N scale curves questions

[Bob Curtis]

I am planning on building an N scale layout. I am limited on space. My platform will be 26" to 28" wide and 7 1/2 feet long. To be able to operate two ovals will I be able to use 12.5 radius on the outer route and run longer train and the 11.25 on the inner and run shorter train? I found a layout on line. The inner line will have a switching yard. Switches will also be installed so trains can switch from outer loop to inner loop.

[Len]

If you're using N scale EZ-Track, use the 28" width as a minimum. Even better, use a 30" x 80" solid core door. 26" is too narrow. The roadbed will extend off the edge. And with a 27" width, you'll be so close to the edge a derailment could put a loco on a collision course with the floor.

Len

[Bob Curtis]

If I had 30" wide to fit the 12.50 radius, will I still be able to use the 11.25 radius for the inner loop?

[Fred Klein]

Bob, I had the very layout that you're thinking of building. Although mine was not built on a hollow-core door, it was 31 inches deep and 108 inches long. I ran 12.5 inch curves on the outer and 11.25 inch curves on the inner track. I had roughly 3 inches of space along the front of the layout and approximately 1.75 inches of space along the rear of the layout. One thing to keep in mind, and it almost bit me when I was constructing the layout, is that the curve radius is measured to the centerline of the track piece, meaning that a good .5 inch of roadbed is projecting beyond the centerline on both the front and rear of the layout. Anyway, I've now switched to On30 because my arms shrunk to the point my eyes could no longer appreciate the fine detail in Bachmann N scale but, surprisingly, I was able to use the same layout structure with just a little modification. The mod involved adding about 2 inches in depth and that was it. BTW, the N scale layout's been gone at least 4 or 5 years so all of the measurements are from memory and may vary a little. One final suggestion, and this is what I did, is to buy a couple of packages of both 12.5 and 11.25 inch radius track and set up the curves on a card table (the one we have is about 40"x 40"). This will give you a much better idea of how to go about laying out the track. I know it was a big help to me. Hope this helps.

[Bob Curtis]

Thank you Fred,
That was what my idea was to do is buy a couple of packages of the curves to make sure about the room. The layout I found online has all the sizes marked in what I need.
Thanks again for your input!

[Fred Klein]

Bob, you're welcome. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask.