Can you run 53’well cars and 85’Budd 52-seat coach on a 22’'R or is it pushing it on my layout. And also will be pushing it if i use 6axle locos to. just to let anyone know that im in HOscale right now.
No to the 85’ Budd coach
Maybe on the loco and the well cars.
If you are in N scale - no problem.
If you are referring to Walthers’ HO scale 85’ Budd 52 seat coach, no, ref:
“PLEASE NOTE: As these cars are the correct prototype length and feature full underbody detail to match the prototypes, a minimum 24” radius is recommended for operation. "
from: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-6391
And 24" is really tight, you can not run them with prototype close coupling or diaphragms, 30" is a more reasonable minimum radius, and that is tight too.
Well cars depend on the specific model.
6 axle diesels depend on the specific model, some such as the P2K SD7 will go fine around 18" radius, because it is a small locomotive. Others such as a SD90 will have trouble with 24" radius.
The above answers are correct, however, you can run the Budd car IF you compromise and replace the couplers with “long shank” Kadee couplers. As a compromise so that the gap isn’t “huge” you can do somthing similar to what I’m doing. Install Kadee #46 on the front of each passenger car and #5 to the rear of each car. It will be tight, but your cars should swing the curves. Although it’s not prototypical, I like passenger trains and am willing to stretch here a bit…
Since my shelf layout will be running 22" and 24" radius curves, this is the compromise I was forced to make.
I run 6 axle locos around 18" turns and they run fine. I also have 9 of the 53’ well cars and they also will run on 18". The only modifications I made was putting a long shank coupler on the back of my locos and put all new couplers on my well cars, got rid of the 3 unit well car connector in favor of regular couplers.
The other two I have no idea but the well cars and the 6 axles will be fine with some minor mods.
I have run what you have mentioned on Atlas 22" snap track with no ill-effects.
All of my Walthers 85’ Passenger cars have made it as well as all of my 6 axle locomotives ( Proto & Athearn AC4400’s, SD60’s, 50’s, 45’s & 40’s).
All of my passenger cars still have the factory origional couplers on them.
My suggestion is to lay a temporary curve out & try it out for yourself.
I even have video of my Proto PA pulling the passenger cars thru this curve.
Gordon
Fifty-foot well cars: yes!
Eighty-five foot Budd 52-seat coach: probably . . . . . . . . . . but it’s gonna look like h-e-double hockey sticks doing it!
I run all sorts of intermodal and six axle gear on a 20" radius, its all about the quality of the track work and you may have to do some modifications to the drawgear box to allow the wheels to turn on the curve