Tight radius track and six-axle diesels

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

So I have relocated to a small apartment from a more spacious townhome and where I used to have room for N-scale a 4x8 layout now I would be looking to build something about 2x6, anything wider and I’d have to get rid of the couch.

Anyways, My old GN motive power consists of SD7s and E8s but there is no way I can use my wide radius curve track in my new space. It won’t look very correct, but will the SDs run at modest speeds on such tight curves needed to fit on a narrow board? I have enough room to use short easements but not any more than about 11" radius for the main curves.

I am also not in the position financially to purchase new locomotives if I don’t have to.

Help?

Robert Ellis
Shorewood, WI

2

I used to run an N-scale SD40 just fine on regular train set track. That’s pretty tight, isn’t it?

3

You might consider a narrow switching layout which wouldn’t require the use of loops. Another alternative would be a fold-down or fold-up edge to give you another foot or so when you’re running, but would be out of the way when you want to use the couch.