Hi Rhett: On my Port Rowan layout (link below) I have used 42"r minimum with easements, and I run a full-length combine on the tail end of The Daily Effort - the mixed train that called my branch home. It works, but as you say, it doesn't look the best. However, I too was facing the challenge of a 14' wide layout room and that's what I needed to do to get things to fit.
On my prototype, track speed was limited to 15 mph (and I've loaded custom speed tables into the DCC decoders in my locomotives so that the limit is respected). That helps - slow speeds make sense to people when they see the way the combine hangs over the rails. If I was trying to model the PRR's Clockers, for example, it would look pretty stupid. So, part of the answer for you will be, "what kind of passenger trains are you running?" If you're running a branch line mixed train, I wouldn't worry about 48"r, or even 42"r. But the 20th Century Limited, Super Chief, or The Canadian? Well, you might have a problem. Cheers! - Trevor --- Trevor Marshall Port Rowan in 1:64 I model a steam-era Canadian National branch line terminal in S scale, and blog about it here: http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s The Model Railway Show Listen in as two recovering radio newscasters host a podcast about the hobby: http://www.themodelrailwayshow.com --- In [email protected], "rhettgraves" <rcandamoonpie@...> wrote: > > I'm trying to design a layout for a 14' wide room and I'd like to be able to > operate 85' passenger cars. I know from my HO experience that 85' cars will > go around a 30" radius curve. They don't look good doing it, but they'll go > and go reliably. When I look at the NMRA RP-11, you technically need 40" > radius curves in HO for 85' passenger cars. > > So my question is this: Do I really need the RP-11 54" radius curves for > full-length S scale passenger cars? Or will a minimum radius of 42" > (corresponding to my 30" HO experience) radius work? > > I'm trying to keep my minimum radius at 48" and go larger where I can, but > with only 14' room width, it's hard... > > Thanks, > Rhett Graves > ------------------------------------ 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/
