Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!

background buildings model trains

Track Confusion

Stephen asks:

“I need a little help how do i figured out what flex 2.87″ is in inches, 2.9″ in inches, 4.71 in inches I’ve tried and tried no luck. I don’t want to keep cutting different links.”

6 Responses to Track Confusion

  • Dave Rolstone says:

    The easiest way to convert decimals of an inch into fractions of an inch is to use a “Drill Size Conversion Table” you can get books that have various tables for engineers or down load a table from the internet.
    2.87″ is 2″ and 7/8″ 2.9″ is 2 and 29/32″? 4.71 is 4″ and 23/32″ if 32nd are two small just use the table to look up the nearest 16th up or down.
    Cheers, Dave.

  • Robert says:

    I am confused with your question. 2.87″, 2.9″, and 4.71″ is already in inches. Do you mean converting these to cm or is your original 2.87ft etc?
    Robert

  • Glenn Gardiner says:

    Stephen, I am with Robert. I am not sure what it is you want. In the meantime I will provide you with this link. The calculator on this page, scroll down the page, will convert decimals to fractions. If this isn’t what you want go to the home page. There are over 30 different calculators on the website and hopefully you will find what you need. I used the calculator above to convert my track plan measurements, in decimals, to fractions, when laying my track. Glenn

  • David Stokes says:

    Divide your 2.87 inches by 12 to get a fraction of a foot 0.239166667
    and multiply by the scale you are working in. In H0 that would be 3.5

  • geoff says:

    As others say, I’m not sure what you are asking. But if you are trying to work out how long a piece of flex track you need to fill a gap, how I do it is to attach it with rail joiners at one end, and then bend it to shape to fit the gap, and use snips to cut it at the point that gives you the correct length.

    I think that trying to work out mathematically how long a piece of curved track you need is going to be very hard since the inside and outside tracks are going to be different lengths.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Add a photo or image related to your comment (JPEG only)

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION

scale model building stores
scale model building yard freight office
low relief yard railways
scale model building tall background

Download Your Free Catalog

wild west town model

Use Tiny Railroad Micro Controllers

scale model building house

Model Train Help Ebook

Model Railroading Blog Archive

Reader Poll

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.