Passenger cars on 18"radius: is it possible?

[Anonymous]

The cars will hang a out a little farther, but other than that, you shouldn't have any problems.

Steam is # 1[:D]

[CP5415]

Don't worry about it Yankeejwb!!!

Some people have different opinions to what modeling is all about.
Some think you should do this & shouldn't do that as it's incorrect, while others will say sure, why not, it's your railroad.
I like to think I'm part of the latter group.
I don't count rivets.
I don't need to, as I'm MODELING how I want my layout to be, dispite what others think what "proper" modeling is.

Gordon [:D]

[tstage]

Yes, it's possible. But unless it's one of the shorter passenger cars mentioned earlier, it ain't gonna look perty doin' it.

Tom

[Anonymous]

Folks just need to remember sometimes to answer the question that was asked - not answer the question that wasn't. Folks tend to think about the layout that they want you to have rather than the one in front of you.


The Athearn passenger cars are shorter than the prototypical 85' length. These should work well on your 18" radius.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by solosdad

The Athearn passenger cars are shorter than the prototypical 85' length. These should work well on your 18" radius.

Since Athearn is no longer in the Walthers catalogue, how can I find these, say, online?

[ksax73]

Walthers' Amfleets can handle 18" radius. I haven't had much trouble with them rounding 18" radius curvs on the fly.

Walthers Superliner I's should be able to handle that as well since they don't have the triangular shock supports like thier Superliner II counterparts.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by yankeejwb

QUOTE: Originally posted by solosdad

The Athearn passenger cars are shorter than the prototypical 85' length. These should work well on your 18" radius.

Since Athearn is no longer in the Walthers catalog, how can I find these, say, online?

Depending on the road name, many (if not most) of the Athearn passenger cars are out of production right now. Sometimes you get lucky finding one at an LHS, but I've had my best luck on eBay, finding folks selling off passenger cars they're no longer using. Not a fast way to build a passenger train, but they say patience is a virtue. [:)]

[darday]

Since I do statistical modeling in real life, I always remember that the "third law of statistics" states:

"All models are wrong; some are just better than others."

Bottom line: No model equals reality. We make them as good as we can under the circumstances and resource constraints we are given. I really appreciate superdetailed, hyper-realistic models that approximate the prototype to the nth degree, but my own pike is a 4x6 with 18" radius curves, because that is all I have the space and time for at the moment. I have two Athearn streamlined coaches that I run around the loop sometimes to represent a local passenger train. One is a 60' RPO, the other is a 72' coach, both with truck mounted couplers. Neither looks prototypical to the trained eye when going around the curves, but my boys still think they look cool when they pull up at the little station!

--Dave

[Don Gibson]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

Some people have different opinions to what modeling is all about.
Some think you should do this & shouldn't do that as it's incorrect, while others will say sure, why not, it's your railroad.

I'm MODELING how I want my layout to be, dispite what others think ...
Gordon [:D]

GORDON:

All of us 'play' with trains. It brings out the 'child' in us. Some of us model also.

Since you're concerned with your wants - despite other's opinions - that kinda' says it all.
Sayanora.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

"The goal in 'modeling' is trying to simulate the real railroads in operation. You, of course, can do what you wish."

[espeefoamer]

You can run passenger cars around 18" radius curves,but they will look like streetcars doing it!

[Anonymous]

Couldnt help but say that I do it too.
May not look great, but I cant run my N scale layout without intermodal, autoracks,
and or course, my Superliner. Benefit of N though; more room for longer equipment
Dont' have any equipment like that in HO, but I have some Athearn heavyweights and some German double-deckers that are quite long and do fine on 18", though overhang is large.

[Anonymous]

I have a couple of Bachmann Spectrum Amtrak 86' coaches. They do run on 18" radius, but there is so much overhang that you can see all of the track beneath it!!!

[Anonymous]

I run the Bachmann On30 passenger cars on a 15" radius, so yes it can be done. Got to keep it short though. More than three cars and it has a tendency to pull the cars off the rails. I pull the coaches around