HO: Parallel Tracks?


jbaakko

Diesel Detail Freak
I'm working on this module, and the parallel track tool I got, sets the Woodland Scenics HO scale foam track bed against each other. It totals out to be 2" on track centers, think I should go a little farther apart?
 
Thats what I used I believe. To be prototypical, it should normally be around 13', though I know of some real yards that have less. On curves, it would be adviseable to test centers with two of your longest cars (auto racks, passenger cars, centerbeam flats, etc.) side by side going around the curve to make sure there are no claims for the claims department. John Armstrong's book "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" is a good reference as well.
 
jbaakko said:
I'm working on this module, and the parallel track tool I got, sets the Woodland Scenics HO scale foam track bed against each other. It totals out to be 2" on track centers, think I should go a little farther apart?
Well, then put them further apart. There is nothing magic about 2". Real railroads run all sorts of different centers between tracks for different reasons. Our club runs the main lines with 2.5" centers and yards with 2.25". This is so we can get the old 0-5-0 in when we want it.

On my modular units I've had no problems with 2" centers on the straights. Depending on how tight the curves are will determine how far to spread the centers going through them.
 
I think I'm gonna go somewhere around 2.5" just for the fact that its leading into a curve on either end of the two modules, thanks guys!
 
jbaakko said:
I'm working on this module, and the parallel track tool I got, sets the Woodland Scenics HO scale foam track bed against each other. It totals out to be 2" on track centers, think I should go a little farther apart?

Set a few feet of tracks up and see how it looks with different size freight cars, I did that in my yard and ended up with little over 2 inch for yard tracks and just over 2.5 inch for main and yard/siding.

Regards,

René
 



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