Advice on track

[alan gee]

Hello Everbody
I am a new modeller to 009 having just joined the 009 Society.Can I ask the members some basic questions. What is the minimum radius a 0-6-0 locomotive will negociate perfectly. What are the radius of the Peco points. What is the code of the rail used. Does the society publish a list of standards such as track width, back to back dimensions ,flange depths etc. Where can I purchase track gauges and wheel back to back gauges from. What are the average dimensions of the sleepers and sleeper spacing for real 2ft 3inc track. With your help I hope to be able to get started in 009.

Kind regards

Alan Gee

[Elmgate]

The first question - "What is the minimum radius a 0-6-0 locomotive will negociate perfectly" has no real answer. It depends on the wheelbase of the loco, amongst several other factors. Most will go down to 12" easily. Some will make 9". However, the problem is more to do with the front/rear overhangs, and the distance the couplings protrude; this will affect whether any stock coupled to the loco is thrown off, and affects small and large locos alike, however many wheels. I would not go below 12" minimum, and aim for 18" plus. To save anyone else saying - avoid "reverse curves" without a short straight length between, as this compounds the coupling effect noted above.

Current PECO points are: 12" radius left and right hand; 18" radius 'Y' (all Crazy track sleepers); 18" radius left and right hand 'mainline". PECO now make "set track" at 9" radius - particularly for use with the continental "Minitrains" range.

Link to PECO catalogue pages for Narrow Gauge:
http://www.peco-uk.com/prodtype.asp?strParents=3309,3322&CAT_ID=3326&numRecordPosition=1

Back to back is anything from 7.4mm to 7.7 mm. Others may have opinions about the correct value for PECO points (current and old!) Flange depth is what you get from the manufacturers - mainly N scale, but increasingly 009/HOe RTR.

Marcway are one supplier of roller gauges: http://www.marcway.net/list3.php?col=head&name=ROLLER+GAUGES.

My standards for sleepers etc are 5' (20mm) long; 1' (4mm wide); set about 2' 9" (11mm) apart. Again, there will be many opinions on this!

Hope this helps. Try some PECO mainline track and points, and then copy with your own if you wish.

Edit: I should have added that whilst members will always be willing to answer questions, I believe that all yours have been addressed in one way or another, so please try searching/browsing the Forum. If you can find a Group local to you, do join, as there is a wealth of experience there.

[B.Meldon]

Hi Alan

Firstly welcome to the 009 Society and this forum.

Peco now make the following 009 track:

009 Flexi track: Obviously not set to any curve.

009 Mainline Flexi track: As above.

009 Set track: This has 9 inch curves.

009 Normal radius RH and LH points: These are 12 inch radius.

009 Y point: these are 18 inch radius.

009 Mainline LH and RH Points: These are 18 inch radius.#

In every case they use code 80 rail.

There are no published

[petersmith1942]

Alan
some good basic advice already but I note that you refer specifically to 2 foot 3 inch gauge, presumably applying 4mm scale to 9mm track. This is perfectly logical but unfortunately 2 foot 3 inch gauge railways are very thin on the ground in Britain, Europe and the US
Before going on it would be a good idea to clarify where you propose to base your model assuming you wish to broadly follow a theme, be it British, Irish, European, Colonial or American; there are others of course but most started out with influence from one of those listed
In each case modellers generally choose to use 9mm track for railways of actual gauges ranging from  2 foot to 2 foot 6 inches.Proprietary track is available in a variety of gauges. So most actual gauges below 2 foot and more than 2 foot 6 inches can be better represented using another gauge of proprietary track
You must therefore decide how far you are prepared to deviate from true scale if you use 9mm track.
In this regard you should note that 4mm scale (OO)is pretty much a British thing, most European and American modellers use 3.5mm scale (HO) and here 9mm and 10.5mm track is accurate for 2 foot 6 inch and 3 foot gauges. There is also a proprietary track accurate for metre gauge in 3-5mm scale
Hope this doesnt confuse but in quoting 2 feet 3 inch gauge you must be aware of scale and its relevance to what you want to do
Peter Smith

[alan gee]

I would just like to thank the members who replied to my first posting on the forum. I am hoping to start a small group from the N gauge members of the Halifax Model Railway Club to look at the possibility of making a near exact model of Hulme End station L & M provided the committee will grant us free space and a small amount of funds.
The next step possibly is to try and remember how to use Templot to work out the space we will require and if Peco points can be used, or do we have to start cutting the copper clad to make our own.

If this project goes ahead I will keep members informed in the layout section of the forum.

Kind regards

Dr G Alan Gee

[MickT]

Welcome to both the Society and the Forum Alan. I have long been an admirer of your 00n3 Irish modelling and will wait for the results of your gauge downsizing with much interest!

Interesting that you have asked about 2ft 3in gauge, yet in your later post have said that you are planning to make a model of the Leek & Manifold, which of course was 2ft 6in. Not to worry as 009 is a very broad church and there are some outstanding models around as I'm sure you are already aware covering between 1ft 10

[JulienW]

<snipped>

009 Normal radius RH and LH points: These are 12 inch radius.

009 Y point: these are 18 inch radius.

009 Mainline LH and RH Points: These are 18 inch radius.#

Brian Meldon

I'd agree that the "Normal/ Crazytrack" 009 left & right were 12" radius Brian, but I thought that the Y from that range was 15", with the "Mainline" left & right also being 15" with the matching Y being 18"...

Alan, for the track gauge & BTB gauge it might be worth talking to the N-Gauge Society.  I have a BTB and a few roller gauges picked up over the years, but can't recall where they came from. Something else that might be useful are the triangular (3 point) gauges sold by Micro Engineering in the USA as these give automatic gauge widening on curves - might be useful for the L&M 2-6-4 Tanks.

Another thought would be to use the new Peco HOn3 track, which is to 10.5 mm gauge and therefore closer to the scale 2' 6" (10 mm) than standard 009. HOn3 gauges and suchlike would also be available - probably from the US but the scale/gauge combination dose have a following in the UK and some bits can be obtained via UK dealers.

I'd also recommend a copy of eh Gratton book on the L&M (Published by Roy Link) as (IIRC) that has some track templates in it to give the correct sleeper spacing, etc.

[Hobby]

Just one further comment, Mainline track is based on current Continental practice and is HO scale. Though as most things narrow gauge there will no doubt be a British line which tallies with it!!

[B.Meldon]

<snipped>

009 Normal radius RH and LH points: These are 12 inch radius.

009 Y point: these are 18 inch radius.

009 Mainline LH and RH Points: These are 18 inch radius.#

Brian Meldon

I'd agree that the "Normal/ Crazytrack" 009 left & right were 12" radius Brian, but I thought that the Y from that range was 15", with the "Mainline" left & right also being 15" with the matching Y being 18".......

From the Peco web site:

Standard 009 Points listed as Nominal radius 304mm (12in) :

http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3322&CAT_ID=3326&P_ID=17373

009 Y point, listed by Peco as Nominal radius 457mm (18in):

http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3322&CAT_ID=3326&P_ID=17380

Mainline points, listed by Peco as Nominal radius 457mm (18in):

http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3322&CAT_ID=3326&P_ID=17374

That is all, there is only one Y point available in 009.
Brian Meldon

[JulienW]

I stand sit corrected! :D