What's your minimum radius? And why?

rentren said:
My outdoors layout is almost as sheltered as an indoor layout. Garden Railway? - No! It is an along-the-wall railway from a former wood storage area (4ft deep) to a below deck area (roughly 11ft square). Those given sheltered areas set the maximum for radii. (Images 1, 2, 4)
In former firewood storage area LGB R1, other areas wherever possible larger.
Last fall I took down the along-the-wall parts (straight and perhaps a bit boring. I want to rebuild as soon as temperatures are friendly enough (the Kootenays, W. Canada) with wide curves. I had a temporary 'study area' for this experimenting with plastic waste pipe pieces as supports. Looked a bit wind-blown :) And then came winter. (Images 3, 5)
When rebuilding I will use a conventional grid support. (Image 6)
Also, I will rebuild before my brown-coat helper emerges from winter denning. (Image 7)View attachment 324100View attachment 324101View attachment 324102View attachment 324103View attachment 324104View attachment 324105View attachment 324106
...oh, and, (3rd edit, spell before) - I run mostly BP/RC. There is but one area outside where I need to take care of polarity. A bit of grease for the track connectors helps a lot. Not converted engines manage complete runs without issue.
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Glad I do not have to put up with a possible Brown Bear visitor.
 
What's the protocol, if you meet up with a bear?

I assume you back away slowly..

PhilP
 
PhilP said:
What's the protocol, if you meet up with a bear?

I assume you back away slowly..

PhilP
Click to expand...
Try and blag a footplate ride!
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Groudle Glen Railway 'Brown Bear'

Brown Bear is a 2-4-0T side tank steam locomotive. Brown Bear was built in 2019 with it's construction announced in 2013 and the chassis and most components completed by the Groudle Glen Railway in 2018 when Brown Bear left to go to Old Hall Farm where it was assembled with it being finished in...
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I'm on 45mm gauge, 15mm/ft, so it's a 4ft minimum radius for me: the line had to fit within the garden and not vice versa, with trees and garden buildings dictating the route. Where possible, I have eased several of the curves over the years and can confirm that it's a case of the bigger the better, especially with live steam, which seem to be more susceptible to friction between wheel flanges and tight radius rails than electric locomotives.
 
Well, avoiding rushed motions is recommended. However, there's no predicting. In the case illustrated with the bear on our deck reaching for the bird seeds, I snapped that photo feeling reasonably safe as a door was nearby, then backed away and indoors. By the time I was upstairs to peek out the window onto the deck no more furry visitor. Bears in he yard is nothing out of the ordinary here. On the deck I saw that but once. It is recommended not to have food around. So, pick your fruit early.
PhilP said:
What's the protocol, if you meet up with a bear?

I assume you back away slowly..

PhilP
Click to expand...
Slowly, yes, no rushed motion, and keeping discretely an eye on your opposite. In the wild I never met with a predator that close. They notice and move away. This dude was hungry and bird seeds were not to be scoffed at. He tried various feeders, couldn't reach them.

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I though he'd left and meant to go continue work on the outdoors layout and keep a photo record of progress. But the bear had spotted the feeder off the deck and found a way to reach it.
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Of course, I retreated again.
And so did he (just down the deck stairs).
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Hello, if the garden asks for the space, make the tracks as big as possible. I only drive on LGB R5 and R5 switches.

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In the shed it's Lgb R1's, well it's just a storage area.

But out on the main line I try to keep it to R3 as a min.,they look better with long coaches, but that is just my opinion.
There are some larger curves, the spiral-ish loop is Aristo 12.5 Ft dia, and some home made curves which are of various large diameters.
but I do have a made to fit curve which defies convention and is somewhere between a R1 and R2 out of necessity in the station throat.

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I agree, those wouldn't look good at all on smaller radii. Setting aside the question whether they could even negotiate a smaller radius.
 
Unfortunately the only available room I have in the garden means that R1s would be utter luxury. Roughly 22" minimum diameter for two return loops is the best I have.

Given the space I would go for the maximum radius possible.
 
Jasper said:
Looks lovely. Is that flextrack, or did you handlay?
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If you have a look at Garden railway version 3.0 it shows the build process so far.
The track started off being PECO flexi track but essentially dismantled and reassembled with larger sleeper spacing and being bent round to suit the curve. I did make up a basic rail bender using three wheel bearings which worked quite well on a previous railway.
 
I think when you need to go for "tight" curves, i think you want to make use of transaction curves.
Even on my 5-meter radii curves in the running line i use them.
 
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