space between tracks?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Building an N scale layout - for tracks running parallel to each other, do I need to leave any space between adjacent roadbed? If so, how much?

Thanks!

2

Look at this.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-8.html

Distance between tracks on curves is trickier. The above source has suggestions for this.

Mark

3

Here’s a link to the NMRA website it will prove to be an invaluable source of information for questions such as yours and any others that may come up in the future.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-8.html

4

Spacing of track centers depends on several things:

  1. what looks good to you (15 scale feet looks better than the prototypical 13 scale feet with larger code track).
  2. in yards you need spacing for those pesky 12 inches to the foot scale hands
  3. straight track vs. curves (which need more spacing to allow adjacent trains to pass each other without hitting).
  4. for curves, the radius of the inner track

In N gauge

  • parallel straight tracks would have 1 1/4" track centers,
  • curved tracks with 13 inner radius would need 1 7/16" spacing
    with 9 3/4" inner radius would need 1 1/2" spacing
    Alan