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GP9 on 16 Inch Radius Curves
Lance asks:
“I know 16″ is tight but will a GP7 or GP9 handle it?”
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Four axel loco’s will handle 16″ curves but six axel loco’s will have a problem in HO scale
A GP7 and GP9 will handle the 16 inch radii curves just fine. You can even run U30Bs on such curves.
what’s the scale? if it’s n scale no worries.
If it’s HO the loco will just make as long as you don’t pull to many rolling stock.
And you go slow.
They will probably handle it but will have a toy looking overhang. Make sure any scenery is far enough back so they don’t catch it with the handrails.
I have HO and have been tight on staying with 18 but GP or as they call them, GEEPS are shorter length than SDs as GP’s have 2 axle trucks and SD’s have 3 and same goes for GE’s. On my layout I used gauges that are all 18’s but it was a challenge. HO are really only supposed to have 2% grade but mine are more like 3 and one of those is curve and incline at the same time and I did alot of work to make that happen but a single loco has a hard time getting up that with cars on so both trains have 2 loco consists which makes a big difference. Like one person says about scenery keeping it far enough from the tracks cause the front and back steps of locos will catch on things. keep trains short and go slow. Trains are not meant to run a race.