Minimum Radius for Modern Equipment (N scale)

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I’m hoping to take advantage of some of the experience in this forum.

I’m planning a new layout that will feature a branch line that interchanges with a modern mainline road. The mainline will be a loop that spirals down into hidden staging at each end of the interchange town, and my question is, what is the minimum radius for operating an N scale double-stack container train. Looks are not important as the spirals down will be hidden. (Visible turns will be wider.)

I’ve currently been planning with 18" radius. Anyone with 80 to 89’ cars had problems at this radius?

While I’ve got N scaler’s attentions, for hidden staging beneath a shelf, how much space (height) allows you to comfortably reach in and right derailed cars (my biggest concern with the hidden staging)?

Thanx for your help. [8D]

2

I use primarily 18" rad curves with some 16" in out of the way places and I am very happy with them. They run great and look good in my opinion. I think you will be happy with them.

Ron

3

I would go 18", if you can. They would run OK on as tight as 12" but 18" looks much better.

4

hmm. I designed my layout with software using pretty much all 9" radius curves (atl-2510). Am I asking for trouble for using such tight curves, since I see a lot of recommdation of using 18".

5

9" in N is approximately the equivilent of 18" in HO. Thats pretty tight although many more HO layouts have been built with 18" radius than any other size.

Somtimes people will use a HO plan for N scale. My rule of thumb for doing that is to use make the N scale layout 2/3 or better yet 3/4 the size of the HO layout. If the HO layout had 18" radius then the N would have 12" or 13-1/3".

The NTRAK standard is 18" on the “blue line” common track.

6

thanks for the info. I think the size of the planned benchwork is just big enough where I can go up to an 11" radius on N scale, just to ease up a little on the turn around portion i have.

7

Well I’m not too concerned with looks. The 18" curves into staging will be hidden, though if I can make them a little tighter that might help my planning (Its a shelf layout above my desk in my not too large office). I just want to be sure that modern equipment (80’ cars) will handle that without derailing.

Where the looks matter, the radii will be larger…

My vision is to enjoy some of the thunder of mainline railroading in a small space (less than 8 foot square room) by having a double track main that runs from staging into the scene at one end and then disappears back into staging halfway along. A shortline (former branch that was sold off) will interchange through a small yard and share some trackage rights before making its slow way to its primary industry at the other end.

One day my railroad will have a web site on which I can share more…

Thanx. [8D]

8

One thing to be aware of is the compounding effect of curves and climbing. If you can, mock up the curves and climb with some track, and run your intended trains up it to be sure that the combination doesn’t defeat your locos.

9

I would say BEWARE. 9" curves are really REALLY tight. I am currently on my second N-Scale layout. My first one, which I built and operated for about 10 years, had 12" minimum radius curves. Everything “ran” on it, but my new layout has an 18" minimum and I cannot stress enough how much better this makes everything run. If you run only short 4-axle diesels and short-wheelbase steam engines (i.e. nothing bigger than say, an 0-6-0 or 4-4-2), and you run short 40 foot freight cars, you will get away with it. But if you try to run passenger cars or any other longer equipment, there will be trouble.

Take it from somebody who has “been there and seen the light”. It’s better to forego some scenery and make the curves broader. If you can change things to get up to at least 12", you’ll have a lot less trouble.