Ragnar's HO Model Trains Weeb Site
	Curves in your Track

SHARP CURVES small layouts (18-inch Minimum Radius)
Wheels	Type of Locomotive	Typical Service Runs
0-4-0	Four-Wheel Switcher	light switching on curves
0-6-0	Six-Wheel Switcher	Freight and passenger switching
0-8-0	Eight-Wheel Switcher	Freight switching in classification yards
2-6-0	Mogul	Originally used for freight, later used mostly on branch lines
2-6-2	Prairie	light freight
2-8-0	Consolidation	Freight and heavy switching
2-8-2	Mikado	Freight
4-4-0	American	Branch line, freight, and passenger
4-4-2	Atlantic	Fast passenger in early twentieth century
4-6-0	Ten-Wheeler	Passenger and freight
4-6-2	Pacific	Passenger
(Most freight and shorty passenger cars up to 60 scale feet are suitable)
CONVENTIONAL CURVES Medium Layouts (24-inch Minimum Radius)
Wheels	Type of Locomotive	Typical Service Runs
2-8-4	Berkshire	Freight
4-6-4	Hudson	High-speed passenger
4-8-2	Mountain	Fast freight and heavy passenger
(Some articulateds & all most all freight and passenger cars up to 70 scale feet)
BROAD CURVES Large Layouts (30-inch Minimum Radius)
Wheels	Type of Locomotive	Typical Service Runs
4-8-4	Northern	Freight and passenger
(Most articulateds-all cars, including standard-length 80-scale-feet passenger cars)

It is important to for your train to turn around on your layout and for that you'll need to integrate curves in you tracks well, much depends on the size of your curves. There are basicaly three general sizes of curves in model railroading, SHARP, CONVENTIONAL and BROAD. they are different dimentions in different scales but this site is about HO so we'll go with that one. Now because the chasie of alocomotive can't bend throug a turn the curve can't be to tight, if it is the front wheels will come out from between the rails, causing a derailmen and some embarasment and agrivation

The size of one's layout will be affectet by the size of the curves desired.

		© Ragnar Torfason 2006 March 28