Minimum radius for 89' cars

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hey friends,

I am building a new layout and am wondering if you have any recommendations for the minimum radius needed for 89’ intermodal flat cars or large car haulers.

Obviously. . . space is limited, but I still want to be able to run long cars on my reverse dogbone. I was thinking 42" of plywood would be enough.

Thanks for your advice.

jkoso

2

I have 28 inches on the inside and cannot take the foot long cars on that due to a building which Im working on. I have the 31 inches radius on the outside that will accept any lenth rolling stock.

I consider those minimums.

3

31" is cool.

Do you have any problems running any long diesel locos as in any GE - series or AC - series?

Those dash 8’s look really long.

jkoso

4

You don’t mention scale, hopefully it’s N scale if you want to use 42" wide plywood. An 18" N scale radius or so should work and gives a 36" diameter curve in N scale (measured to the center of the track). That will leave you some room at the edge of your 42" wide sheet.

Layout Design SIG curve radius recommendations

5

In the interest of not want to start yet another thread on this subject…

HO scale

transition era

this is going to be a switching layout in a spare bedroom representing the transfer line in an urban setting between two yards.

The loco that will do local switching and transfer duty will not be larger than a USRA Light Pacific 4-6-2

I would like to run flat cars with trailers on them, as well as gondolas of scrap, etc.

So the millions dollar question is what is the minimum radius I can use in STAGING ? the curve will be right within reach. and in plain sight, but again, in staging. So am I worried about cars looking ugly on it? No. Am I worried about stuff derailing? yes.

thanks a bunch

6

jkoso,

Here is a rule-of-thumb for minimum radius of cars (locomotives are another matter). It is based on multiples of car length, coupler to coupler.

2.0 times car length: some (I’d say most passenger) equipment won’t work reliably

2.5 times: most equipment will run reliably if coupled to cars of similar length

3.0 times: all equipment should run reliably

3.5 times: appearance begins to become less toy-like if viewed from inside the curve

4.0 times: appearance begins to become less toy-like if viewed from inside the curve (views from track level will be more realistic than from above)

5.0 times: coupling should be reliable on the curves

If couplers are truck mounted, you can usually get away with a bit smaller radius curve.

This information comes from a free electronic magazine released this month and is consistent with information contained at the Layout Design SIG wiki site.

Mark

7

It would have been better if you started your own thread instead of hijacking this one.

As to an answer to your question, I’d say about 22" if 50-foot cars are the maximum length and your Pacific is not a locomotive with tight tolerances like most brass locomotives.

Mark