Just wondering what everyone uses. Also, how do you think you equip. looks on it. Reason I ask, is I am building indoor and can fit 14’ & 15’ dia. curves in but am wondering if this is big enough. Engines would be GP’s most likely. I do however plan to run modern type freight cars. USA’s modern tank cars, as well as aristos 53’ evans box car would be the biggest cars. Do you think 14’ would be big enough for these or is the overhang going to look really bad? I will also be using hook/loop couplers, which I think will be fine with these diameters. I currently have euro type 2 axle cars but would like to be able to run US style cars when the mood arises.
Hi,
I’m of the opinion that ALL model turns are too sharp, so I only operate forward and back along straight track. I don’t even need rotating trucks–it’s so simple!
Just kidding–I run LGB R3 (approximately 8’ diameter, possibly slightly less), and I run everything up to and including an MTH Big Boy on it with no issues, though larger steam locomotives don’t look very good on it. 15’ diameter will look extremely good with your equipment.
I’d kill for that setup–have fun with it
We have 15 dia’s on our modules.
Everything looks fine, even the USA Big Boy.
Of course 15’s are way too small for actual scale modeling, but we do with what we can.
Most people don’t have enough room on their outdoor layouts for 50’+ curves.
I use R-2 outside and R-1 inside. But then, I like the smaller stuff anyway.
connection hiccuped
Twenty-eight and twenty-seve foot diameter curves for me.
Sounds impressive until you find out that it’s just one big circle inside another.
'sno big deal.
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund
I’ve got it down to 6.5 feet diameter going in to one mine inside, but most of ours is 8 foot or 10 foot diameter.
16 and 20 for the most part with a few 8 in just to keep things fun. My bigger stuff looks fine on the track but I do have truble with my Evans box cars. I don’t think its the track but the cars are to light for there size.
Outside I have 20 foot and 10 foot. curves with 5 foot for the siding.
Inside on my L, I have 5 foot and 1, 4 foot quarter turn.
But they are on the wall and space is a premium there.
Almost finished with the track work. I’m waiting on track I bought on ebay 6-4 foot sections. That should finish me up.
The banker says I’m done weather or not I’m finished.
I did manage to get a new tender for my little Pennsy Passenger set. The tender has sound and $89.99 price tag was a good price.
I think that is what put me over. I think it was the straw that broke the Camels back.
I have the half turn and the yard yet to do. I have the track for the yard I’m using the cheap Bachmann track it will do well there.
The tightest curve that I have is a 5 ft radius (10 ft diameter). I use a 10 ft radius (20ft diameter) leadin and exit. Even a consist of Dash-9’s or Mallets look fine, here.
Most of the other curves are freehand, though none approach 50 ft.
I have 3 primary sets of diameters that I try and abide by on the actual layout…
-
Outside Mainline is minimum 20 ft…
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Outside Branchline is minimum 15 ft…
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Inside layout is minimum 10 ft… (8 ft on sidings, if required)
ohhhh, and the ““around the upstairs”” layout is 6.5 ft… (this is totally separate from the others)…
At this point it sounds like a min. 14’ in the yard and 15’ on the main will work. This makes me happy. I’ve tried to visualize but its difficult.
Phil Kaiser said:Phil, As nobody stated here yet even though they all know! You run as big a curve as your area will possibly allow for. Will the equipment your planning on running look good on 14' 15' curves ABSOLUTELY! Will it be prototypically correct? That depends on the circumstances and there is an exception to every rule. I can assure you that when I run that same stuff on my layout with a max curve of 12.5 diameter and a min of 9' diameter it's looks just fine to me. Many folks here started with 3 rail Lionel now how prototypical is that?? They still stood there and watched the trains go round and round infatuated with the ambiance! ;)
Just wondering what everyone uses. Also, how do you think you equip. looks on it. Reason I ask, is I am building indoor and can fit 14' & 15' dia. curves in but am wondering if this is big enough. Engines would be GP's most likely. I do however plan to run modern type freight cars. USA's modern tank cars, as well as aristos 53' evans box car would be the biggest cars. Do you think 14' would be big enough for these or is the overhang going to look really bad? I will also be using hook/loop couplers, which I think will be fine with these diameters. I currently have euro type 2 axle cars but would like to be able to run US style cars when the mood arises.
Let’s face it, even a 20 ft diameter curve is very tight, when scaled up for 1:1, even for narrow gauge logging stuff. It was about as tight as was ever used, and yet it is a wide curve for most of us.
Actually not worried about how prototypical it is, just that it doesn’t look too bad. They are after all, model/toy trains depending on how you want to look at it. Just trying to plan for the future. Right now I have a lil critter as my engine with mostly small 2 axle cars. I also have 8’ & 9’ curves on my test section. I do like the look of some of the large modern US freight cars and while I am not laying track yet, I am trying to plan. I had some O scale for a little while and ran that around 10’ dia. min. curves. Looked nice but I’m sure even that was too sharp. I won’t even get into running around 32" rad. curves when I was looking at HO. It did look OK though. Just don’t want to back myself into a corner. I really like the look of the piko taurus and would possibly get one of those some day. I do know they are big though (24" long) I have seen video on line where someone ran it around 4’ curves. It worked no problem but I would not want the look on my layout. Just my preference. The thing I like about G is it seems like most people are just out to have a good time. You can go scale if you want or bend the “rules”.
The tightest curves on my layout are 6.5’ diameter. I don’t run anything larger than a Bachmann 4-6-0 or an Aristocraft RS-3, and small, old style freight and passenger equipment. Even so, I still feel it’s pushing the limits of what looks “good” to my eye. If I had to use sharper curves, I would only run very small stuff, like mining trains.
Phil Kaiser said:There are rules :o
You can go scale if you want or bend the "rules".
Nobody told me :lol:
Ralph
The piece of land I negotiated for in the backyard and the track plan I designed limited me to 8’ diameter. I really wish I had at least 10’ (or more). I run short equipment. The looks are fine for me, but I can’t run some locos I’d like to.
I run two 16’ Diameter loops and one 15’ Diameter Loop course I claimed the backyard perimeter 
15’ diameter indoors? sheesh you must be in a warehouse.
My indoor layout has 3 diameters, the lowest track is 48" diameter, the middle track is 32" diameter, and the upper track is 21" diameter,
…and yes it is G 