Soliciting Advice on Curve Size Decision

I agree that that is a very narrow category of locomotives, I would keep the larger curves.  I have never used Atlas flex track but I was easily able to use Gargraves flex track for a O48-O060 curve I had.   You could try flex track to go over your Fastrack if you didn't want to change anything.

Sounds like you have it all figured out. I agree with your opinion on 054 and 060.

Lee,  I'm not sure it is worth even $.02 but here goes...

If you don't mind restricting your larger engines to the outer loop then I'd go for O54.  It isn't as if you won't be able to run them at all.  It sounds like you want the new station and this would be how you could get it to fit, so it makes sense to tighten things up.  The other comment I would offer is that no matter what you do, you are going to find engines that won't operate well on that loop.  Hopefully you won't be too disappointed by that.  Good luck.

Lee,

 

Poked through about 30 of the larger scale locos on the Lionel 'Product Finder' page and they either called for a "Minimum Curve" of O-54 or O-72. Which, thinking about it, makes sense, since there was nothing between O-54 and O-72 with the old 'O' tubular track.

 

Of course the stuff that calls for an O-54 minimum would look better on O-60/63, but it shouldn't make a big difference operationally if you really want to replace that station.

 

i think lee is trying for the award for most threads started in september.

 

it is clear from the thread on the new Albuquerque station that he NEEDS one badly, even if it is a cut down version, so O54 would give him that.

on the other hand, i think the flex track idea is great for keeping the current configuration.

Go easy on Lee. He might not have much time left.

 

Lee, go 054 with 063 easements.

 there was nothing between O-54 and O-72 with the old 'O' tubular track.

 

Lionel didn't make anything in that range, but K-Line made 0-63 tubular track. It's hard to find, but I managed to snag a box of it, and it's going onto my new layout as the middle of three 0 gauge loops. 

How many locos do you have that will not run on o54? Maybe you could do a blend of o54 and o63 for some curves.

Well, first,I have decided to assume that even one piece of O-54 would mean I could not run any "needs more than O-54" locos.  I might be able to get by with a mixture, of 54-63-54-63-54-63 half sections, but . . .

 

And this loop will have mostly O-63: but to get the room I need for the bigger station, I will only have to use a half circle of O-54 going into a quarter circle of it curving back the other way.  

 

Still, I have decided to go with the O-54 curves there . . . 

 

Among my locos I have none that require more that O-54 but less than )-72 - my question was mainly wondering about locos I might buy in the future.  Right now, I have

12 require O-72 or more

  4 require O-54 or more

  6 require 0-42 or more this includes my Vision Hudson

This means I have 10 that can run on the O-54 loop while an even bigger loco runs on the 72 loop.  That a good variety.

11 more require O-31 or 36 and 29 BEEPS, BEEFs, BANGS, docksiders, pre-war Marx and postwar Lionel steamers and F3s, etc., will run on O-27, something that is immaterial since O-36 is the tightest curve I have now.  

Also a factor: I have a number of passenger cars, and expect to buy others in the future, that I know require O-54 (e.g, some of the Lionel heavyweight cars I have . . . ).  this is a consideration, too. 

 

 

I have one 1/4 curve done at O-63 and an inner loop done with O-45 all the rest is O-54 and most of the switches are O-54. Those switches not O-54 are O-45 and O-36.  I run a lot of Atlas SW-9s but have run some interesting steam with success.
Here are some shots.
A set of Atlas Dash 8's on O-54 curves


Same set on the O-45 curves


Weaver E8's on O-54 curves.


This small Russian decapod does quite well on the O-54 and will even work on the O-45s


This early 2002 Lionel K4 works well on the O-54 curves


Speed restrictions on the Weaver M1a Mountain, it has a tendency to "Clunk" through a couple of switches. The CP Hudson is a no go. Too much swing and is not weighted properly.


Here are three videos of operating on O-54. Click on the image to access the video.

(5) engine consist.  


Pennsy Shifters. The Weaver C1 does well on my one and only O-27 curve.


Here is some more steam that works well on O-54

 

It would be nice to have larger curves.  I can do a lot with O-54.

Thanks for the videos.  Nice layout and good trains.

Mike CT hinted at what you can do with atlas track.   Think interns of quarter circles.  You can mix 1/4 circles of curves to make half.  Also think about using straight 4 1/2 in the loops. Generally when I mix curve sizes I use the the higher diameter entering the curve.
Bending atlas flex should be reserved for larger diameters  >099 unless you have money to burn.
Another use of the geometric idea is the size of curve off a switch will give different parallell spacing between tracks.  Ideal for fitting buildings.

I have not had real trouble bending flextrack to 72" and I think it would go to 63 at least.  On the large, all O-72 inch loop I just finished, I used flextrack in two places where I had straight-to-curve places and it was convenient just to use one piece of flex instead of custom cutting a length or two of curves and as well as some straight.  I had no trouble matching the O-72 radii "perfectly" (by which I mean well enough I can't see a difference, and so my 4-12-2 Lionel - by far my most finicky and troublesome O-72 loco, is happy going through the curve).  It took time to do that right, -- i fit it to curves starting at one end and screwing down every single hole in order as I bend it, as I gradually from one end to the other.  I think I could have gotten the flex down to 0-63 or even 54 if need be.  I don't plan to do that, though.  I use flextrack mostly when I want almost straight but not quite, etc.   

  

As to mixing different curve diameters, I do that now: on the loop we're discussing here, the "display" part of the loop - a sweeping curve that passes right in front of where visitors stand so that they get a good view of the train, begins as 0-60, then goes to 0-72, then 0-81, then one straight section of about 14 inches, and the repeats the order of curves back to a total of 180 degrees as the train heads back toward the other end.  I did that for effect and because i had the room there.

   Even a single quarter circle of 0-54 track on my loop will limit the entire loop to only locos that can handle O-54.  But apparently I'm giving up nothing.  There seem to be no, or very few, locos that fall into the "I need more than O-54 but no more than O-63" category, so i am giving up nothing as far as future locos I may buy, by using a half circle/quarter circle S of all O-54.  And I really want the space that tighter radii over all that distance will give me -- room for my Albuquerque station.

bending track was in terms of saving money. Lot of waste below 090 IMO.