Help, What tracks do i need

[mdaniel]

Hi there,
We have a ho scale EMD GP-18 diesel engine and a HO and N power pack item# 6607. These are over 15 yrs old. What is the smallest track the train can run on and which track items do i need to purchase? I looked at the thortrains.net site and am thinking that I cannot set it up on a 2'X4' tabletop that i was planning to do. Can you verify? It used to be under our tree when the kids were little. Thanks for your help.

[Guilford Guy]

Do you need who manufactured the GP18? It will probably be able to take 15" Radius curves, in which case a 3 by X foot board would do.

[mdaniel]

The transformer, engine and cars are Bachmann but from what i've read they don't make 15" curves and i read something abt. the train being too long to take any smaller radius curves but i don't know anything abt model trains and thought some one here could help.

[Paul M.]

About 18'' radius is the sharpest you'll want  to go, of course the larger the curve the better it looks and runs, but 15" is, IMHO, too sharp

[Guilford Guy]

I dunno... GP18's have virtually identical frames to GP9's, and the distance between truck centers is only a foot difference from the CF7, which I can attest, will take 15". If you're not too concerned with how it will look when taking a sharp curve, 15" should work, and will fit on a hollow wood door.

[Joe Satnik]

Dear md,

To make a circle or oval the formula is:

Twice radius plus one track bed width is less than or equal to table top width.

(2R+TBW)<=width.

Since HO track bed width is very close to 2", and your table top width is 2' or 24",

2R + 2" <= 24"

2R <=22"

R <= 11"

You could build that with flex track, but you could only run the smallest switching locos and rolling stock.

You could forget the oval and make a "switching puzzle" (railroad yard) layout, but the many turnouts are much more expensive than straight or curved track. 

You can build John Allen's "Timesaver" puzzle in Atlas snap track on an 8" x 72" (= 2/3 ft. x 6 ft., = 4 square feet) shelf.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 

[mdaniel]

Thanks GG, Paul and Joe. Sounds like I should go with the 18" even tho the 15" might work. And now that I have dimensions to work with ie. 18X2 + 2, I can get a board to place on top of the table. Do you guys recommend the EZ fit tracks?

[Running Bear]

EZ-Track is all I've been using since the mid 90's and I have to say I like it! Just make sure your trackwork is good and flat, especially around the turnouts, and you shouldn't have any problems.

[gregohio]

If you're that short of space, you should consider N scale.  2x4 feet is fine for N.  4x6 is about the minimum for HO.

Don't forget that the radius is to the center of the track, not the edge, and that you don't want the track at the very edge, so your trains don't fall off the table in the case of a derailment.