Thanks Dennis

Actually, its modelling inteurbans that is the reason why I asked

My principle modelling interest is Pacific Electrics Southern District,
although, my concern doesn't isn't here. - I will be using respectable
modelling track standards, at least for the trackage that carries car load
freight. Pacific Electric just happen to be the subject (I might not even
hang wire)

However that layout for that is years off, and in the mean time I'm
seriously contemplating doing a small portable layout based on freelance
Midwestern interurban, albeit a freight orientated one. This is definitely
be "interurbanish", as its the whole point in building the layout to
demonstrate the subject (not many interurban layouts over here!) This is
will probably mean sharper that 18 inch radius curves for freight trackage.

I know Kadee's in "standard" draft gear boxes can cope with radius of 12
inches (40' cars and less). I realise that using a scale draft gear box is
probably not going to allow something that tight, but I was curious as to
how far they would go. Something I need to consider if I adopt Proto:HO
couples as standard.

Cheer

David Ball



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From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of
Dennis Storzek
Sent: Saturday, 22 October 2005 8:26 a.m.
To: STMFC@...
Subject: [STMFC] Re: Accumate Proto:HO couplers


Even a small 0-4-0 will have considerably more distance
between the wheels and the coupler, and so this coupler will end up much
farther from the track centerline on a sharp curve than the coupler on a
freight car. Eighteen inch radius in HO scale is appx. 135' radius on the
prototype, 15" radius is appx. 110'. When prototype curves are this tight
they are no longer expressed in degrees, but in the actual radius in feet.
Railroads build with radii in this range, such as rapid transit operations,
typically use wide swinging radial couplers. The interurban railroads that
had this sort of curvature used radial couplers on their locomotives so the
coupler would follow the coupler on the cars. When these lines were
dieselized, they typically needed to use small locomotives such as 44
tonners, which have short wheelbase trucks and minimum coupler overhang. I
suspect the same applies to the PROTO:HO couplers.


Dennis Storzek



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