Where can I obtain curve tracks greater than a 22 inch radius. Where can I obtain track and turnout templates.
Atlas makes 24" radius curves in code 100 and 83.
The Lone Geep
Templates are printable from Fast Tracks site… www.handlaidtrack.com
EZ-Track has curves greater than 22". See dealers online and Bachmann’s site on the www.
I don’t know about Unitrack, but I expect it does have curves wider than 22".
Curve templates are here:
http://www.crystalriverproducts.com/Products/Accessories/track_templates.htm
or
maybe the tracksetta templates if you can get them.
Is flextrack not an option? That way, you make the curves you want where you want them.
Crandell
Get some 36 inch lengths of flex track from Atlas and a track alignment gauge from Ribbonrail.
Ribbonrail makes curved track alignment gauges ranging from 15" radius to 48" radius.
Rich
Good advice. JMD plastics is also among other firms making a line of track alignment tools.
http://jmdplastics.yolasite.com/ho-and-n-scale-track-laying-gauges.php
Note that Ribbonrail also offers a line of upson board roadbed in various gauges [EDIT: OOPS I meant to say radii] and if you get the roadbed then laying flex track to that exact curve is very easy.
With flex track you have the additional advantage of getting away from a fixed radius curve meeting a perfect tangent. If the tangent has a very slight curve at the end, and if the radius curve is larger where it meets that tangent and then curves to its minimum radius – so we are talking about easement curves – operations will be improved. Some cars that would derail where a 22" radius curve meets a perfect tangent will run just fine if there is an easement curve before the 22" radius curve.
Another thing is to take a long stick of wood. Find a way to mount one one on a base where it can turn on an axle – perhaps a bolt. Then mark off inches from that axle center and drill holes for 22", 24" 26" 28" and so on. With a pencil in that hole you can draw curves of that radius on sheets of paper (to make templates) or directly on the layout itself provided you have a solid place of the same height for the base of the rod.
Dave Nelson
I don’t use a stick of wood, I use a piece of small link chain from Lowe’s. With a tape measure I can pick any radius I like and since it is not stiff it is easy to store when not in use.
It has been suggested that a wooden stick is not the way to go. I have, however, used a yardstick (wooden) with holes in and stick a pencil through to draw the turn on a large piece of paper (either butcher paper or copy paper, 81/2" x 11" taped together) from a fixed point on the other end of the stick. You can then cut the paper along the drawn line and use it as a template for your centerline. you can get up to a 36" radius turn from this method.
Many ways to free the cat from its skin. [:)] I have used the long wooden lath trammel, a string with a pencil and a tack, templates I generated to scale…they all work if some attention to detail is part of the process.
Crandell