Xiong
07-21-2011, 02:31 AM
I don't have a lot of space and I'm starting to wonder if easements are always taken seriously. Given limited real estate, I might sometimes think it better to make a simple 60" radius; rather than use up that space with an easement and a tighter radius. That tighter radius has a knock-on effect, requiring increased clearance from adjacent tracks and structures.
Notice XtrkCad does not even want to create easements when joining tracks at slight angles. With two straight sections meeting at 2 degrees, I cannot get an automatic easement regardless of easement settings or how tight or broad I make the join: the application just draws a simple, single-radius curve.
It gets worse when considering reverse curves. If I ease the curves at both ends of the required 12" straight then (effectively, for layout purposes) it's no longer a one-foot straight; it's a foot and a half. I'll be burning up all my plywood on easements.
Searched hard on the topic of easements; no joy. Free-mo standards (http://www.free-mo.org/standard) say nothing directly about easement. NMRA S-8 (http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-8.html) talks about "eased... for a distance... consistent with the class equipment used"; this is not really a useful standard for a module designer since I must anticipate all kinds of foreign stock on my road. NorCalF (http://www.norcalfreemo.org/) says "All mainline curves should include easements..." but not how long they are to be.
Just saying that a transition should be eased does not seem to impose a rational requirement. I can ease from tangent to 18" radius in a half inch and say "I eased" but it won't do much good. I can join straight track directly to a 192" radius and someone might, logically, say, "You have no easement there".
There are many discussions of how to draw an easement, from country common sense to arcane surveying rituals. But I have a good math background and drawing is the least of my worries. I've read good arguments in favor of why easements should be used.
But I cannot find much discussion of when to put in an easement or how long it should be under which circumstances. I'd really appreciate pointers to good resources.
Notice XtrkCad does not even want to create easements when joining tracks at slight angles. With two straight sections meeting at 2 degrees, I cannot get an automatic easement regardless of easement settings or how tight or broad I make the join: the application just draws a simple, single-radius curve.
It gets worse when considering reverse curves. If I ease the curves at both ends of the required 12" straight then (effectively, for layout purposes) it's no longer a one-foot straight; it's a foot and a half. I'll be burning up all my plywood on easements.
Searched hard on the topic of easements; no joy. Free-mo standards (http://www.free-mo.org/standard) say nothing directly about easement. NMRA S-8 (http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-8.html) talks about "eased... for a distance... consistent with the class equipment used"; this is not really a useful standard for a module designer since I must anticipate all kinds of foreign stock on my road. NorCalF (http://www.norcalfreemo.org/) says "All mainline curves should include easements..." but not how long they are to be.
Just saying that a transition should be eased does not seem to impose a rational requirement. I can ease from tangent to 18" radius in a half inch and say "I eased" but it won't do much good. I can join straight track directly to a 192" radius and someone might, logically, say, "You have no easement there".
There are many discussions of how to draw an easement, from country common sense to arcane surveying rituals. But I have a good math background and drawing is the least of my worries. I've read good arguments in favor of why easements should be used.
But I cannot find much discussion of when to put in an easement or how long it should be under which circumstances. I'd really appreciate pointers to good resources.