Only toy trains have curved frogs.
I should have known better than to make a categorical statement to S gaugers.
Of course, the critics are right as far as it goes.
But you would all get along great in Brasil because the Portuguese take
everything literally. Smile.
I was referring to standard North American practice.
The standards and methods of track construction is very different in Europe
than in America.
Even in North America there were exceptions. Whatever had to be done, was.
Curved frogs, single point turnouts, switchbacks, whatever.
So whatever you want or need to do, you can undoubtedly find a prototype. But
not as a standard practice.
My interests and issues are very different from most of you.
Space is not an issue for me, relatively speaking.
Heat, humidity, shipping and international customs is.
I have 22 x 35 ft. I can construct a mainline with #7 minimum turnouts and 6
and 9 ft radius curves with easements. Let me tell you that sure makes a 4-8-4
trailing a string of 85 ft passenger cars or 40 ft boxcars look nice.
And that is definitely one of my interests.
Even then, the National Transcontinental Railway in Canada was constructed to a
standard that called for nothing sharper than a 4 degree curve. That is 22 ft
radius in S gauge. It make even 35 ft disappear.
So railway modeling always involves a fudge factor, unless you model a
switching short line on a football field.
And, if I ever get that far, for variety, I would include industrial spurs with
19 inch radius curves and special turnouts. Such is entirely prototypical. Of
course, such would be off limits to 4-8-4s. But that is prototypical too.
I have experience now in 3 gauges. Five, actually, because I have had the
honour and pleasure of acting as technical adviser for two tourist lines, one
15in gauge and one 4ft 8 1/2.
I recommend that every modeler obtain and follow the NMRA standards for their
gauge and class of equipment, if you want a layout that works dependably. I am
a believer.
Instead of bent sticks, you should make or have made for you a mathematically
generated template for your gauge and class of equipment. It can be used to
connect any radius of curve.
But its your world. You can do what you want.
Ab
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