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The other facor you have is, as mentioned, the difference between the inside and outside rail lengths. The curve radius is measured to the center of the track, which lacks any physical reference, unless you've got a 3-rail track. If you're making your own curves using flex track, you start out with track as long as the outside rail, and then you cut off part of the inside rail. The amount of track that you've lost in the process is half the length of the inside rail length that you cut off. As a final note, no matter how precisely you design the layout in the computer, reality when you start to lay track will force you to make a few adjustments. That's how my yard went from 5 to 4 tracks, but it's a better product as well. When I designed my layout I used AutoCad, and built templates for easements, curves of various radii, etc. It helped for when I translated it to the full-sized drawing. After I built the benchwork, I covered it with drawing paper and drew out the entire layout full-sized by hand. I STRONGLY encourage this final step. It's the final check on your design. Mark in Utah
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