Most of the time, I don't WANT a curve that is "circular", if by that you mean of a constant radius. The prototype builds in transitions to most curves so that there is not a sudden jerk from tangent (straight) to radial (curved) motion. This is very helpful on model layouts too unless you are running only short cars in an industrial area with low speeds. I know that "sectional track" layouts (including Flyer track) go directly from straight to tight radius without any transition, but that is just where most problems come in, especially with equipment that has body mounted couplers. The amount of transition is subjective, and is not necessary to be a great amount, but I almost always include some transition. The batten strip is one of the easiest ways to mark that transition if you already have your hard (fixed) radius and a small offset to the tangent track. Just match your batten to both the curve and the tangent and adjust until you have a good "look". Or do the extensive mathematical formulas (that have been covered by MR and others). Do NOT think though that you can include a transition for a minimum radius curve in the same space as the non-transition curve. You will always end up with a radius smaller than your minimum radius!
Have fun with those battens Bill! Darrell (S)mith --- In [email protected], Charles Weston <rotary-oy@...> wrote: > > Dave makes a good point that bent sticks assume a curve that is not circular. > > Using a trammel of some sort is a good idea, IF you have some place to locate > the center. Using a tape measure is not a very good idea -- try to mark a > 54 or 60 inch radius curve with a tape. I'd suggest using a trammel to > lay the needed radiuses out on a piece of poster board and then cutting them > out to use as templates. Or, if you have a router, mount it on a trammel > and cut some templates out of 1/4 hardboard (Masonite). > > Charles Weston ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
