Help! I need larger diameter curves for the outside loop of my 4x8 O27 layout.

Hi SeaBeedaddy,

O27 height track is no longer made but plenty is still available on ebay or swap meets. Came in O27, O42, O54 and O72 sizes, O72 is VERY hard to find, the others are easy on ebay. For your layout I'd pick O42, 12 per circle, not 8 like the O27 radius track like you currently have.

O42 is going to be as big as you can fit on a 4x8, sounds like a plan.

Although 42" radius is probably the best solution, maybe cutting the O-27 curves and straights in half and then alternating them would reduce the wobble effect.

Thanks all! Does anyone know the part numbers I should be looking for? Looks like the only 42" diameter stuff is the O profile, not O27...

I like your idea Mallard. That'll be my backup plan if I cant scrounge some O27 profile 42 inch stuff...

I believe 6-65049 is the number you are looking for.  It seems to be getting a little hard to find, but I'm sure there are some out there somewhere...

Don’t forget about Marx 34” 5 tie curves

WindupGuy posted:

I believe 6-65049 is the number you are looking for.  It seems to be getting a little hard to find, but I'm sure there are some out there somewhere...

K-Line also made O27 profile O42 curves. Their part # is K-0212, a 12 pack

I might have a bunch of 042 - let me know how much you need and I'll take a looksee in my pile of stuff.

I'm thinking just a complete circle to capture both ends of my loop, and a couple spares just in case?

I'll get back to you this afternoon - have dig my way through to the suspected location of the track.

Looked everywhere and couldn't find them, then it dawned on me that I gave them to a fellow that was putting a reverse loop on his layout. Sorry to get your hopes up. 42" is relatively cheap on Ebay, though, and I hope you get what you need to square things away on your layout.

There are some on EBAY now. Type in: Lionel O42 brown ties

Thanks tripleo! I'll keep looking for some  

John, are all O42 with brown ties the O27 profile? That might be the hint I'm looking for to make sure I get the right profile...

SeabeeDaddy - I also have a 4x8 layout with two (2) independent ovals (although I only use 0 Gauge track - no 027) and I have 042 curves on my OUTER oval. That said, FWIW I also have one (1) STRAIGHT HALF-TRACK piece (O gauge) at the centre of each 4 ft. end of the table; and it's worked fine for several years with no derailments.

Good Luck with whatever you decide to do!

SeabeeDaddy posted:

Thanks tripleo! I'll keep looking for some  

John, are all O42 with brown ties the O27 profile? That might be the hint I'm looking for to make sure I get the right profile...

As far as I know, Yes SeabeeDaddy. I've never seen otherwise in 37 years of operating O27.

Good luck,

A while ago I  had some 031 track and it worked reasonably well. K-line even has 031 switches, I had a few of them and they worked quite well. Just a thought.

Lyle posted:

A while ago I  had some 031 track and it worked reasonably well. K-line even has 031 switches, I had a few of them and they worked quite well. Just a thought.

O31 would be O gauge profile, not O27 gauge profile, if you are talking traditional tubular style track

Thanks John! That's the key I needed to make sure I was purchasing something that would fit. I've only had O gauge stuff for two months so this is all new to me. My childhood was with HO stuff...

Thanks Lyle. I'm not planning on changing to O from O27. As my layout grows (purely a function of my disposable income) I'll get the Gargraves transitions and add that in future expansions. I'll eventually replace my current track as well, but I want to keep it as functional as possible and not replace something that doesnt need to be.

I think the eventual answer may lie with that famous quote in the movie Jaws, when Chief Brody says to Quint, "You're going to need a bigger...............board!".

Right now, a bigger board may land me in... Hot Water!!... but seriously, when I PCS and have a bigger basement or garage, I want to add two more 4x8 on each end to make a U shape

SeabeeDaddy - I'm with Lionelski/John, for traditional Lionel 'tubular' track the only thing I've ever seen is 'brown' ties for 027 straight track (and all its related curves with a 'lower' profile) and 'black' ties for 031 straight track (and all its related curves with a 'higher' profile). Where this becomes especially important is when looking for 042 curves, which used to be made with both brown and black profiles.

Good Luck!

PH1975 posted:

SeabeeDaddy - I'm with Lionelski/John, for traditional Lionel 'tubular' track the only thing I've ever seen is 'brown' ties for 027 straight track (and all its related curves with a 'lower' profile) and 'black' ties for 031 straight track (and all its related curves with a 'higher' profile). Where this becomes especially important is when looking for 042 curves, which used to be made with both brown and black profiles.

Good Luck!

One caveat: Postwar Lionel's O27 profile track had black or silver ties,. But there should be no confusion as they only made O27 radius.

SeabeeDaddy- did you buy the curves that were running off on EBAY yesterday? Was a fair deal