Parallel Track

[DavidLM]

Being new to the world of modelling Railways, 009 in particular, I apologise if my question seems very basic.
I am in the planning stage of a layout but hope to start positioning track over the next few weeks, and one thing I have not been able to determine is an acceptable

[tedp]

Welcome, David - and I would like to say don't apologise for asking questions.

About parallel track: there isn't a real standard as there isn't a thing called 'standard' narrow gauge. It all depends on gauge, loading gauge, type of rolling stock etc. I would lay track with enough intermediate space so you can run big engines, if you want to do so in future. Rolling stock width in 009 varies from about 20mm to 32mm. On curves the best approach is to use your biggest piece of rolling stock with the largest overhang, and draw a line on the baseboard with a pencil held against it:



If you leave about 10mm between the outer lines drawn this way, between double track on a curve, you cannot mess up.

Couplings with good automatic coupling and uncoupling performance are the Greenwich coupler and the Micro-trains coupler, as far as I know. I myself use the standard N gauge coupler which is OK as long as you only use ready-to-run N gauge wagon chassis, which I don't  ;)  I myself am not very much in favour of the Roco or Liliput loop type coupler.

Perhaps someone else has better advice on couplings.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask if you're stuck with something.

[JulienW]

<snipped>...This is a long term project and while starting with the Hunslet 0-4-0

[Cambridge Paul]

You've touched on a big subject ~ and one of the joys of the diversity of "009". If you're thinking of Beyer-Garrats

[Hobby]

When it comes to narrow gauge there is hardly any twin-track narrow gauge (que floodgates to open with multiple examples)

Cork Blackrock and Passage is the only double track I can think of offhand... Though there are a few examples of "parallel track" where a branch leaves the mainline but continues to run parallel for a while... Excluding such things as the Japanese railways, that is, and sticking to more conventional NG...

[JulienW]

When it comes to narrow gauge there is hardly any twin-track narrow gauge (que floodgates to open with multiple examples)

Cork Blackrock and Passage is the only double track I can think of offhand... Though there are a few examples of "parallel track" where a branch leaves the mainline but continues to run parallel for a while... Excluding such things as the Japanese railways, that is, and sticking to more conventional NG...

Good to see that someone took the bait! :D

[tedp]

Take any passing loop and you'll have to solve the same problem. I think that is what David meant.

[pilotfriend]

I annoy my wife by working to too tight tolerances at times. I forgot about coach duckouts when building the fiddle yard of County Gate and had to remove them on the coach blind sides!

Long vehicles 'cut corners' and bigger engines with overhangs destroy everything in their path.

Probably the best course of action is to rent Julien W's 'Victoria'. If that clears the other track then everything will.

[DavidLM]

Hi One and All
Firstly my apologies for the spelling gaff

[B.Meldon]

Hi David
As you have probably worked out when it comes to parallel tracks on NG railways it is up to you how far t space them. Unless you are modelling a specific prototype.

A few other pointers that are important when planning a 009 layout:

You will not be able to couple up on a curve. Or at least it will be problematic to do so.

The proportion of the coupling overhang relative to the track gauge is far larger in 009 than in 00 so tight curves should be avoided if you can. I use 12 inch as a minimum but 18 inch would be better.
(The minimum curves on the WHR at 130 foot work out at about 20

[tedp]

...You should also have a look at the Reverse Curve thread:

http://www.009society.com/forum/index.php?topic=732.0
...

Aaaargghhh! Not reverse curves again.... (sorry Brian, couldn't resist it...)

[Hobby]

I know, they're great! Trains look brilliant winding their way through them at nice slow speeds... Who wants to shunt anyway!!  ;D

[Graeme Dunbar]

I appreciate the problem of reverse curves now. I was sceptical but photographs in another thread convinced me.

Coupling on plain un-reversed curves can be a problem too, no doubt depending on coupler type as well as overhang and location of the couplers. I saw a rather nice compact US outline "switching" layout where the objectives were rather defeated by attempts to use Kaydee/Microtrains couplers on curved track.

The extent to which reverse curves are a problem is similar to the one of clearances (to get back on topic). It depends on how big the stock (and how much overhang) and how tight the curves are. For a train of slate wagons or skips and tiny locos with little overhang say,  then reverse curves could possibly be ignored if you are working to something like N gauge set-track minimum radii. There is so much slop and side-play that the curve is virtually straight over the wheelbase.

I would definitely recommend that raw beginners pick up a few lengths of Peco or other N-gauge Settrack and run their stock over it to get some feel for a datum and not start with a length of flexi-track and blithely start bending into serpentine shapes. They may seem like an extravagance but "tracksettas" are very handy too. It is so easy to think you can get away with squeezing that little bit extra curve with flexible track.

I don't doubt that Blair's reverse curves are actually very carefully laid out, smooth, of appropriate radius and probably incorporate transition curves: he (says he) likes the way trains wind through them at slow speed, so presumably the trains don't lurch left and right like demented insects!

[Hobby]

I don't go for little tiddler stock, Graeme, as you well know! I just think its a personal thing, I don't shunt or couple up on curves, in fact most of my operation is fixed formation, so reverse curves don't cause me an issue. I can understand Brian's comments for someone who wants to shunt, but on a layout where "plain" running is envisaged then assuming the track is properly laid (like any model railway) then they shouldn't cause an issue, and to my eyes, a train looks good going through them... For my prototypes (Czech/Hungarian) winding track curving through the countryside is the order of the day, just watch any video of NG lines from those countries (and Saxony in Germany)...

I feel we have to be realistic when discussing this issue, and i do feel that it is in danger of being blown out of all proportion and made into a "no-go area" for many modellers when it shouldn't be...

[pilotfriend]

"I don't go for little tiddler stock"

Good boy!