model railroader be interested in having these type of ages/templates made for them?
[%-)]

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for all of the help! Sorry I didn't specify I'm working in HO. The 18'x8' bench work is done (my version of the ol' L-girder type: 2x4s, mostly). I just have to settle on a track plan, and get going!

[tomytuna]

Backman EZ track has it...i've used it and it's fine...Tom

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by PRR5503

I'm considering making both 'male' (to secure against the inside-rail), and 'female' (secured against the outer-rail) radius-gages 18"-long, in radii ranging from my minimum radius of 24", to 36", 48", and 60",
#1: Has anybody ever done this before?
#2: How did this work?
#3: Would any model railroader be interested in having these type of ages/templates made for them?

#1: Yes
#2: okay, not great
#3: I would not be, but possibly, take a look in Walthers.

QUOTE:
as well as 'easement-gages', with a 12"-segment of 60" radius, followed by radii of 24", 36", and 48", to aid in laying free-flowing curves with-out 'kinks' .
#1: Has anybody ever done this before?
#2: How did this work?
#3: Would any model railroader be interested in having these type of ages/templates made for them?

#1: Not that I am aware of
#2: An easement should be a spiral, like a French Curve, not a series of fixed radii. It is realtively ease to establish with a 1/4" x 3/4" x 6' long stick on edge. Clamp the one end straight, and use three pins (nails) to align where ever you want to the radius. The stick will have a spiral easement. The issue with having fixed guages for this, is that you'd have to have one for every easement and radius combination you did on the layout, and like the real thing, they are likely all to be different.
#3: doubtful

Just my opinion. Good Luck.