Parallel Track Spacing

[David]

What is the minimum recommended center-to-center track spacing for 1:20.3 scale both for stright runs and curves? I will be using both 5 and 8 foot radius curves.

[Kor Elzenga]

Hello David,

I model Fn3 too and for tangent track I use a minimum distance of approx. 7.1" (180.2 mm to be exact) but I usually take the next round figure, which comes down to approx . 8" (200 mm for us continental Europeans). The minimum width of 180.2 mm corresponds to the width of the gage (as in NMRA-Gage, to check clearances and such) that I made for myself. I used the NMRA standards and RP's to calculate the values for F-scale. Send me a message (see address below) so I can send a pdf file of the gage to you. If you print out the gage, glue it on a piece of board or plastic and then cut it out along the lines, you can use it like the gages used by NMRA members in the smaller scales. I use mine to check whether plants, bridges, buildings etc. are not interfering with the running trains. Instructions on how to use the gage can be found in NMRA RP-2. The Standards and Recommended Practices can be found on the NMRA website.

Concerning the distance in curves, I had planned to make some kind of table for widening that distance but haven't yet gotten around to do that. You could try and calculate your own by using NMRA Standard S-8 and RP-11 as a basis, or find out by trial and error. That's what I always do after the theoretical part  , in order to check if I was right with my calculations. Besides, it's part of the railroad fun too.

Hope to have helped you in some way.

Regards,

Kor Elzenga, Wassenaar, Netherlands
korelzenga(at)hetnet.nl

[David]

Kor,

Your email address was hidden. Please send the .pdf file to dsilverton@comcast.net. I really appreciate the information.

[altterrain]

Hi David,

Kor has his email addy right under his name in the posting.

-Brian

[David]

Saw it after I posted.  Thanks