Hello all,
I would like to introduce some super elevation into my H.O. scale double track main line which at its widest curve is around 60in Radius, not the largest of curves.
I just thought that it would inprove the visual effect.
Is there a formula to work out how much to raise the outside rail of each track and to understand where exactly the super elevation starts i.e. does it start where the track begins to curve or is it before or after the start.
Any thoughts on this would be gratefully received.
With thanks in advance. Colin U.K.
60 inch radius curves I think would qualify as "the largest of curves" in HO. 5 foot radius, 10 feet diameter curves. Maybe you mean 60 cm?
Anyway, how much to superelevate is directly related to speed. A high speed mainline will have very strong superelevation, a secondary freight line might have considerably less.
It is definitely a 60in radius. Colin
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Superelevation varied somewhat on the prototype, so I would just do some experimentation to see what looks good to you.
In my case, with my 30" radius curves (HO), I superelevate about 1.8 scale inches (outer rail above inner). This is actually .021 inches.
I build my superelevation using 1/4" masking tape under the outside rail. I use six layers, which gives me the .021 inches. You can see the tape (greeen stuff) under the outside rail of these curves.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Hello All,
Check out this thread...
Superelevartion
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
For years I have used the clear thin plastic covering in packages, the bubbles that cover the goods that you have to open with a knife or shears. I make long, thin, pieces of it and slip it under the outer ties. That thickness, in HO, looks okay, not overdone, but it could be higher.
Microsoft Word - superelevation.docx (openrails.org)
This is what I generated on splined roadbed with no other provision for super...just used a surform file and tilting the risers to one side a few degrees.
The plastic suspenion under the outer ties looks like this, tought angle, but you can see the effect:
If you look for the YouTube video called 'Pillars of Smoke in the Sky', it is a short film taken in the 40's about the Norfolk & Western's Y class pushers, and it clearly shows what I would call severe super on some of the curves, camera angle notwithstanding.
Unlike easement curves which have an actual operational benefit in addition to improving the prototype appearance of our model trains, super-elevation on a model railroad is for all practical purposes entirely cosmetic. So the various forumlas and rules of thumb that the prototype would use to calculate the correct superelevation are really not our concern. We're talking a few scale inches as a rule.
I would suggest a bit of an experiment with an experimental curve to see what amount of elevation of the outside of the curve creates that nice visual effect of a train leaning into a curve. Squinting down the track and perhaps taking a few photos at a low height that approximates a trackside railfan with a camera would be helpful.
One practical thing about superelevation that the modeler DOES have to keep in mind is that you need and want a transition to and from the superelevation, and more importantly, that transition should be a distance away from any turnout, crossing etc.
Dave Nelson
As I recall I used strips of .030" Evergreen styrene under the outside edges of the ties for my superelevation. It has a good visual appeal without going overboard.
NKP_540-RS3a by Edmund, on Flickr
Only the lighter-gray main line tracks above have superelevation. This is probabloy my trickiest place as these are 'reverse curves' and there is only about 18" between them however even my longest passenger cars and 86' High Cube box cars negotiate this spot OK.
NYC_caboose-end by Edmund, on Flickr
I use various thicknesses of styrene in .005" increments to gradually introduce the elevation to .030" on the outer ties.
Trains look best when they're leaning into the curves
NYC_L3a_Pacemaker by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed