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HO rail to rail clearances

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  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Anderson Indiana
  • 1,301 posts
Posted by rogerhensley on Friday, February 13, 2004 7:10 AM
The NMRA gauge is an excellent took that is based on various clearances on tangent (straight) track. The standards and Recommended Practices are on the NMRA web site. There is also a good explanation of the clearances and the gauge as related to the prototype at::
http://www.nmra.org/standards/gauge.html

The clearance Standards are at:
S-7 Clearances
http://www.nmra.org/standards/s-7.html

S-8 track Centers
http://www.nmra.org/standards/s-8.html

This probably more than you wanted to know, but if you just read the info at the first URL, you will have a good understanding of what goes into vertical clearances.

Roger Hensley
= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html =
= Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: San Jose, California
  • 3,154 posts
Posted by nfmisso on Thursday, February 12, 2004 8:09 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr

I'd suggest you invest under $10.00 at a hobby shop for an NMRA gauge that gives you all clearances for every situation. Vertical, horizintal, station platforms, track gauging. The whole nine yrads!


Excellent suggestion, and if you were planning to run modern cars like the Athearn Genesis AutoMax or 86' hi cubes, you'll need even more, but with 22" radius, you will not be.....
Nigel N&W in HO scale, 1950 - 1955 (..and some a bit newer too) Now in San Jose, California
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Thursday, February 12, 2004 8:03 AM
I'd suggest you invest under $10.00 at a hobby shop for an NMRA gauge that gives you all clearances for every situation. Vertical, horizintal, station platforms, track gauging. The whole nine yrads!
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 12, 2004 7:52 AM
HO, yes, Vertical. For the most part I have plenty of room to keep my grades at 2.5%. I do have one section however that is a 22" radius in a half of a figure eight.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 12, 2004 7:51 AM
Tpoic says HO, so I'm guessing HO sclae vertical distances, shoot for 4", but you can probably go as low as 3.5" depending on what your running on it.

Jay
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Midtown Sacramento
  • 3,340 posts
Posted by Jetrock on Thursday, February 12, 2004 7:45 AM
First of all, what scale are you working in? Second, I assume you mean vertical clearances rather than horizontal?
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
HO rail to rail clearances
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 12, 2004 7:06 AM
Hello, I have my benchwork completed and have started laying out the sub-roadbed on my new layout (12x12) I have several bridges and overhead crossings to create. I am using the cookie cutter method. 1/2" plywood w/cork roadbed. What would you advise for the min. distance rail to rail at these bridge locations? Thanks in advance, Rex

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