My Hallmark AT&SF 4-8-4 and my Key SP GS-4 4-8-4 will operate perfectly satisfactorily on Kato 19" radius. Id like to add an inner loop with Kato 15 " radius but dont know if these locomotives will operate with a train behind them on this radius.Any and all advice would be appreciated! Thank you.
-John in Memphis
Probably not.
Sorry to be so blunt, but I have yet to see anything bigger than a 0-4-0 go thru a 15" radius curve. This tight radius is meant for industrial trackage or logging branches.
Lee in Little Rock
Most manufacturers seem to aim for 18" radius. I would get some 15" radius track and try it first. Even if the locos make it, you’ll be limited on the rolling stock length unless you use truck mounted couplers. If you handlay the track you can widen the gauge a little on the curves which will help.
Enjoy
Paul
Having some experience with 15" radius on my layout, I find that my 4-8-2 will go around it for the most part, but the long wheelbase doesn’t like it. Really rough on the engine and the track.
My Rivarossi 4-6-6-4 Challenger will negotiate it at slow speeds, as long as the tender is in the rearmost hole on the drawbar. Again, hard on the trackwork. Forget even trying the Trix Big Boy, the overhang is unreal and would rip out everything along the tracks.
As for freight cars, all mine are body mounted coupler equipped, 40’ or less and weighted to NMRA specs and my F7 diesels can pull 15 or more cars thru this radius without any problems.
I do also run some 72’ passenger cars with truck mounted couplers without problems. The 80’ and 85’ will derail.
The rest of my track is 18 and 22 inch radius and all my equipment will run on these, even my new Rivarossi/Walthers 85’ passenger cars. (Though they look better on the 22 inch)
Next layout will have minimum of 19 inch radius.
I model in HO scale… sorry I didn’t mention when first posted![V]
It would have helped if you’d been more specific and also named the scale you model in. It sounds like you’re talking N scale.
Andre