Hello, What is the minimum radius that G scale track is sold in?
- Thread starter Randalbrooks
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2 feet in the normal course of events. However, within the next 2½ posts, a member will advise us all of some off beat tighter radius that came out in some 'train sets'
This has been asked so many times and I always forget the Beer Barrell tiny circle Track done by some Mfg or other. Perhaps that will jog a memory or two. Certainly smaller than 2ft Radius.
R1 is the minimum radius that LGB do, and I think that's probably the smallest going. You can try bending flexitrack tighter, but I don't think that any loco will like it, unless modified. Also anything too tight may look a bit "off"
Hartland Loco Works (HLW) rings a bell..... Their AC Mack and a few cars came in a set with less than 2 foot radius curves.
There are 'barrel' circles, and those done as 'specials' for pizza layouts..
But, for general use, LGB's R1 (two-foot radius, four-foot diameter) should be taken as a practical minimum. - All LGB stock will traverse this radius, but may not look particularly nice, as it can overhang a great deal.
LGB's R3 is considered a better 'minimum' to work to. - Means you can run loco's from other manufacturers (most of them, anyway). Looks 'better', and you will get less problems over time, as track moves / settles.
Unless you are really tight for space, it will be better to start with R3, than try to change to it later. - Even if it means less of a rialway to start with.
But, for general use, LGB's R1 (two-foot radius, four-foot diameter) should be taken as a practical minimum. - All LGB stock will traverse this radius, but may not look particularly nice, as it can overhang a great deal.
LGB's R3 is considered a better 'minimum' to work to. - Means you can run loco's from other manufacturers (most of them, anyway). Looks 'better', and you will get less problems over time, as track moves / settles.
Unless you are really tight for space, it will be better to start with R3, than try to change to it later. - Even if it means less of a rialway to start with.
Hartland made a set with aluminum track in a plastic roadbed that was 1.5 foot radius. We have run a HLW Mack and the LGB Porter on it. It's very noisy.
Either HLW or Aristo made a circle of track in brass with supports designed to go around the edge of a half wooden whiskey or wine barrel. This was also about 18" radius and good quality, we like ours much better than the aluminum/plastic set.
And finally we also have a circle of track from Mr. Heyn in Germany that I think is 15" radius. The track itself is brass and we like, but we've had a lot of problems with the sleepers/ties being very brittle.
Either HLW or Aristo made a circle of track in brass with supports designed to go around the edge of a half wooden whiskey or wine barrel. This was also about 18" radius and good quality, we like ours much better than the aluminum/plastic set.
And finally we also have a circle of track from Mr. Heyn in Germany that I think is 15" radius. The track itself is brass and we like, but we've had a lot of problems with the sleepers/ties being very brittle.
It does rather depend on where you're going with this - apart from the obvious ............ round in circles
The key is in some of the answers above, and that for very tight radii, only small locos and stock will manage the curves.
If you're talking for a more general garden railway, LGB's R1 (at 2 ft radius) is acknowledged as the tightest, but it will tend to limit you to running LGB products.
Tell us a bit more of what you have in mind
For the sake of completeness, Aristo-Craft sold two pre-made circles of track, a 21" circle ITEM #: ART11140, and a 32" circle ITEM #: ART11145.
These are very scarce, and pretty darn small, better off to bend your own. There were no other matching items, like ultra sharp turnouts.
Greg
These are very scarce, and pretty darn small, better off to bend your own. There were no other matching items, like ultra sharp turnouts.
Greg
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I recently ran my LGB mogul and tender on my REA/Aristocraft 2ft. radius/4 foot diameter track. It ran well on it ,but was very noisy as compared to running it on my 5 foot diameter rails.It also seemed to slow down on the curves due to the shorter radius. Just remember that on tighter turns, your G scale loco will be causing a lot more wear on all drive wheels ,and the track than it would on the larger radius turns. And that's exactly what my LGB mogul did on the 2ft. circle.
So,what are you planning on running, and why would you need such a small radius track? If you're unsure. and are looking for a train to run on that small a radius track,then Lionel makes a very pretty 0-6-0 locomotive that's right at home on the smaller radius/diameter track.Hartland Locomotive Works trains are also great on the smaller radius/diameter curves. Even their beautiful 4-4-0 will take those smaller curves with aplomb! You can find them on Ebay,along with practically everything else that you can imagine! Here's a video of my LGB on the smaller radius/diameter curves:
Andrew
So,what are you planning on running, and why would you need such a small radius track? If you're unsure. and are looking for a train to run on that small a radius track,then Lionel makes a very pretty 0-6-0 locomotive that's right at home on the smaller radius/diameter track.Hartland Locomotive Works trains are also great on the smaller radius/diameter curves. Even their beautiful 4-4-0 will take those smaller curves with aplomb! You can find them on Ebay,along with practically everything else that you can imagine! Here's a video of my LGB on the smaller radius/diameter curves:
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Agreed but the question was a simple open ended one and I guess we should be saying is that the right question?
Or at least please amplify what you meant want.
I don't mean to be pedant but LGB's minimum radius is actually 600mm which is slightly less than 2ft.
AristoCraft track boxes are marked in feet but closer to LGB's metric sizes. A 4ft length is usually closer to 1200mm.
These small differences can cause design plan issues if not careful.
AristoCraft track boxes are marked in feet but closer to LGB's metric sizes. A 4ft length is usually closer to 1200mm.
These small differences can cause design plan issues if not careful.
Absolutely! For many years, one of the curvatures of LGB track was shown wrong in many places.
The Aristo stuff was presented as metric first if I remember right, then still in the same metric dimensions was advertised in feet.
I used track planning software, and the first thing I checked was if the library had the actual dimensions correctly in the data base.
Of course I think we are pretty far afield from the original question, or we may be reading into it.
So, I will read into it myself:
to the op: DON'T start thinking how tight you can make your curves... don't make any plan under 8 foot diameter if at all possible, 10 foot better. Yes, you can go smaller, but the selection of rolling stock will shrink in number, and your operational problems will multiply.
Greg
The Aristo stuff was presented as metric first if I remember right, then still in the same metric dimensions was advertised in feet.
I used track planning software, and the first thing I checked was if the library had the actual dimensions correctly in the data base.
Of course I think we are pretty far afield from the original question, or we may be reading into it.
So, I will read into it myself:
to the op: DON'T start thinking how tight you can make your curves... don't make any plan under 8 foot diameter if at all possible, 10 foot better. Yes, you can go smaller, but the selection of rolling stock will shrink in number, and your operational problems will multiply.
Greg
For specialized displays like "Pizza Layouts" the above sizes work great IF you use appropriate engines and rolling stock..
A test of unmodified equipment on 31" track.
I presume by the looks of things that is Diameter, important to quote exactly what the numbers are Radius or Diameter for obvious reasons of clarity. Sorry to be pedantic, but a great demo of limited Radius Curves. Though certainly better on the slower at the start speed than the head banging Max Speed you got up to. But shows what abuse some of our kit will take. I reckon pretty well most shorty LGB 4w Toy Train and 0-4-0 Locomotives would run just fine in that setup.
Hutch, you need to try the 21" track ha ha!
I have both circles that I take to our club meets and just eggliners going round and round.
Greg
I have both circles that I take to our club meets and just eggliners going round and round.
Greg
Sorry, it is diameter. This was a test for usability and tracking, therefore the "toy train" speeds.
---Hutch
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Likewise, I "torture test" stuff by running way too fast, figure if there are problems they will show up sooner
To answer the original question - leaving aside the very specialised (and currently unobtainable) "barrel circle" tracks mentioned above - the tightest radius "production" track I'm aware of is Bertram Heyn's "Radius 0", which is, as you'd expect from the name, smaller than standard Radius 1. It is available with either standard style sleepers or some rather attractive "random" rough-hewn narrow gauge type sleepers that look nice for small industrial or estate lines. You can either use them with standard R1 points, or Heyn do some very nice (though quite expensive) Rad 0 points in either built-up or kit form.
I have a circle of the Rad 0, and have done some tests with LGB locos and stock - the small Feldbahn locos and wagons handle it just fine, as does the standard LGB 4-wheel power block, though it is VERY tight for the regular-length LGB 4-wheel stock. A Stainz will run round it happily with some feldbahn wagons in tow, if run bunker-first; running smokebox-first is just about possible but right up against the limits of coupler lock due to the longer rear overhang of the loco.
I would say that the R0 track is useful stuff for specialised uses (such as a minimum-space industrial layout where you still want a continuous run loop) but I certainly wouldn't use it for a more general layout.
Jon.
I have a circle of the Rad 0, and have done some tests with LGB locos and stock - the small Feldbahn locos and wagons handle it just fine, as does the standard LGB 4-wheel power block, though it is VERY tight for the regular-length LGB 4-wheel stock. A Stainz will run round it happily with some feldbahn wagons in tow, if run bunker-first; running smokebox-first is just about possible but right up against the limits of coupler lock due to the longer rear overhang of the loco.
I would say that the R0 track is useful stuff for specialised uses (such as a minimum-space industrial layout where you still want a continuous run loop) but I certainly wouldn't use it for a more general layout.
Jon.