Dave, This group has discussed this before but I think you and Ed have a
different view of what S scale has to deal with in a couple of ways.
My track I think would be in compliance with NMRA standards with a few
exceptions that we've talked about many times--Shinaraha turnouts for
one. The bulk of my wheels are either NWSL or SHS and maybe a few Ace
steel wheels plus in some cases original wheelsets from the brass
manufacturers. I don't think I have any old Miller, Rex plastic, PRS
plastic, or Ace plastic. But at any rate what I have conforms to current
standards.
What nobody has been talking about is that our mix of car weights can
have an adverse effect on how a train performs. Take for instance, as I
mentioned just a short time ago, a train of 5 brass ribbed sided boxcars
and for perhaps the same amount of plastic cars. The plastic cars are
up to current standards for weight, but those brass cars are likely
double that weight--put all five or more of those as a unit or mixed up
and that might cause problems on certain grades mixed with curves. What
do you do without rearranging the order of the cars--probably not much.
Mechanical problems will develop also--more than once I've picked up a
suspect car only to leave the truck setting on the rails while the rest
of the car is in my hand. Boy to I hate trying to find that kingpin
screw! I've broken knuckles on both the plastic and metal couplers.
My attempting to follow the prototype in rail sizes might also caused
some issues. I think our 1:1 would agree that sidings generally use a
lighter rail and the siding is also lower than the mainline. When the
siding is several city blocks long that isn't a problem, but with the
model it certainly can be. My little village of Madra has three rail
sizes and my elevator track is lower than my regular siding which is
again lower than the mainline.
Ed has an advantage in that his layout is newer in design. My layout,
like Bill Fraley's and others have earlier layouts that can't easily be
changed, while all those new toys would sure look good on the layout.
but they also tend to push the track-ability limits in several ways. Ed
also talks about having fun with the challenges of perfect operation. I
too have taken on much of that challenge, but I also believe my Shay
should work on my layout to handle an area that other engines won't do
well with. My E units don't and won't go through #4 turnouts that my
Shay glides through, so I've designed my layout with that in mind. Back
when I was laying the last of my trackage in my mountain area, I raised
the grade considerably because it didn't look right to have a Shay on
such a gentle grade! Several years ago I rented a video of Shays
working in some of the Eastern forests, where the tracks dipped down
into a stream where those little monsters just plowed through the
water--would love to see that duplicated in the model. I would call
that really great modeling!
bob werre
--- In [email protected] <mailto:S-Scale%40yahoogroups.com>,
Bill Rigsby <silvergost1@...> wrote:
>
> If you guage wheels in between the maximum, and minimum is the track
guaged spot on, including the curves?
There's so much margin for error in S scale standards that if the
wheels fit the gauge and the track fits the gauge nothing will fall
off as long as the trucks roll correctly with all wheels contacting
the rails and the trucks free to swivel and tilt a bit when needed(
this assumes layout radius and grade consistent with needs of rolling
stock)
Start with the track, build it to fit the range allowed by the
standards gauge, check each car for gauge compliance and running
quality and then there will be no de-railments unless something
breaks....DaveBranum
