Derailment of my new passenger cars

[countsrr]

Today is January 19, 2018 it has been a while, so I will up date you what has gone on, I have one side all most done a mixture of 26” and 28” curves, I’m waiting on more of my 26” track and 1/3 18”.

I found out that 28” would be to wide so I tried to mix in some 26” because my table is only 47 7/8” wide I need some 1/3 18” to join the missing small joints. And added 2 feet to my table length to 10 with a total expansion to 18 feet. I plan to try the second side only in 26” track to se how it works sill may need 1/3 18” to join it though.

 

Did get all my returns done some track a passenger car and the extended couplers that wouldn’t work.

[tstage]

Is there any way you can post a track diagram of your layout - including where the different radii curves fit in your track plan?  What you are describing is somewhat unclear and confusing - at least to me.  It almost sounds like a hodge-podge of track pieces with various radii snapped together to fit the space.

If you are want to run long (85') passenger cars, any R18" pieces of track will have to be eliminated.  If you can widen your layout by even 1' (e.g. from 48" to 60") that would allow you to use the R26" and R28" curves exclusively.

Tom

[mbinsewi]

Yea, it does sound like he mixing 28", 26" along with sticking in a couple 1/3 sections of 18", to get it all to bend around and fit on his bench top.

I guess I've read about other modelers that mix radius sections.

Mike.

[NVSRR]

I have seen explonations of track plans that come into and out of curves at broad gauge.    Bit have a sharp curve apex.    Never seen it in

practice on a layout. Nor in reality. Althought the prototype for everything clause exists.     

 

i do have 85 and 89 foot cars run through 20 curves.  But.  I hand lay. My visible track allowing gauge tweeks that make that possible.  The hidden track is all 25 inch.    They cars are excursion trains    Normally the biggest is the 64 foot trinity reefers  A full amtrak train will successfully negotiate the Mainline at a reasonble passenger service speed

 

Wolfie

[steemtrayn]

Walthers Mainline cars on 18" curves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atvGIDpxVNg

On the other hand, some of my other Walthers cars won't even take 30" curves without either trimming off truck details, or cutting away skirting, neither of which I'm willing to do. But I really like these cars, so I redesigned the layout with 42" min. mainline radius to accomodate these cars.

[countsrr]

Well thanks for all your feedback so this evening I have been working hard I have made it 3.5 inches wider, and 24 inches longer so now it is 10’ x 43.5” that’s length and width I will continue this with ongoing expansion.  second, I found out on the back of my track is a number saying what it is, so I put all the 28” on one end and 26” on the other here it is as of now I think I need 2 ,28” and one 26” piece there is 7 of the 9-inch straight track on each side

 this what it look like before I widen the track notice the road next to the track this is where it ended Now I may not be the best builder, but I do the best I can.

 

 

[tstage]

countsrr

...so this evening I have been working hard I have made it 3.5 inches wider, and 24 inches longer so now it is 10’ x 43.5” that’s length and width I will continue this with ongoing expansion.

I assume from the posted photos and the use of the larger radii track that your layout increased to 51" rather than decreased to 43.5".  I believe your layout table is going to need to be a least 3-4" wider in order to incorporate the R26" curved track comfortably...

Tom

[countsrr]

Yes! now I do think something off I had 5 26” not 7 and ten 28” after dinner I will check this out and yes it was 48” + 3.5 equals 51.5 I have never been good at math.

[countsrr]

 

So, I added one more board to make it wider it worked I need 3 more get them tomorrow but here it is the 28” done it just needs the 3 boards to help it out good night.

[countsrr]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/155018992@N05/28046415579/in/dateposted-public/

Thank you all for this project help. With out your expert help this day wouldn’t have come true for me so let begin. The lay out was 4x8 using 9ich straight and 18” radius curves, then I tried to put it on my old table still no luck, then you said make it wider, I did but if you first don’t succeed try again.

So, I made it longer and even wider it worked no issues because of the dips on the extensions I run 2 locomotives my steam and diesel, this way I can run it very slow or fast.

So, my table is 10 feet, but 56 inches have just ordered my station for the passenger service.

Tanks to you for your help to this train beginner.

In this video you can see it leave the station get up to speed and come back, it moves so smooth this a dusk run.

 

 

[tstage]

James,

Did you go with R26" curves on both ends?

Tom

[countsrr]

To respond to you I used 28” on one end and 26” on one I had a bunch of the 18” left over and I have a freight as well so, I’m putting the freight inside the passenger line with a working crossing grate. I still have my old power pack to power the freight. This is my station,The freight is behind it, so you have freight the station and passenger.

 

[tstage]

You used R26" on one end and R28" on the other?  So the straight sections are NOT parallel with one another and taper inward or outward - depending on which direction the locomotive is running.  That means that your rail faces and are NOT square with one another at the straight-curve transition junctions.

It's your layout, James, but I would try to avoid that.  What you could do is start and end both of your 180-degree curve sections with pieces of R28" curves that reduce to R26".

For example, if 8 pieces of curved track make up a 180-degree section they could look like the following sequence:

R28 - R26 - R26 - R26 - R26 - R26 - R26 - R28

For a slightly longer transition you could substitute two of the R26" sections for R28", as shown in the following sequence:

R28 - R28 - R26 - R26 - R26 - R26 - R28 - R28

Just make sure that each 180-degree curved section is identical in sequence so that your straight sections end up being parallel to one another.

Hopefully that makes sense...

Tom

[countsrr]

Tom. I did what you said I ran 2 R28 on the start from the 9-inch straight then the middle R26 then on each end then I had a 1/3 gap, so I put a 1/3 R18, ran it 4 times no issues. I also built a stand for my 2ed power pack, with a hole for the cable to run underneath the stand to the track, oh yes it more parallel.

[BroadwayLion]

richhotrain

For the most part, you cannot successfully operate 85' passenger cars on 18" radius curves.

Rich

 

 

LION could not get them to run on 24" curves. For some cars even 36" curves can be a stretch.

 

ROAR

 

p.s. = cant sea any of your photos, they seem to have evaporated.

 

 

[countsrr]

I know some pictures are off I just started Flickr don’t know how to put code in I reach my maximum on the one site. So, here is the 1/3 r18 next to 9-inch and the r28 I had no issues I think because its such a small piece 

[tstage]

James,

So I'm going to surmise that the need for the 1/3-curved section of R18" track is because the R26" and the R28" curves come in different curved lengths - like the R18" and R22" curves.  For example, R18" curves are 30 degrees and R22" are 22-1/2 degrees.

Again, it's your layout plan.  And the fact that the unconventional sequence of curved sections actually works is what is paramount.  The wary part of me, however, says that curve transitions go from larger radii to smaller radii - not the other way around; the former method being how the prototype accomplished it.

Also, assuming your R26" and R28" curves are either 30 degrees or 22-1/2 degrees each: The only combination of 10-degree, 1/3-curved sections that will yield you a 180-degree curved section is three.  (10 x 3 = 30)  At that point it makes more sense to use a full 30-degree curve section of larger radii track - whichever size that is.  If only one or two 10-degree sections are used then there is no combination of 30- and 22-1/2-degree curves that you can lay down and get a true 180-degree curved section.

What this means is that your curved and straigh track sections kink slightly.  While it may not be an issue now, it could be when the weather warms up and the metal rails begin to expand.  Just sayin'...

If your layout is 56" wide then I personally would just go with all R26" curves (which will leave you a 2" buffer along the long side)...or have two, two-track sections (4, total) of R28" curved track as your transition curves into and out of each larger 180-degree curved section made up of R26" curved track, as outlined in my previous post.

FWIW...

Tom

[countsrr]

There are 11 r track in one turn yes one is longer shown out of the 11,2 are R28 the rest are R 26, so you said for a wide radius R28, R28then R26 so what I did I copied that x2. Didn’t touch the straight at all just the radius thus one being shorter there’s the gap. The piece shown earlier the 1/3 R18 makes it work fine.

Be fore the track was off the tale on one side a 1/8 now it fits both sung it runs down the line straight, it didn’t do this be fore the long shot shows the table from afar and the third shows the observation car crossing the gap.

 

 

[tstage]

I'm not here to beat a dead horse, James.  I guess I'm just not understanding your rationale or need for using the 1/3-section of R18" curve.

According to the Bachmann website, I learned that the R26" and R28" curves both come in 18-degree sections.  So, with either one - 5 sections would make up a 90-degree curve (or 5 x 18 = 90) and 10-sections would make up a 180-degree curve (or 10 x 18 = 180).  With all things then being equal that means you can create an R28" easement into your R26" curves as short or as long as you desire.  Or, skip the easement altogether and just make it all with R26" curves, which should fit on your 56" wide layout table.

Again, I don't understand why you need the R18" curve???

Tom

[tstage]

countsrr

James,

My last comment on the topic.  If you take a look at your track on the far LEFT side of your layout photo above, you'll notice that the straight track bows outward as it approaches the curved section in the back.  If you remove the R18" section from your back curve, that will remedy that issue.  It's physics.  You have a 180-degee curve at the front and a 190-degree arc at the back.

Tom

[countsrr]

ok! Track is worked out for passenger took out the 1/3/r18 have my interloop done for now just waiting on my crossing gate to finish the loop for freight, it is inside my passenger line. One thing I have learned this week I don’t care for Bachman couplers. I took one off one coupler of my one freight car and switched it to my coal tender on my Bachmann steam tested it with my diesel, freight cars it worked great because my diesel, freight, passenger are walthers brand my 2 steams are Bachman, so last night after testing the switched coupler on my steam it worked great so today I ordered more couplers from walthers.

 

going to switch out my other steam tender and fix the one I took apart to get it back in operation. Now I have dual trains I can run one inside the other both are down now till I get new dual power pack and couplers.