I am expanding my 9’ x5’ laayout and would like to know how I can make a curve on a 3’ wide plywood board? I plan to have one track running on a basic flat terrain with another track up on a higher level with a rock quarry. I can send some pics if that would help. I also would like to know if I am the only one that makes my buildings hand made from 1/4’’ plywood? I have made about 20 or 25 of them, they don’t like some of yours, but I think they look pretty good. thanks mike
You can use sectional track for curves. It gives a nice constant curve and you can add a couple of larger radius pieces to the ends to make easements. The down side is that there’s lots of joints that can loose electrical power and cause other mishaps.
You can also use flex track to do curves. Thats what I use. You can make a nice, free-flowing curve, and build the easements right into it even more smoothly then with sectional track. Also, it comes in 3 foot lengths, so theres less electrical connections to go bad.
Your curve is going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of an 16in curve by the time you get some breathing room on the sides figured in. That’s tight in HO, not too bad in N scale. You didn’t mention what scale you’re in so I just took a guess that it was one of these.
Hi, Mike,
Pictures would definitely help. I’m not sure I completely understand exactly what you’re asking about the curve on the 3’ plywood board. If nothing else, if you could sketch it out on paper and scan the image, that would be a great help.
By the way, [#welcome] to the forum!
Hi Mike
A curve on a 36 in wide ply base would be a rather tight curve, under 18 as the dia of a curve is measured at the center of the rails.
18 is ok if using short cars and 2 axle trucks. However if you anticapate using larger equipment at a later dat you might think about a 22 in rad.
Perhaps if your layout is centered in your train room, could you offset the upper level over the the sid a bit to make more room for a larger radius, just a thought…John