Helicopter View of a MacArthur on an 18 inch radius curve. Severe hangover!
Solution: view the layout at eye-level. The locomotive has not moved from the place shown in the photograph above.
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Movie magic or the suspension of disbelief. 
I abhor such sharp curves on my layout. And on the Midland Western back in Metairie, the sharpest I have is a 24 inch radius curve.
The problem over here on the GCE is that the entire main line is only 16 feet long. By using an 18 inch radius curve, Iām able to add almost 2 inches on the tail track of the runaround track at Southpoint.
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Hello All,
Because of the space limitations enacted by āShe Who Must Be Obeyedā I can only have a 4āx8ā pike, which sits on the bed in the computer/train/spare bedroom.
That has forced me to use 15-, 18-, and 22-inch curves.
Some are asymmetrical, using 90Āŗ of one radius and 90Āŗ of the other; 15- and 18-inch and 18- and 22-inch, with easements between the curves.
Because of these limitations, I can only run 4-axle diesels and 0-X-0 steamers.
The cars are limited to 40 scale feet, with the exception of depressed center flat cars with articulated trucks.
For longer flat car loads, I also have two (2) 20-foot idler flat cars to help negotiate the tight curves.
Not ideal, but itās what I have to deal with.
Hope this helps.
I started out on a 4 x 8, moved to L shaped and U shaped shelf layouts, and in my fast approaching old age Iām going to end up with no more than a 4 x 8 and probably a shelf dioramaā¦.. Iāll be having to live with some family member and theyāre not going to let me have much.
I use whatever is needed to have a layout. Right now thatās 30"on m S scale layout.
My small O scale runs on 22 1/2" radius curves.
Paul
Yeh. Me too. Some layout is better than no layout.
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I donāt have any problems with sharp curves, but I do have a purpose built man-cave for my layout and R4 is the smallest radius, I donāt know what that is in old money because I use metric measurements.
This was easy, Google/A I:
R4=22.52ā radius of Model Railroad track.
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Great, most of my double track main line is R9 and R10 on the outside radius, so my express locos can run full speed with ease.
Not like Lionel 027! 
Iāve had locos go over even on O36! Yet, I also have some that take the O27 at full speed quite happily and perfectly stableā¦
All to do with a lower centre of gravity, it is possible to overcome this effect by doing what the real track does and introduce superelevation, as the curve progresses the outer rail is raised higher to give the train an inward lean helping to keep the vehicles stable at higher speed, this also helps reduce wheel flange and track wear because the effect is causing the wheels to drift towards the inner track rail, counteracting agains the centrifugal forces.
I tried that once on a section of my railroadā¦ didnāt work so well due to my (ahem) shoddy construction. I oughta go ahead and redo it properly.
Getting it right is critical best practice is to start at the apex or the curve and only put a very low shim in place maybe only 2 or 3 mm and work round the curve from both sides reducing by half millimetres as you go, always test with a long coach or multi wheeled loco, as you donāt want any of the wheels floating above the rails, it is very satisfying to see it working properly once you get the geometry right!
DefinitelyāIāve got a curve in Menardsville that could do with someā¦ tinkering.
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Last year with a sore back I began mostly operating my shelf-style switching layout seated upon an adjustable height rolling chair. Eye level is a nice vantage point from which to view rolling stock and appreciate undercarriage details, and as you mention, make those tight curves less noticeable. Even with my back okay Iāve come to prefer seated eye level operations when possible, adds to the fun while taking a load off the olā feet and back.
Regards, Peter
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Layout height was a big mental struggle for me when I first began to design my layout 20 years ago. The high holy gurus way up on Mount Milwaukee pontificated that all layouts should be at 54 inches high for walkaround control. Of course they mostly wrote for people building layouts in windowless basements, but if you were building layout in a regular house room like me, that would truncate your windows right in the middle. I decided to build my layout at 36 inches high which only rose above the windowsill about 6 inches, allowing the continued usability of the window. It also allowed me to use pre-fabricated shop tables to support my layout instead of undergoing the suffering of the major carpentry of some Byzantine structure that would have to be torn down in a few years anyway. It worked out great for using rolling office chairs to follow my trains, and as Iāve negotiated lifeās path from near 60 years old to now near 80, Iāve never regretted the height that I built my layout at.
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