Help with main line turns

[jgottrains]

I’m working on a large layout plans. The room is about 20 by 30. I’m still in the design stage of the layout and I have been going back and forth on the size of my turns and the track spacing for my main lines. I know I will be running long trains and will have them running fast from time to time.

As far as the turns on the main line I was thinking on going 40” and 42 1/2” on track centers but I keep thinking that I should bank them. I can’t find any information on banking turns on Google but I think there is a better term to be looking for. I’m up in the air on the track spacing of 2” or 2 ½”.

Bases for the layout will be 3/4” plywood covered with foam board. I’m planning on shaping the foam, glue down the cork, and then the track. I was planning on keeping the foam level where the track was going to go and using something to lift up the one side of the track. So far I have thought about using a 22 gage wire, cutting the ends off a pack of paper matches, ext. but what thickness am I looking for and what do others use.

[smokey]

Man, I would love to have that much room. heh- I'd probably still have the same stupid issues I have now... I need just a little more room :lol_hitting:

The term for banking the curves is super-elevating. I've seen it done with clips of business cards slid between roadbed and track on the outer rails. During my first round with my illness (!!), I was considering maybe installing the risers with just a slight angle and securing the sub-roadbed to that to get my bank. I think it'd be hard to keep constant and consistent, tho. I'll probably go with the business card method. Much easier to stay constant.

40"+ corners are broad. They'll eat a LOT of space. I might consider something a little smaller, maybe 32~36"? Still broad enough for about anything to look good and probabaly a whole lot easier to incorporate sidings and turn-outs. etc.


Yeah... but I'm one to talk :knock_teeth_out: :laugh: I'm still no where after, what... 3~4 months, maybe :mad: BUT- my MR prescription just started, so maybe I'll get my plan from there. They've got quite a bit of subscriber-only info. I've got... uhhh... maybe, 20+ plans I've drawn, most to scale... I still can't come up with what I want...

Good luck with yours!!

[smokey]

Oh, your spacing; shoot, at anything over 32", I'd think 2" would be good. You might go 2.25 if you plan to run really long cars... like ridiculously long cars...

Again.. I'm far from an expert. (I only play one on the internet :D )

[jgottrains]

Thank you for the term superelevating. It’s looking like for HO it would be 0.045”. As far as being constant I would think some flat weed eater cord word work good if I could find some at .03 to .02 thick.

The first time I laid it all out on paper I went with 33” and 35 1/2” with 2 1/2” spacing and that’s what I like; but the guys at the local hobby shop talked me into larger turns. I think I’m going back to the 33 and 35 1/2.

I don’t have any cars that are on the ridiculously long side but I do have 4 of the J-1 2-10-4 steam locomotives and a few others that are on the large side. That’s why I’m planning on the 2.5” spacing.