how many sections of 22" radius curves are need to make a full circle?
According to an Atlas Custom Line Layouts book I have the number would be 16.
About four lengths of 36-inch-long flex track sections. (Isn’t it time to graduate from sectional track?)
Mark
maxman; I think you are correct. If I recall correctly sectional track comes in 22.5° sections; and markpierce, you hit the nail smack on the head. dobo has been up on the forum for about 23 months now; if he–or she–has been doing any reading of the topics here he–or she–would know that for those of us who have been at this game for awhile sectional track is very toylike and flex track is really the only way to go!
Well…unless they’re using track-with-roadbed like Atlas or Kato makes. After many years of using flextrack, my new layout is using Kato Unitrack and now having tried it I’d never go back to flextrack and installing roadbed etc. This is just so much easier, and with some painting and weathering looks good too.
nah the curves are going to be hidden i have had better luck on hidden curves using sectional
You have a point there. If I eschewed transition curves, broader curves, smaller size rail, a larger variety of turnouts/trackwork, and different radii, there would be a possibility I’d consider using such products.
But I prefer having choices.
And “cooking” my own rather than having it factory-made.
Mark
But it still looks toylike, IMO.
Perfectly straight straight sections, perfect-radius curves, no easement into them…
Doesn’t look like the prototype at all. Sure, it’s “easier,” but you get out of it what you put into it, so I’ll do the extra “work.”
it can be doctored, but ask Spacemouse what he thinks about track on plastic roadbed.
of specific lengths only,
of radii that I don’t use, and not of the radii i want to use,
And that lack of easements is the ultimate deal-breaker.
IMHO the ‘extra work’ of building my own specialwork, is a big part of the fun! The Sun will burn out or go nova before Kato manufactures the kind of puzzle palaces I build from raw rail on wood ties.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - on flex track with hand-laid specialwork)
Well, the Atlas 22 inch radius does come in 22.5 degree sections as per the Atlas book. However, the 15 inch and 18 inch radius curved pieces come in 30 degree sections. They both require 12 pieces to make a full circle.