24 inch curves?

[Hellhound]

Why is there no 24 inch radius EZ track curve to fit between the 22 and 26 inch curve?

[Doneldon]

Hh-

I'm not sure but it may be for the same reason that there are no 20" EZ Track curves: While the intermediate radius will physically fit between the smaller and larger sizes, they won't provide enough clearance for trains to pass on adjacent tracks. You can safely run parallel straight tracks as close as the roadbed allows but the rolling stock all overhangs on curves and there will be collisions. That's as undesirable on model railroads as in your automobile.
                                                                                                          -- D

[Joe Satnik]

Dear All,

Atlas is usually pretty smart with its track geometry...so I have no clue as to why they made a 24"R curve section. 

As Doneldon said, 24"R is too close to 22"R to avoid overhang/underhang collisions, and it doesn't fit on a 4' wide sheet....

Here are the NMRA track center recommendations (as high as 2-5/16").  Scroll down to HO. 

http://nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-8.html

You could just use Code 100 flex track and cork roadbed to what ever radius you want, then bury (hide) all your track under ballast. 

You could expand 22"R by strategically placing small fitter straights or higher radius fractional curves along the 22"R curve.

John Armstrong builds 20-1/4" and 22-1/2" effective radius half-circles in this manner in the "Track Planner" chapter of "Atlas HO Layouts For Every Space":

https://secure.atlasrr.com/mod1/itemdesc.asp?ic=0011&eq=&Tp=

You may find the same info in the older version called "Atlas Custom-Line Layouts For Ho Scale Railroads" by John Armstrong and Thaddeus Stepek.

Hope  this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik
   

[jward]

an alternative to the 24" curve used with 22" radius track. you could offset the atlas 24" curves by 1/2" at each end, and if you are making a 180 degree turn add a 1" straight in the middle of the curve. this would give an effective radius of 24 1/2".........

[Joe Satnik]

I'm pretty sure jward is saying to offset the start and the end of the 24"R half-circle 1/2" toward the side fences, which makes room for the 1" straight in the middle.   

I would add that you should and also offset the start and the end of the 24"R half-circle 1/2" toward the end fence....which will help avoid crashes in the middle, where the two half-circles are closest...

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[pjsdad]

Dear All,

Atlas is usually pretty smart with its track geometry...so I have no clue as to why they made a 24"R curve section. 

As Doneldon said, 24"R is too close to 22"R to avoid overhang/underhang collisions, and it doesn't fit on a 4' wide sheet....

...

A Just because they make a 24 nobody said it has to be nested tight against a 22.

B some people run closer than recommended and just avoid cars with too much overhang.

[jward]

to be honest with you, i really don't think you need to have 2 1/2" seperation between tracks. on a previous layout i did some experimenting and found that using 24 and 26" radius i was able to run 85 foot boxcars on adjacent tracks without sideswiping, with between 2 1/8 and 2 1/4" spacing. you should be able to spring the atlas curve sections enough to get that track spacing. code 83 sections are not as rigid as the code 100 ones are.