What passenger cars would work going around 18R or 15R curves? Time set is steam in 1930’s. Locomotive power will either be 4-4-0, 4-4-2. 4-6-0, 4-6-2, 2-6-0, or 2-6-2. I’m trying to plan a one-scener layout to fit an 11 x 2 1/2 foot area with continous loop/dog bone style track.
Is your railroad a real one or a freelance line. If it was real, then checking out the actual equipment would be a good idea…but few real passenger cars from the 1930s would work with 15" curves.
If you are modeling a freelance shortline, consider the MDC-Roundhouse 36’ passenger cars. The prototypes were/are on the Sierra Railroad…but one ended up on the Hilo Railroad in Hawaii. Most cars in the 1930s were 70’-85’ cars.
These are the best for you, probably. I have 2 sets of these, but even so, they do not fit terribly well even around 18 inch radii. I found the coupler bar on the truck swings and hits the stairs just a bit, and enough to derail the car at times. I have my doubts about the 15 inch radii.
This photo is from a current eBay listing. The seller is listing them one at a time. The guy started the auction at $10 per car. I wouldn’t pay much more than that opening price. I got my set of 4 (new) from another eBay seller for $40. It is best to get them as a set so you get all the proper cars.
These sets keep popping up on ebay and online stores.
[:I][oops]. It would be freelance. Just before rechecking my post I remembered about 50’ Overton passenger cars that used to be listed on trainland/trainworld.
I suggest a trolley.
Mark
I went to trainland/trainworld and did not see any Roundhouse products or I was at the wrong site. Caboose Hobbies has the 50’ Overland for about $13.00 per car.
Rich
How about something like this?
This one is by Pocher. Model Power made a very similar car. They are 48 feet long. Boston commuters were riding in very similar cars as late as the 1950’s, although the B&M cars that I remember were all longer, say 60 foot.
Here is a pair of them behind a IHC Mogul.
In HO 18 inches is the minimum practical radius. Makers do a lot of work to insure their stuff will run on 18 inch curves. None of them attempt 15 inch. A lot of shorter stuff like 40 freight cars will make it around 15 inches, but a lot of stuff won’t.
These are my Rivarossi 60-foot heavyweights.
They come RTR for about $30 each, in several road names plus undecorated. They have a single-color plastic interior, no lights and no passengers. Right now, Walthers has a lighting kit on closeout for about $6. It took some fidget work to get the lighting kit to work, even though it’s supposedly for these cars. My guess is that Rivarossi changed the design a bit, and the reason that these lighting kits are so cheap is that they are on closeout because they need some modifications. They come with a package of wire grabs, too, but you have to install those yourself.
I run these fine on 18-inch curves. I don’t have any 15s, and frankly, I would advise against them on anything other than a mining or logging shortline.
Check if the cars are now listed with Athearn. MDC/Roundhouse was bought by Athearn/Horizon a few years ago. Athearn also sold shorty streamlined cars.
In N scale, Athearn updated the old cars with new paint schemes & new trucks/coujplers. There may be other 60’ cars from other makers (LL, CC) on the market.
You are going to need to widen your layout table at least a couple of inches, 2 1/2 feet is 30 inches, 15r curves will be more than 30 inches in diameter, that is measured at the track center, so a 15r is going to be close to 32 inches outside tie end to outside tie end. Add any roadbed and/or ballast, even a 36 inch wide table is only going to give you about 1-1 1/2 inches between tie end or ballast and the table edge.
With 18r curves a 40-42 inch wide table will have you similarly close to the table edge. If you are absolutely confined to a 30 inch wide table, you may need to consider N scale or 027. There are some nice looking 027 locomotives and cars available, they’re not all starter set quality, and 027 track measures 27 inches to the outside tie ends, and would give you 1 1/2 inches between tie end and table edge, on your 30 inch wide table. If you are confined to 30 inches wide but have 11 feet of length, you may seriously want to consider 027, you can do an awful lot in 11 feet of length, especially for a “One Scener” layout such as you are planning. Take a look at Atlas O’s sectional track, it has properly spaced plastic ties, and looks just like HO track (except the third rail) it is available in 027 curves.
Doug
This plan won’t get to far anyways. The only thing I came up with on Walthers for locomotives was Bachmann 4-6-0’s and 4-4-0’s. I wanted to go with sound. I’m not to into N scale anymore, not since I’ve started stocking up on HO stuff. Plus if I switched back I would have my HO stuff just siting there wasting space. I did find some cars though. Model Power 67’ Pullman-Standard Harriman coachs. Turns out MR did article July of last year called “Model The Gila Tomohawk in HO scale”. It fit me pretty well. 1 to 2 coachs, an RPO/baggage car, the only thing it was missing was an insulated milk can box car. If I did go with N, well they don’t have it. I would have to go buy Model Powers standard coaches, a set of light weight trucks, a saw, miter box, xacto, sanding sticks, glue, paint…well I would have had to buy paint anyways but still. That and I don’t think alot of the structures I had in my mind are made in N scale. I just love living in a an apartment don’t you?? Just one more wonderous thing discouraging me from even getting in this hobby beyond subscribing to the magazines.
If you were doing European trains there were plenty of 2-, 3-, and even 4-axle coaches that ran into the 70’s/80’s that are 1:87, would fit great, and even look ok. Märklin even shortened some 30.3meter coaches to 1:120 scale. As that’s not what’s being asked I’ll go hide now. [:o)]
Seriously though, why did short 2-axle coaches or cars never make it in North America?
p.
Peter makes a good point.
I really have to practice self-control when reading posts like “I just purchased an HO scale model of a Big-Boy and a set of foot-long passenger cars, and now I’m having a problem designing a continuous-run layout 30 inches wide.” Or "I’m modeling the American Civil War period in N-scale but I’m having difficulty finding any suitable models of locomotives and rolling stock.
So, I’ll just say “Choose your prototype and scale wisely.”
Mark
2 1/2 feet allows for about 14" maximum radius, which puts the track right at the edge.
Bachmann has some sets from the 1830’s such as this one that might work http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=16
Overton cars at 36’ might work, they might need truck mounted couplers.
Enjoy
Paul
There’s also the debate between “will work” and “look right” on such sharp curves. Even if you get longer cars with truck mounted couplers that will handle the curves, the extreme overhang will take some getting used to, plus you’ll need to allow extra side clearance on your curves.
The posters above pointing you toward the 19th century models may have the right idea. Prototype cars were shorter, because of technology and the fact that curves were sharper back then. Another thing to consider, cars weren’t immediately scrapped when new ones came along, some 19th century equipment may still have been running in the 1930’s, especially on short lines.
Shortys look and operate fine on an 18" radius, I don’t see why they shouldn’t work on 15"
http://www.roundhousetrains.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=Overton&CatID=THRP
I know European cars have no problem on tight curves, my layout is only 33" deep by 55" long. If you go back to near 1900, you could run the MDC short Overton cars with a small ten wheeler or 4-4-0. I a AHM/Rivarossi Casey Jones that I regeared with NWSL gears, and the matching ICRR Fast Mail train, baggage, RPO, coach, coach and business car/observation. Makes a nice looking train, no problem with 18 or even 15" curves due to everything being so short. Here are pics of both my Marklin layout and my Jones train. Good Luck! Mike
