I am getting back into MR after leaving it around 25 years ago. First layout I built didnt have any easements. Going to use them on the new layout I am working on. Where should they be used, just on the mainline or on everything? I am designing the track plan in Solidworks so I will draw in the easements then I can print a 1:1 plan to place the track.
I put them everywhere practical, even my staging yard. The offset for my curves (32-inch radius) are approx 1/2 inch which is close to what John Armstrong recommended in his book Track Planning for Realistic Operation.
Reasoning behind easements in many places is it less “coefficient of lurch” and smoother operation, less chance of derailments and it’s a “best practice” and not hard to do. I didn’t use any fancy track planning software, just good old pencil, 11x17 graph paper, compass and scale rule.
I am doing N scale so it is a bit smaller. This is the track plan so far. Trying to model the Cheyenne UP yard. The squares are 3’ x 3’.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vcecpmmymqbfd2q/Layout%203-2.JPG?dl=0
I’d say at a minimum on the mainline, but I’d refer to picture of the prototype to see where they put easements. I don’t think real railroads put them on industrial spurs and other low speed places very often.
I’m a bit confused as to why you are using solid works to track plan. That is a 3D design program, great for designing stuff for 3D printing on your model railroad, but I don’t see how it would be used for track planning. I’m sure it will work, but there are dedicated track planning softwares out there.
SPSOT,
Have you ever used SolidWorks? It’s actually great for 2D and 3D designing. And not just for 3D printing but for all aspects and types of machining processes.
I actually found it quite useful for designing, drawing, and viewing my own layout ideas - especially in determining what was the absolute maximum radii of curves I could achieve for the size room and space that I had. It was also handy for designing the framework for supporting the layout. And, should I desire to create drawings of it, I could even do it 1:1, if I so chose.
It’s too bad that SolidWorks is so expensive per seat because I would use it for designing all sorts of things.
Tom
I have used SolidWorks, I took a semester long class almost exclusively on it last year. I never used it for anything 2D. I though the 2D was for making nets for shapes and such. You learn something new everyday! I suppose the OP could disregard my previous comments if he wishes…
All curves on the prototype are a spiral easement when possible. Some just spiral faster than others.
Many, if not most curves on the prototype are really just elliptical curves with no fixed radius. They gradually get sharper going in, reach an apex, or minimum radius, then gradually get broader going back to striaght.
This is typically true of curves that change direction less than 90 degrees, virtually always true of curves that change direction less than 45 degrees.
Just think two easments back to back with no fixed radius in between.
Sheldon
PS - now for a slightly “political” statement - Guess when and how I learned the facts presented above? Way back in 1969, when I was just twelve years old, I joined the NMRA. Back in those pre “information age” days, NMRA membership came with a printed set of NMRA Standards, Recommended Practices, and DATA SHEETS which covered a wealth of technical information, including track geometry in detail, and including how to layout easements and the spiral curves described above…
Don’t see how that’s political? I think it would be awesome if they still did that, it would be very helpful and end the need to search the NMRA website for what you need. Also you could view it pretty much anywhere, not just were you have internet access (okay, that is pretty much everywhere nowadays).
Ideally, you’d never have a fixed radius curve meet a perfect tangent, so some easement curve, however slight, is approrpriate everywhere and anywhere on a layout - and because it is not just visually pleasing and realistic but practical and useful, this includes hidden trackage, staging yards, helixes, and so on. Whether you use the math based easement, templates from NMRA or the old ones from MR, the simple offset method, the bent stick method, the spline roadbed easement, or the old trick of having a single piece of flex track span the area between tangent and curve (flex track creates its own easement curves), or the other “mechanical” easements, any easement is better than none, and again not just from a cosmetic standpoint.
Dave Nelson
I am using Solidworks because it is what we have at work plus I have been using it for 20 years. Was looking at dedicated track planning software. If there is a good free one I would be interested.
Here is your image.
Easements are indeed a good idea if there is space. I’ve found even a relatively short easement of the longest-car-length, or 1½ car-lengths, helps a lot. Note that the diverging leg of a turnout is the rough equivalent of an easement, so an additional easement is not necessary in the model in some track arrangements.
I see a few places on your plan where s-curves have been created by curves leading into turnouts which appear to diverge in the opposite direction. Removing these would be an important first step to improve reliability.
One of the challenges with using a general CAD program for model railroad design is that it is easy to overlook the length commercial turnouts actually require for the entry to the points and the point rails themselves. I’m not sure your rendering allows enough length for pre-fab turnouts, but I could be wrong. And if you are planning to handlay-to-fit, the frog angle may be sharper than you expect if built as drawn.
Good luck with your layout.
Byron
I am going to use PECO code 80 #6 turnouts mainly with a couple #8 on the main line cross over. I measured an actual turnout and use the length and radius so I can model them correctly.
Want to use Woodland scenics stands that are 3’ x 3’ but may have to build my own benchwork to get a little more space. The room is 10’ x 10’ with a door on one wall only leaving 6’. Would like to do a square but would have to walk under the layout to get in the room.
What is the best way to approach an easement when a turnout is in the middle of it?
I had this very situation on my layout and the Peco “large radius” curved turnout came to my rescue. I believe the larger of the two curves is 60" radius on that turnout. However that is a solution only under certain conditions. In a situation that differed I was able to use a “normal” large Peco turnout but the diverging track - again equivalent to a large radius curve – was the mainline, with the straight track being the diverging route in my usage. There are other situations where perhaps a large radius wye turnout from Peco could be part of an easement curve. My easements are not mathematically pure obviously.
Dave Nelson
Layout has taken a complete 180. Still need to do easements on the main lines but was going to leave the yard as is.
Forum wont let me paste an image so here is the link.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/824vkbrrhmnxv0g/Layout%205-3.JPG?dl=0
I can’t see the image when I click on your link, I’m not sure you can use Dropbox to add a picture to the forum. Perhaps someone else know how to fix this…
Thanks for posting the image Bear!
Looks like a nice track plan corsair, a great plan for a lot of running.
I do notice it lacks switching opertunities, but if your a running person that should be okay.
What are all the little + marks about? Is that a reference point, or something to do with the drawing program your using?
Looks like a nice plan for steady running, and yard work, which gives the switching oppertunities. Along with locomotive facilities.
I’m far from a track plan expert, but it looks like the yard easements are pretty good. Especially on the left, as you look at the drawing.
Can you comfortably reach across the lay out on the side with the yard?
I use the same track planning program as RioGrande. [swg]
Mike.
The + marks are centers of all of the curves and the ones on the turnouts. Cant hide the center points in sketch mode in Solidworks.
How do I attach an image?