I got a simple question I'm sure some one can answer, when laying 2 tracks parallel to each other, how close can they be?
Minimum distance in the UK is 6'.
Are you talking about 6inch or 6ft & is that outside edge to outside edge or center like the radius is measured
Six feet between the outer edges of the rails. It started off as 4'8" until the first railway passenger was killed in 1830.
See http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/2-track/02track3.htm
poliss,I'm talking about laying track for N scale model trains not real trains
Most manufacturers allow for a 1 1/4" center-to-center spacing for their parallel curved tracks. If you use flex track, you can go closer, but you will be more apt to have clearance problems between passing trains.
Erm, you divide by 160 for N Scale.
Thanks Mike, that helps a bunch,it's what I was looking for
If you're using Kato N scale Unitrack, the closest you can make parallel tracks is one inch apart, center-to-center, otherwise the roadbed would need to be cut back, because at 1 inch it's touching. In terms of scale feet, that's thirteen feet four inches center-to-center. I think Bachmann's EZ-track will be very close to the same dimensions. You might be able to get slightly closer on parallel straight tracks, if you're using flex track, but I wouldn't recommend it. The standard clearance between centers for Kato curved track is 33mm, or about 1-5/16". Ntrak uses 1-1/2", which is slightly large by prototype standards, but it allows a bit of extra room for fingers. I think the six feet figure is in error, it may be the minimum clearance between the track and a wall or platforms, but I doubt it would be between the outer rails, since that would translate into only 10'-8.5" on centers, which means that there would be little or no clearance between passing cars. In this country, standard gauge cars easily have inside widths of over 9 feet, plus the thickness of sides, plus doors, door tracks, ribs, grab irons and ladders.
Bill in FtL
I would just like to say thanks a lot to the people that have responded to the questions I've asked,it has put me in the right direction. Bachmann has done a good thing by putting something like this up. Before long I'll be able to post some pics