I am having to switch scales from “N” to “HO”. So, my layout plans are being redone. What was once a nifty plan has been shrunk in size do to the new, larger scale. That’s alright. I’ve got a great idea (I hope) and the planning is, after all, a good part of the fun for me.
Well, I am somewhat limited in space, depth being a rather serious consideration. Having said that, I have some concerns regarding minimum radii and small switching locomotives. I am looking at acquiring one of the Bachman 0-6-0 saddle tank switchers. It looks to be just what i need, although I am also eyeing the newly released American 4-4-0’s. I would not need anything larger than these for the foreseeable future.
Thus my question: Is it possible for the 0-6-0 and/or the 4-4-0 to negotiate a 12" radii? It might be possible to push it out to a 14/15" radii, but at the moment it looks to be 12".
I am not as overly concerned about the “look” of the loco and cars (and I wouldn’t be running anything greater than a 40’ Mather), as I am their ability to negotiate such a tight radii without derailing.
I don’t know about the 0-6-0t but the 4-4-0 might be a problem. I have one that was made by Bachmann. It seems to be allergig to anything tighter than 15" radius.
Most HO manufacturers design their products, especially locomotives, for a minimum 18 inch radius. A small switcher such as a 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 tank loco may be able to negotiate tighter radiuses, but I don’t think anything with a tender will be able to do so.
Although I’ve never tried it, I think it would probably be hard to bend flex track down to a 12 inch radius.
Experimentation is the only way to know for sure, though.
I, too, have a space problem. I was going to model N and getting back in the hobby I got out my old stuff. But I found myself in the HO section and aquiring HO stuff. I am now working on one of those layouts most everyone says can’t be done.
Its a 3x5 HO. I use 15" curves only, and 3" straight expander to get two loops in a cross-over type (sorta like a single loop of a helix reconnected). I also have a tier above those two of a small loop (not connected to the other crossover loop.) I can run 2 trains at once constantly, or run 1 train constantly and play with the other train in the small service yard or the siding industry. There are tunnels and bluffs and perhaps a bridge or two.I decided to only run steam on this layout, and model the ‘general’ “steam era” (if its steam it may be found there!!).
I have an IHC 2-8-2 Mikado with tender. It does very well on these 15" curves. I was affraid when I bought it that it might not like the 15"-ers, might “chuck” but it doesn’t. It is also the quietest electric loco I have ever heard. If it wasn’t moving, you wouldn’t know it was running.
I am going to aquire a 0-6-0 or a 2-6-0 or a 2-6-2 or possibly a 4-4-0 or (maybe one of each of those![8D] to run on the smaller loop.
I have all faith based on the Mike, that any/all of those will run just fine on the 15" radius.While 18" seems to be the recommended minimum, I must stay with 15 until I have more space for a layout (soon I hope). I would not even think of running a smaller radius.
Hope this helps.
-G
Modeling the city of Grimey, perched atop the Black bluffs, overlooking the service yard at Sooty junction. The G,B&S - the Grimey, Black & Sooty railroad.
Any 0-4-0T (tank, no tender) locomotive will handle the 12" curves. An 0-6-0T is probably good to go as well.
The 4-4-0 is problemmatic depending on the drive system used. If the 4-4-0 has the motor inside the engine, or the drive is totally contained in the tender, the odds are tilted in your favor. The tender drawbar can always be lengthened to accommodate the curves. The limiting factor is likely to be the swing of the pilot wheels.
If the 4-4-0 has the motor in the tender, but the drive in the engine, your odds of getting below a 15" radius are pretty poor.
A small Climax would have a reasonable chance at a 12" radius; Shays and Heislers are going to need greater radius for the same size loco.
Most of the very small diesels (2 axle diesels, GE 44T, GE 70T, and Alco S-1) should make 12" radius. An EMD SW or NW is probably the biggest diesel likely to make a 12" curve.
Couplers are another issue. You are probably going to need truck-mounted couplers on anything approaching 40ft long to stay coupled on curves without derailing.
Jumping to 14" or 15" radius will make a huge difference for rolling stock the size you are thinking of. Just about anything mentioned will be content on 15" radius curves.
As was mentioned, testing is crucial when you are pushing to the extremes
I’m concerned that you can run locomotives, but you might not be able to get a train around those curves. The coupler linkage between cars will only allow so much curvature before the coupler reaches the edge of the pocket and forces a derailment. Yes, smaller cars are better, but I’d imagine that 40-foot cars with body-mounted couplers will bottom out around 15-inch radius. You can convert to all truck-mounted “talgo” couplers, which would probably work.
When I was confronted with the same space restriction a few years ago and had no room for end loops, I decided to just have a point-to-point switching layout with no curves, so you might want to reconsider your options.
IMHO, trying to run anything in HO scale on a radius under 18 inches is begging for trouble and places too many restrictions on what you can do.
I understand your confusion. I’m having to switch to a larger scale due to my eyesight. I underwent cataract surgery a year ago, and about 6 weeks after that, the retinas in both eyes detached. They’ve been reattached, but I’ve lost some vision, and I cannot simply do the fine detail work that I demand of myself in N scale anymore, thus the switch to larger HO scale.
The advantage of the HO is that I can have a nice onboard sound system, as well as play around with under/over table mounting systems as well. I like to tinker with stuff like that. I can also add the type of detail I want. I had briefly thought about On30, and i really like that stuff, but space is the limiting factor here.
Basically, I have an area about 2’X8’ which is all fine and dandy for a switching or point to point layout. In fact, the original plan is a slightly modified “Gumstump & Snowshoe” plan. I have always liked that, and it has some interesting expansion available. I am also modelling the WWII period, because of both the potential storylines and the ability to run an occasional early deisel like an RS-1/SW-1, etc. That’s probably not in the cards at present, but that&