I have built a turn around of a 44.25" radii outside track HO scale snaptrack with a 40.25" radii inside. Giving me a 2.25" spacing between tracks center to center. My question is: is there a standard distance that will allow two locos\diesels with frieght or passenger cars to pass at high or low speeds without killing each other. I want them to be as close as possible for the excitement of having two trains passsing in either direction, that gives you the feeling that there going to hit but don’t, plus it gives me more modeling room. sounds crazy huh…(lol) anyway can anyone help or has anyone performed this before?
Suggest you check the NMRA standard S-8 Track Centers. You can get it off the web (I googled NMRA Standards Track Centers) It will give you the answers you need based upon the equipment you plan to operate
Kevin
A couple of questions and comments:
Are you using 22" radius Snap Track? If so, you do NOT have 44.25" radius curves. Always measure the radius of a curve from the centerline of the track. A 2.25" center to center for that tight a curve is sort of ‘iffy’. The NMRA Standard (S-8) indicates that even 2.5" may not be enough for all large locomotives & cars. I have 30"/32.5" curves(2.5" track centers) and have had no problems with long Walthers passenger cars. The S-8 Standard has a ‘note 8’ that indicates ‘Construction or operation of equipment on curves sharper than those listed for its class are neither prohibited nor recommended’ - in other words, you are on your own. Here is a link to the NMRA Standard:
http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-8.html
Jim
LOL, you sound like a risk taker, teekaho.
I don’t know about standard distances, but 2 1/2 inch spacing should be sufficient. Anything closer could be problematic depending upon the type and length of the equipment you are running.
If nothing else, there is aways trial and error.
Take the two longest pieces of rolling stock that you own and just push them back and forth on the two tracks to find the distance where they touch. For me, that is a pair of 85’ boxcars that I keep on hand just for such occasions. A 2 inch spacing on curves just won’t cut it. A 2 1/4 inch spacing does present a few problems. A 2 1/2 inch spacing is more than sufficient.
Rich
Having built and rebuilt my layout so many times I have lost count, I can only go by my situations. I put in a 2 inch spacing on a curve and my two largest engines (steam) lost some parts when they got a little too close. I moved the spacing to two and a half inches and everything works great. I also made sure that all the rest of my double track curves are on a 3inch spacing so I have no worries at all. And if a car derails I can get my fingers inbetween the tracks to pick it up.
Archie
I am not sure you have what you claim. Radius is to the CENTER of the circle. I do not know anyone who makes 44.25" radius snap track. Are you sure that you have not confused radius with diameter?
That said this is a link to the NMRA standards:
Even if you are using the 2 1/2 inch standard, before you glue the track down, test it just to play it safe… and give yourself a little extra, just in case.
my bad! I meant 44" diameter with a 2 1/4": center from track to track. the outside track is already laid with 22"radii. the inside track is down but not set. been testing engines and stock of various types. nothing touching but seems close. definatly cant get fingers between to reset locos or cars. feel that I should back off a little. just wanted to know what you pros usually set track at. will check out the nmra standards and go with that… thanks guys.
My layout is double track main. Because I have corner curves where my prototype had either tangent track or a very slight high speed curves, I wanted to keep my track centers the same between tangent and curved track (otherwise it is perfectly acceptable and prototypical to increase the track centers on curves – you may want to consider having one spacing for tangents and a wider one for curves).
My era involves full length streamlined passenger cars and some six axle diesels. No steam. I did not want to get too much beyond a 2" track center so that my bridges could be as close to prototype measurements as possible.
What I was able to do was buy a batch of brass flex track (with the old fiber ties!) really cheap at a swap meet and i constructed a series of concentric curves on a sheet of plywood. I knew my biggest possible radius curve was 42" given my domino benchwork so I built curves of 42", 40", 38" 36" and 34" and just had the cars on those curves looking to see if there were going to be any problems. What I found was that with a 2" center, things got a bit dicey below 36" radius – by which I mean if my curves were 38" and 36" radius I might have a problem. So I made 38" my mainline minimum. One curve is 42" and 40" but the others are 40" and 38"
If I needed to go lower than 36" I suspect I would elect to change the spacing just on curves rather than try to have the same spacing on the entire mainline. I do like 2" for the main even though it is a bit wider than my prototype.
By the way when I was done with my radaius experiment I used that brass track to try out a variety of track laying and ballasting techniques. At that point I felt I had gotten my money’s worth out of it and disposed of most of it
Dave Nelson
Thanks I think I have a better understanding now. I had some difficulties with my passengers on the curves but my 2" spacing on the mains were just fine. So I think I’ll just move my curves from 2 1/4" to 2 1/2". I feel 3" is too wide for my likings. I like the closeness of the trains passing but I dont like the jams or crashes. I checked out the NMRA site but didn’t really understand thier chart. So I appreciate your input Thanks Teekaho.
I would give it a little more room. Just start the curve for the inside track a half to an inch earlier and you should be fine.
In regards to tight and close for the curves, I run alot of Rivarossi 85’ passenger cars and alot of 2-8-8-0 and 2-8-8-2 mallets on my layout and I have both 2 and 3 track mains I found that if you keep the spacing to 2 5/8" you will be able to run all of your equipment without trying to fuse weld pieces together from opposite trains passing each other at speed. If you think 2 track looks cool get eye level with 3 track having pasenger, heavy freight and coal drags racing past each other at speed. Kids love it when they stand on the one end of my layout that features the 3 track main. But for a rule of thumb use 2 5/8" and you will be safe.
Sorry it took so long to get back in touch, things got busy the last few days. Anyway just want to say after reading, trying, researching, testing, and after all these comments. I finally got what I was looking for and believe it or not B&O couldn’t have put it any simplier. JUST KEEP IT AT 2 5/8" ON THE CURVES. Boy that was simple and the best advise!!! just keep it at 2 5/8" that spacing is perfect its close enough to get the look that I’m looking for and yet get my fingers in between, plus no matter what size engines or stock I’m pushing or pulling they dont even come close to scratching, denting or melting…So B&O you get the big THANK YOU for keeping it simple but yet informative…and everyone else thank you for your time and advise alot of it was good and pointed me in the right direction. I’m glad to know that there is a point of contact place that newbees can go and get help from engineers that been around the rails for a time or two. I have only been in this for approx 3 1/2 yrs and only built two layouts. My first one was a 7’6" x 6’9" which I gave up on after a year in a half due to reachability, the center was hard to detail. So I started this one which is a walk in layout that measures 10’x12’x10’6" approx 120sq ft. This one will probably be the one that stays for a lifetime. Unless I get my two story shed then I will relocate from the garage to the top floor of a new work shop but first I must hit the lotto to accomplish all that. If anyone is interested in seeing what I have accomplished or what my layout looks like. Then feel free to visit my web page jadenrails at youtube.com/teekaho there you can see my old one in action and the new one in progress. leave comments too, always looking for better ways to inprove…Thanks again everyone for your assistance and looking forward to communicating with you again in the future…Teekaho of JadenRails
Teekaho, you are welcome for the advice, I learned alot from the painful trial and error so if I can help someone keep from having to go though what I have I don’t mind sharing. My last layout which I am still working on is a walk around the hugs the walls of my pole barn with a island in the middle, the outside part of my layout is 4’x 78’x24’ with an island that is 6’x50’ I have been working on this layout for the last 5 years after I was retired from the service. Almost finished with the basics and getting ready to start the scenery phase.Best of luck on your layout if you can I would suggest a radii curve of no smaller than 36" on your mainlines when running big steam and passenger cars. My layout has 40" radii on the mains and 36 on the secondary and a equipment restriction on any tighter curves. It adds more features when you have to figure out consists and how to get it to certain locations on the layout when the big engines can’t get there or providing local passenger service to areas that the through passengers can’t reach.
Ray
For what its worth, my layout is set in the steam era and my largest locomotives are mikados based on old Mantua and Varney mechanisms with rebuilt cabs, boilers and details. My largest passenger cars are 65 ft in length rebuilt from Roundhouse Pullman Palace cars. My straightaway spacing is fixed at 2 inches, big enough to get small padded tongs between cars to recover those that have tried to create a new right-of-way (derailed). My minimum curve is 25 inches in radius and I use 2.5 inch spacing on curves; it all works well with my equipment, but bear in mind I operate a mountain railroad and the maximum allowable speed both up and down grade is 45 for passenger trains and 30 for freight trains. I have had no ticking of trains together, but passenger trains passing on the 25 inch radius curve section are as close as I care to have them. By 25 inch radius I’m talking about the inside set of rails; the outside set of rails is at 27.5 inch radius (just for clarification). I did not know NMRA had curve standards when I laid my track; I arrived at what would work for me by trial and error using old brass railed track I had not further use of. Hope this is of some value you to some of you.
Broken Tie
Just to make sure everyone understands, This is a example of a circle from