radius

SAL Comet

Member
Ha Daboonk, Generally, 18" is the minimum for HO 6 wheel truck diesel. 22" would be more like it in MHO.
 

wjstix

Member
Probably 99% of HO engines will go around 22" radius curves, and maybe 95+% will take 18" curves...but the bigger the radius, the better it will look doing it, especially a big engine.
 

brakie

Active Member
daboonk said:
what would be the minimum radius for say, a kato ac4400cw ho scale, thanks

That's a rather long wheel base locomotive..While it might go around a 18" curve I believe you would have problems with the trailing car derailing due to the extreme coupler overhang on the locomotive..I would use 22" or larger curves.
 

daboonk

New Member
instead of the ac4400 i got a SD70i, even on my 24 inch radiusis it seems to hang over quite a bit, looks funny actually, :)
 

wjstix

Member
Well almost all model rail curves are too tight compared to real trains, I think about the tightest prototype curve (which would require trains to slow down to 10-15 MPH max) would be like 36" radius in HO scale. An HO line built to prototype curves (like for a passenger train to take at speed) would be like 2-300" radius !!
 
Can't say for sure about your Kato, but my Spectrum 3-truck shay will handle the 15" radius curves in the "logging branch" area of my layout... It will NOT handle 14.9" curves, 15" is literally the minimum before derailment, but it will go round them. 18" is a cinch. YMMV since it's a different manufacturer, of course...
 

brakie

Active Member
daboonk said:
instead of the ac4400 i got a SD70i, even on my 24 inch radiusis it seems to hang over quite a bit, looks funny actually, :)

Yes the SD70 series is another long wheel base locomotive as is the SD40,SD40-2,SD50 and SD60..I don't know the size of your layout but,I will suggest larger curves if possible or no SD unit longer then a SD35 for use on your 22" curves.
 
Top