Track spacings

[craigrailinc]

Can anybody tell the spacing to avoid train disasters.
I have a twin rail R2 curves around a 75 degree bend and the same with R3 curves is it 18.5cm to rail centres? the R2 and R3 are not in the same place or beside each other. if this makes any sense.
8|

 

[stockers]

The standard spacing as given by joining two points curve to curve 'should' be OK. BUT it all depends on what you want to run. Bif stock, esp. US gear can hang a long way out on sharp curves. Trial and error on the carpet is a good way. Try this link.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...=620&gbv=2&tbm=isch&ei=2c3BTd7EKs2o8APmppXzBQ

 

[Gizzy]

From memory,

R1 is 600 mm radius, R2 is 165mm from R1 centre to centre, so is 765mm radius.

R3 is 1200 mm radius, so for a parallel R2 R3 track combination, the centres between R2 and R3 will be 1200-765=435 mm, quite a large distance and about 17 inch in old money....

 

[Gizzy]

I've been able to double check these track centre spacings today on my home PC.

Track spacing between R3, R4, R5 etc will be 185 mm.

If you need to confirm this, just put two R3 points in a parallel crossover configuration, and you can measure that it is 185 mm from rail to rail.

Repeat this with R1 points and you will find it is 165 mm.

To help clarify this, I've used ANYRAIL to draw the four LGB Standard Curve Radii, and exported it to Microsoft Paint.

Each square is 300mm, the same as a LGB 10000 Straight. The scale is 1:20.

Note the radius for R1 is 600mm, the radius for R3 is almost double that of R1 at nearly 1200mm and that of R5 quadruple of R1 and twice of R3 at nearly 2400mm.

Hope this diagram helps....

 

[dunnyrail]

Forget all the standards, you need to space things so that things do not connect.

I have two Harz LGB 2-10-2t's. These set the spacing that I require. Best is to run the loco slowly round a curve with a felt tip pen hand held onto the largest overhand. MARK THE TRACK OVERHANG. Do this for front, centra and rear. Now do same for the other track and move out in as appropriate. If you do this or your largest overhanging item of stock you will not go wrong for what you have. However just the remember the possible issues should someone bring over a Harz 2-10-2 or two.

I remember recently a similar problem where a complete cut off needed to be installed on someone from this Forums here's line because some LGB RHB Panorama Coaches come visiting one day.
JonD