Hello,
As I have laid my track I have discovered that my curves are too tight, if that is a right description.
What is the minimum radius I should have in order to run my passenger cars w/ diaphrams without problems?
My track is n scale Atlas - code 80
Thanks
Art
I model in HO, so I might be slightly off in the conversion... but anyway, here it goes..
The Walthers 86' Heavyweight cars I have practically require 30" (min is 24, you can get them to 22 with some surgery...) , so with that assumption, I would assume that for N scale, 12.5-13" would be a bare minimum, though 15-16 14-15" would be easier for them to get around (not to mention it would look better...)
Note that these are the *minimums* for the curves... bigger is always better
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
aet Hello, As I have laid my track I have discovered that my curves are too tight, if that is a right description. What is the minimum radius I should have in order to run my passenger cars w/ diaphrams without problems? My track is n scale Atlas - code 80 Thanks Art
The broader the curve the better. I wouldn't try running long passenger equipment on anything less than 17" radius curves. Even that may be problematical because there will still be some non-prototypical overhang.
Irv
Those diaphrams are going to require 3X curves--the radius of the curve equals three times the length of the passenger cars i.e. 80: heavyweights will require 18" curves; 85' lightweights will require 19 1/8" curves. Without the diaphrams you could conceivably operate your varnish on 12" and 13 3/4" radius curves; they wouldn't look very good but they would probably go around!
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Full length passenger cars with diaphragms should work on 18"-20" radius.I wouldn't use anything less then 16" radius.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"