" DOUBLE TRACK ATTACK"

[TrainsRMe1]

Hey Guys n Gals,

I have a question for you,  I'm  working in Nscale, and I want to lay a double mainline in a curve,  the radii is 20 in. I  want it to look as realistic as possible, what is the best way to measure space between my tracks. Take Care and have a great day.

          Trainsrme1

 

[Steven S]

Here are the NMRA standards...

http://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/s-8.pdf

You could make a curved template using poster board that gets placed between the tracks to help keep things properly spaced. 

Steve S

[SouthPenn]

There is a tool for that.

[7j43k]

SouthPenn

There is a tool for that.

 

 

Be sure and read the review towards the bottom.

 

Ed

[selector]

There's a saying in the military world, at least in the one I joined many years ago (Canadian Armed Forces): "Time spent on recce is seldom wasted."

Meaning look around, see, get some hard facts, move and take another look at the same things for a new perspective.  Learn!

In this case, you have what you need, but have to know how to use it.  Mock up your curves, set them about as far apart, or close, as you feel you need to, and then push AND shove a string of cars, your longest ones, around those curves, both curves occupied at the same time. Look overhead as car corners, pilots, platforms, and other items get close to each other.  Armed with some real facts, you can now create a template out of some scrap plywood.  Cut a strip 1" wide* by 4" long, and mark your track gauge on one side with the minimum distance you have just determined.  That is, you will mark two sets of tracks, two sets of parallel lines with the requisite minimum separation.  Now, use a tool to make two shallow grooves out of those sets of lines.  Invert, and use it as a separation template by sliding it around curves where two tracks are found nested in the curve. 

*I use this for HO curves.  Due to the tighter curves in N scale, perhaps 1.2" wide is better.

[CentralGulf]

Selector, I wonder how many people who have not been in the military know that recce (pronounced recky) is military slang for reconnaissance?

CG

 

[selector]

Perhaps not many, but I have heard the term used in popular TV for years, so I felt it safe to use.  Thanks for raising the possibility that some may not know what it means.

[riogrande5761]

I grew up a US Air Force brat and am now up there in years and never heard the slang recce.  I'm guessing it went over a lot of other heads too.   I think the OP wants useful help and advise.  Just a guess anyway.

[richhotrain]

selector

Perhaps not many, but I have heard the term used in popular TV for years, so I felt it safe to use.  Thanks for raising the possibility that some may not know what it means.

 

Geez, Crandell, I thought you meant recce as in 'train recce'.  

Rich

[selector]

Okay, point taken.  As stated, recce is short for reconnaissance, and is pronounced 'WRECK-ee".  Time spent up front getting some important facts limits a lot of pain later.

Thanks, again.

[hon30critter]

TrainsRMe1:

You can make a tool similar to the one that SouthPenn suggested just by cutting four rail sized grooves in a block of wood. You can make several different blocks with different spacing if you want to. For curves, you will want a bit of play in the grooves so the gauge doesn't bind on the curved rails.

Getting 'realistic' spacing between the tracks may not be practical. Your curves will be much tighter than the prototype so the longer cars will overhang much further than the real thing. Also, if you were to use prototypical spacing in a yard you would not have enough space between side by side cars to retrieve a derailed car unless you were to use tongs or something similar. When the track is too close together in a full yard odds are you will knock more cars off the track when you are trying to fix the first car that derailed.

I will second the suggestion to read the NMRA track spacing recommendations that Steve S posted a link to.

Before anchoring your track permanently you should test your tracks to make sure that your longest cars and locomotives can run on both tracks in opposite directions at the same time without hitting each other.

Dave

 

[floridaflyer]

If your 20" curve is your outer curve that means the inner curve will be in the 17/18" range, assuming a track spacing of about 2.5". As has been mentioned, longer cars will have a rather large hangover in the inside track. I would do as Steve suggests, make a template for the 20" radius, scribe that line(which is the centerline of the 20"radius) and then use a compass to scribe the inner curve. tack down both tracks and push some of your longest locos/cars over both to see what happens and how they look.

[TrainsRMe1]

Thanks for the info, I just found out that a 20" radius will not work, whan I tried to draw out the lines by using a yard stick, the arc of the radius would go off the my peninsula, so I might have to go for 18", my equipment might look a little off but it should work. what do you think??

[7j43k]

"Recon"

"Recce"

 

Decisions, decisions.

 

Ed

[rrinker]

 I got it because of too many books and movies. Definitely English/Candaian.

Back to the original topic, the only way to know for sure what will work is to mock it up and test it. And test some more. That's what Crandell meant by "doing recce". You need to test various combinations of locos and cars, especially if you expect to have trains passing on this curve. Sometimes it's not the longest car that has the most overhang, too. The sharper the curve, the greater spacing you need to allow so the trains don't sideswipe. I will tell you that there is zero chance of running full length 80' passenger cars around such a design - I had 30" and 32" radius and still had to add spacing on the curves for such cars. The counter factor is that with sharper curves you normally would b runnign smaller cars, but since so much equipment is designed to work on as low as 18" radius even though it loosk ridiclous, you do need to take into account exactly what you plan to run and not just rely on a guideline number. Set it up on a table top or scrap piece of plywood or something and test - it's the only way to be 100% sure it will work as you expect when you build it in place.

                     --Randy