RE: (erielack) The "ah-ha!" moment

["Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>]

Paul,

 

I don't think the 24"R is such a good idea. Don't forget that model radii
are significantly scaled down from the prototype. I don't have my radius
conversion formula handy, but let's just say a 16 deg curve is no smaller
than 72"R in HO scale. 24"R is more like an interurban RR curve, and some of
your equipment will give you problems on such a sharp curve. Derailments may
have been common on the NL, but you want to try to avoid them on a model RR,
they are just an annoyance. Believe me, you will have plenty other things to
worry about during a typical operating session on a large layout.

 

Paul B

 

From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paul.tupaczewski_@_alcatel-lucent.com>

Subject: RE: (erielack) The "ah-ha!" moment

 

> Thanks Paul. In my N scale world I take careful planning to 

> make sure any "S" curve has a piece of straight track between 

> it that is at least as long as my longest piece of rolling 

> stock (crossovers for example). It is my understanding the 

> prototype railroads do the same thing whenever possible. 

> Maybe even more so now than during the EL era.

 

 

That's one of the reasons I pulled up the aerial of the "New Loop" - there's
a nice big S-curve coming off the Boonton Line and heading south. And it
looks like the tangent in the middle of the S-curve is a little longer than
your standard 89' piggyback flat.

 

Replicating this in model form will be fun. In HO scale, I'll probably end
up using a 24" curve for the loop. Yes, I can hear all the prototype
modelers scraming at me - but the prototype crawled through this curve at 5
MPH and - as Bill Sheppard pointed out - had plenty of derailments and
stringlining events - so really, if I have incidents running on my layout,
it would be a perfect representation of the prototype!

 

That's another thing that's a bit odd - modelers try to perfect their
trackwork so they never have derailments. Of course, that doesn't quite
match up with the prototype - crappy track, plenty of derailments.

 

So I'm not going to sweat that. :)

 

                - Paul

 



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