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Banking On Curve
Tony models OO gauge and asks:
“I think my 10 inch inside radius 180-degree curve built on a wallpaper paste table needs some sort of banking underneath to prevent the engine and rolling stock coming off at any speed. So my question is how high should the outside of the banking be compared to the inside, which I suspect to be zero?”
6 Responses to Banking On Curve
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10″ radius? For HO or OO that’s way to sharp. The recommended minimum radius is typically 15 to 18 inches. So unless you are running really short rolling stock and locos, you are unlikely to be able to have satisfactory operations.
10 inch radius is barely acceptable in N gauge, which is considerably smaller than OO.
I cannot recommend any banking curve s on any short radius due to issues with bigger engines that will derail more easy . And as Dale Arends is saying that radius is far too small for any gauge.
10″ Radius is acceptable for Z & T (or is it TT?) scale.
Do the math, nothing more than 4% banking which prototypical.
I have super elevated my OO peco flexi- track to 1.5mm max, not prototypical – but looks good when running locos.
I do however agree that a 10″ radius is too sharp a curve for OO gauge. Most loco manufacturers recommend a minimum ‘2nd radius’ curve which equates to 438mm radius (to the centre line between rails). 438mm = approx 17 inches.
I also find that trying to bend flexi track to anything less than 21 inch radius and super elevate it is virtually impossible.
10 inch radius – and you can get a train around it! Wow!
Unless your layout is HOn 16 this is a very,very tight radius. 14″ is considered tight,18-22″ medium and anything over that “bearable” My minimum radius is 20″ and I have a USRA light Pacific hates every twist and turn.
The 10 inch radius I made from Peco Flexi-track using a homemade bender, which did the job without any problems. It was made to fit onto an old wallpaper pasting table which separates into 2 parts that I can transport 400 miles to where my grandson lives when it is finished.
I understand about the rolling stock, I have 2 x 0-4-0 engines with short wagons and homemade coupling because the buffers lock, derailing the stock on the curve when the usual type of coupling are used. I suppose I’ll have to suck it and see with various heights.
Ta for your replies