--- In [email protected], Charles Weston <rotary-oy@...> wrote:
>
> The real railroads actually do use circular curves, just with transitions at
> the ends.
> If you take a look at a large scale topo map, or even Google or Bing maps,
> it's apparent that railroad curves are circular.
The SP valuation maps of the branch line here show the centerline radius and
deltas. It was interesting to see that the curves were compound curves instead
of spiral eased single curves.
The first "easement" segment might be 3 or 4 times as large a radius as the
body of the curve. I don't have any here to look at but it might be something
like a 2000 foot radius for a couple hundred feet then a 700 foot radius for
the body then another 2000 foot radius transition to the tangent.
From hanging out with the section gangs as a kid I know that no matter what
the radius they line everything fair by eye as they spike the rails so they in
effect use the rails as their batten. I can still picture old "Camel" the
section boss down on his knees sighting the line and telling the boys a bit
right or a bit left as they pried it fair with their big bars....Dave Branum
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