Just joined LSC as it looks like a great place to get the info I need. Right now I am in the process of selling various On30, S and HO stuff I have so I can move up to G. Layout will be in the basement, most likely wrapping around the walls like a shelf. Atleast thats where the current bench work is. Might add an island for a yard. As part of the planning process though, I have a couple of questions. I have started buying old, used LGB track, as I like the look of it and feel it will be fine in an indoor setting even if it has seen better days outdoor. My question is, I am trying to figure out which size switches to go with. I have found a track geometry template but it did not answer all my questions. If I go with the 16 or 18 series switches, do these end up coming out with spacing that matches the smaller diameter curves. For instance, lets say I take a 16150 switch and combine with a 16000 curve to bring back to parralel, what track spacing do I end up with. I have not been able to find this info. My other option is to go with Aristo switches and curves, as they make it easier to know what I’m dealing with. However, I am not sure how spacing works out there either. I have not been able to find any geometry info on the aristo stuff anywhere. USA is out just because I have a shop that stocks the aristo track, as well as piko and lgb. Any help is appreciated.
Welcome Phil. The old LGB catalogs had exactly the information you are looking for. I’m not an LGB track person so I can’t answer, but do remember seeing it in their older catalogs. Many on here run LGB track so I’m sure you’ll get an answer soon.
Hallo Phil,
Welcome to the … forum 
On that spacing for R3 (1600 series); should be between 178 and 180mm (approx. 7 inches) center to center.
R1 works out to 160mm (6.3")
R5 to 158mm for all practical purposes the same as R1 since there’s plenty of flex in the track for adjustment.
if it’s of any interest, TrainLine45 produces an R2 which has a 900mm radius (slightly less than 36") with matching turnouts. The track is compatible with the stuff from LGB and provides a nice alternative for indoors. Check with Axel at http://www.train-li-usa.com/ if he has those available.
Welcome Phil!
We have a good crew here with lot’s of great minds and knowledge too share.
I find S scale interesting as it’s out of the norm …like me a burnt out Rooster.
Welcome aboard Phil
This is getting away from your question but if you have any small On30 engines you might want to hang onto them. They can be converted to a scale called Gn15. Take a lookon the net, there’s some neat small layouts.
Train-Li has an R2, and R3, and an “R7” which measures out to an R5.
Nice stuff, and deep flangeways (38 mm) to accommodate LGB monster flanges.
Regards, Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
Train-Li has an R2, and R3, and an "R7" which measures out to an R5.Nice stuff, and deep flangeways (38 mm) to accommodate LGB monster flanges.
Regards, Greg
To avoid confusion
train-li USA said:The question is if he has the 900mm rad turnouts in stock, they are not listed.
[b] ProSwitch by TrainLine45 - why settle for less and have problems [/b]
BTW 3.8mm flangeways are deep enough, 38mm would be a bit much even for the Elephant-Track crowd.
What “R number” is 900 mm? Cannot seem to match it up. Less than a R2?
I was under the understanding that you express LGB stuff in mm per diameter.
Regards, Greg
TrainLine 45 decided to make things more interesting. Which is OK, we all need a bit of variety.
OK here goes
R2 is 900mm rad
R3 is 1200mm rad
what Train-li USA refers to as R7 is 2100mm rad (according to TrainLine 45 it is their equivalent to a LGB R5)
It’s OK if they all try to re-invent the wheel i.e. have their own designations, just as long as they clearly state what radius and how large a segment of the circle the diverging track is - 15º, 22.5º or 30º doesn’t matter as long as we know.
I never express LGB stuff as per diameter. LGBoA apparently started that nonsense at one time and luckily it didn’t last. I remember a rather testy exchange of posts with Buffington on that matter, since it was such nonsense. A typical example of people who have no inkling as far as dimensioning conventions are concerned, trying to establish a “new system”. Not unlike some of the nonsense the NMRA tries to pass as “Standards”. We’ve discussed that before; unless the guys who write up these proposal finally take the ISO-Basics course, little will change.
PS Before I forget R2 in LGB parlance used to be 765mm rad, it’s slightly more now - don’t ask why it changed!
Thanks for the replys so far but I guess I wasn’t clear enough in what I was asking. I drew a picture (a very crude picture)[
" width=“500” height=“361” alt=“track” />](http://www.flickr.com/photos/28835515@N00/4801652546/)Let me try again. Lets say I take a 16150 switch and combine with a 16000 curve to bring back to parralel, what track spacing do I end up with. Will it match the spacing I get with when trying to use 1100 curves and 1500 curves if I want to have parralel tracks. Or do I have to mix and match. Say use a 16150 switch with a 18000 curve to get back to parralel wityh the proper spacing.
HJ, I have different measurements than you for LGB radii/diameter…
I have an R2 “circle” coming real close to 5’ in diameter, that does not work out with 900mm , which would come out to about 6 foot.
Would you mind looking at my page, and maybe we can start an email dialog where I can confirm the right data?
http://www.elmassian.com/trains-mainmenu-27/track-mainmenu-93/lgb-track-a-switches
Thanks, Greg
I agree with HJ’s numbers. I own all LGB track and just set some R3 up on the basement floor to measure (too hot to go out today). Here is an R3 switch (16150) with a R3 curve section 16000 and two straights (10600) to create the arrangement in question. I measured 7" left rail to left rail (which would also be center to center). There is some +/-slop in that measurement due to the “give” at the track joiners. Rail clamps would reduce that slop.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad122/gbbari/GardenRR/lgb-r3-parallel-spacing.jpg)
Phil Kaiser said:
.....Let me try again. Lets say I take a 16150 switch and combine with a 16000 curve to bring back to parralel, what track spacing do I end up with. Will it match the spacing I get with when trying to use 1100 curves and 1500 curves if I want to have parralel tracks. Or do I have to mix and match. Say use a 16150 switch with a 18000 curve to get back to parralel wityh the proper spacing.
Hi Phil, using a given turnout with the corresponding curve section i.e a 16150 turnout with a 16000 curve gives you the 7" center distance of the two parallel tracks.
Interestingly using the R1 config or the R5 config to do the same gives you 6.3" center distance of the two parallel tracks. Mix and Match will give you - depending if you go from large to small or small to large - a very odd geometry and quite likely a set of troubles you hadn’t bargained for since the swing of the couplers will be unequal depending on what is where at any given time.
That kind of stuff I wouldn’t try.
Greg, The easy way to determine which is what: turnover a piece of curved LGB track, the dimension of the radius is engraved in the mold and molded into the ties.
(http:///F-PIX/R2mark.jpg)
(http:///F-PIX/R3mark.jpg)
How and by whom all this jazz was massaged over the years would be interesting to know, but the chances of finding out are very remote. The gobblydigook with the diameters instead of the radii was started at LGBoA - I trust that the German engineers would not entertain something as silly - quite possibly following the lead of Aristo. But that is a whole other - but very funny!!! - story! To go one better yet at one time they (LGBoA) also gave the dimensions to the outside of the ties of a circle. Most likely for those who can neither add nor subtract, but hold a PhD in engineering or some such! GRRRRRRRR!!!
Hey Al, I really like your sig line! :lol:
Today was my rail fanning day; super weather, super scenery, real railroaders to talk to and some nifty subjects for my video projects. In other words, why do I get riled about this track crap, I got to look at the real stuff and for some strange reason it all matched up. This despite them using that peculiar 100 ft Chord to determine the degree of the angle.
I hereby move that dimensions of curves shall henceforth be given in degrees, thereby removing any likelihood of two garden railroaders arriving at the same result for any given calculation. Sounds fair, eh! :lol:
I have to say, the whole LGB curve/switch relationships are a little goofy. I had not really looked at it very closely until just recently. Being someone who is used to dealing with the smaller scales and the various track systems, aristocraft seems to have more of what I’m looking for. I’ve been over there asking the same type questions and knowing what will work where, seems a little more straight forward. I did find some track planning software which had both LGB and aristo libraries. I played around with it for a while and even on that, the aristo track was easier to put together to get what I wanted. Something I have not done yet though, is tried mixing and matching. Not sure if the software will allow it but if it does, that could prove interesting as to what I come up with. I’ll let you all know how it goes.
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Hey Al, ;) I really like your sig line! :lol:Today was my rail fanning day; super weather, super scenery, real railroaders to talk to and some nifty subjects for my video projects. In other words, why do I get riled about this track crap, I got to look at the real stuff and for some strange reason it all matched up. This despite them using that peculiar 100 ft Chord to determine the degree of the angle.
I hereby move that dimensions of curves shall henceforth be given in degrees, thereby removing any likelihood of two garden railroaders arriving at the same result for any given calculation. Sounds fair, eh!
Interesting proposal HJ, but then wouldn’t the scale/gauge issue throw in another set of variables? That 100 foot Chord is a different length in each scale.
You’ve got it Jon! Precisely! :lol: :lol:
Thanks HJ… seeing the visual proof is great. So now you have shown R3=1175 and R2=765, where did the reference to 900 come from?
Thanks, Greg
The reference to R=900mm refers to the track and turnouts from TrainLine45. They call that R2 and no, they have no plans to get into the R1 game.
Having R2 from LGB and R2 from TrainLine45 sporting different radii could easily lead to confusion, thus my comment “give me the radius and keep the rest!”