24" vs 26" Appearance
- Thread starter brubakes
- Start date
hamltnblue
Active Member
I assume you meant Car and not Cards.
What scale are you modeling? And what length of cars are you using?
You can have HO with 18 inch radius curves with perfect looking trains if the length of rolling stock is correct.
What scale are you modeling? And what length of cars are you using?
You can have HO with 18 inch radius curves with perfect looking trains if the length of rolling stock is correct.
Selector
Well-Known Member
For me, I can't detect what I would call an appreciable difference between how long cars look on 24", 26", and even 28" curves. When you are in that range, all you are looking for is improved tracking at higher speeds. From 22" up to 28", don't expect to get a "gee whiz" feeling when you compare them...you'll find the difference appreciable at around 30". Then, if you make the mistake of trying, just for kicks, those cars on 40" curves, you'll be disappointed with the 30" curves. The reason is that they are all just too darned tight to look right.
But, what're ya gonna do!? You have to have some curves, and they have to fit! So, find something as wide as possible that you can live with and not decide you hate what it has done to your track plan. Below 30" you can just be glad they look okay but run really well at speed. I am fortunate to have two end curves on my central pit folded loop that are near 45" radius, and they look quite good. The rest of my industrial tracks are at 24" minimums, very tight for Walthers heavyweights.
-Crandell
But, what're ya gonna do!? You have to have some curves, and they have to fit! So, find something as wide as possible that you can live with and not decide you hate what it has done to your track plan. Below 30" you can just be glad they look okay but run really well at speed. I am fortunate to have two end curves on my central pit folded loop that are near 45" radius, and they look quite good. The rest of my industrial tracks are at 24" minimums, very tight for Walthers heavyweights.
-Crandell
NYC_George
Well-Known Member
26 or 24
They'll roll a whole lot better on 26. I tried 24, froget it.
NYC_George
They'll roll a whole lot better on 26. I tried 24, froget it.
NYC_George
The thing about larger curves is they are more tolerant with larger cars than smaller curves. I have 22" curves and can run 80' foot passenger cars all day but it took me a month of adjusting and realigning them to get them perfect. Larger curves still need to be laid well but a small flaw is less likely to derail a longer car than the same car on a smaller radius curves. As Crandell said, you really need to get up to 30" and above curves before the longer cars look better with less overhang but the largest curve you can work in will save a lot of grief later.
brubakes
Member
Yeah, I should have been a little more specific. I am working with HO scale. The longest cars are my Pullman heavyweight cars.
