Thank you, gents.
Still in training.
rcdrye, you are correct.
I believe Santa Fe used 570 foot spirals with a gradual step up to three and a half inches of super elevation. But the 500 feet of intervening tangent still applied.
Superelevation follows the "spiral easement" entering or exiting a curve. The tangent between curve allows the center lines of equipment to line up straight before starting a new curve.
Would one of the reasons for needing 500 feet of tangent be dealing with transitioning superelevation? For model railroads where track isn't canted, allowing for the length of the longest car should be enough.
The sharper the curve in degrees the greater the distance needed. Also, the speed which trains operate is involved.
BNSF (former Santa Fe) constructed a new line through the mountains of Arizona in 1959-1960 which allowed passenger trains to operate at 90 MPH. and had one degree (or less) curves. The minimum distance between curves was 500 feet of tangent.
ChuckCobleighI new you'd go off on a tangent, there.
You know MC - always on the straight and narrow...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
mudchicken IF you don't have several hundred feet between those curves turning in opposite directions, you have a potential nightmare on your hands.
IF you don't have several hundred feet between those curves turning in opposite directions, you have a potential nightmare on your hands.
I new you'd go off on a tangent, there.
I believe it's the same thing as an S-curve. Where it starts going in one direction and then goes in the opposite.
PS--I just typed "railroad reverse curve" into Google and that's what it is.
I've seen term "reverse curve." What does that mean?
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