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Turning radius

Started by craigs, May 02, 2010, 11:22:21 AM

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ABC

That's okay, did you mean 60' boxcars because I don't know of any 65' ones, there are 65' mill gondolas and 65 and 62 foot tank cars. Usually for 18" radius I stick to 40' or shorter cars for best operation, and 4 axle diesels or locos with 4 or occasionally 6 drive wheels (depending on wheelbase) with no lead or trailing wheels.

NewYorkCentralgirl

Probably, I'm pulling this all from memory, I'm setting up a layout this summer, and the last time I've seen all these old cars was 1999 roughly. And we have a little New York Central 2-6-2, which takes 18", even a few 15" curves, if my memory serves me correctly.  Its actually a perfect little engine.............And the diesels I own, have no trouble getting around 18", they are just classic Bachmann 4-axle Union Pacific Diesels.  I was going to buy some 22" track this summer, but our local hobby store is going out of business, and instead of track I snagged a Bachmann Spectrum J-class brand new, with auxilary tender for $99.99.......I just couldn't resist an engine being marked down $70 dollars.  If I was allowed I was going to buy the Arthean Genesis Big Boy they had marked down to $259.....even if I couldn't really run it...Could you imagine that on a 18"???

Santa Fe buff

You'd be surprised what can go on what. M.T.H. boasts their Class 9000 UP steamer can go around 18 radius when you remove a special lock... and it does!  :o

Cheers,
Joshua
- Joshua Bauer

ABC

Boy, I bet it looks great, I think it might even look better on 15" radius. Here's a surefire plan... setup some 15" radius track right near the edge and run it full speed, the loco should last forever, especially if it is made of brass. I guess most people just like big/long things like Northerns, Challengers, Big Boys, articulates, etc... and I guess most people have radius sizes of 18" or less...the problem is that these two things do not go together too well. Unfortunately, usually a person's desire for large things prevails when they don't have the means to run what they buy, so they run it anyways and there just asking for something to happen and then one of these days they'll be sorry. I'll admit I have 17 89' boxcars (Athearn and Walthers), 11 85' flatcars (Athearn, Atlas, and Walthers), 6 89' Autoracks (3 Accurail, 3 Walthers), 2 Articulated Auto Carriers (Atlas), 5 75' Autocarriers (Walthers), numerous 85' passenger cars, 2-6-6-2's (Mantua/Model Power), a (non-functional) cab forward (AHM), 4-8-4's (Bachmann), 2-8-4s (Bachmann), 4-8-2's (Bachmann), and the list goes on, but the key is that I currently have a minimum radius of 31" and have nothing sharper than #6's (I only have 1 #8 actually).

uncbob

Even though I have 22 and 24 my biggest freight are  40' box and Gondolas
The rest are small coal ore and covered hoppers
I have some 50 ft old time Overland passengers but also some smaller ones