On a 24" wide N scale layout what would be my maximum turn radius, 11"?
Well, that does work mathematically. That of course is rail center to rail center, so you will be very close to the edge. If you can live with that, all well and good. If you are paranoid and have expensive trains then you may at least want an edge to your table to protect the trains. But then you would need more space for swing clearances and for the 0-5-0 switcher.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
So then if the track is perfectly centered that will give me 1" on either side of the track.? New to this and I am learning as I go.
no, you have an inch from the centerline. Which means half an inch between the edge and your track. If you allow some width for easements even less. You might go for a 10" radius, or a tad wider shelf.
Paul
If you are dead-set on retaining the 22" curve centerline in your plan, and who wouldn't, you can always add a piece of baseboard or something to the edge of your layout as a retainer in such a way that its upper edge sits about 1/2" above the layout surface (for N scale and smaller), essentially a bit higher than the rail height. Atop that edge you can glue ground foam 'bushes' in a hedgerow that will act as a soft buffer/catcher between any tumbling rolling stock and the highly resistant surfaces that they will encounter otherwise, about 3' down the gravitational gradient.
The only alternative, other than moving your centerline inward by at least another full inch, and even then you would want that hedgerow, is to screw some plexiglass strips to the face of the layout so that you can at least see through the plexiglass.
Crandell
Looks like the safe move is a shorter radius! Thanks all.
A discussion of radius, diameter, and benchwork width
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