I experimented with hyper-elevation (banking) but I overdid it. In combination with 3-rail mass block detection it caused some trains to loose contact to the outer rail and either stop (no more grounding) or fail block detection. Now I know you need just a tiny amount of elevation 👍
One of the most informative videos I’ve seen on this subject. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this. I’ve been second guessing myself on my current track plan that I’ve been working on way too long now.
Highly helpful information packed in about 11 minutes, especially about turnout configurations to avoid problems such as derailments. We've tried banked curves and it took quite some experimentation to finally get them reliable without any loss of contact. Apparently, the outer rail only needs a fraction of elevation indeed.
Hi, Martin, many thanks for this very useful video! Uppskattat :) One comment. I know that a model railroader has to make huge compromises during building a layout due to shortage of place. BUT! If anyone can: avoid to use short radii such as R1-R2 (depending on brand) about 360 mm. I know that most of producers approves to use even long steamer on such curves. But if you use curves with minimum radius of 437.5 mm(Märklin/Trix C), 419.6 mm (Roco Line), 425 mm (Tillig Elite), 421.9 mm (Piko A), etc (I am focusing now to the european H0 producers) you can avoid serious derailment issues and spiral curve transition or avoid double S curves are going to lose its importancy...
Always good bits of information. Elevation curves are sometimes difficult to gauge, but it’s essential when you run high speeds. An often forgotten detail on larger layouts. Thank you for your explanation. Excellent video. 😎
So short video with so much great information. Thank you. The calcul for the easement of the track curve is very helpful. The warning about S curves also. The run around in the staging yard is also very good ! I am finalizing an oval design where I did not consider the S danger, and I had to dismantle a nice X turnout to remove the S curve. Great video.
Hi Martin ,thanks a lot for this video !!! Hyper or super elevation is so very important !! These are the details that make a real model railway out of a train set !!!! If you watch the real thing you won't find any curve without it ,cheers again for mentioning it :-):-):-)
Very good and usable information, well presented as always, Martin. Please note that the 1/4mm thick styrene you are using for elevating the track outside is equal to 0.010" (or when spoken: ten thousandths or one one-hundreth of an inch). Cheers from Connecticut!
Hello Martin, I give a 👍🏻 for showing how too avoid these often seen and unnasseary, horrible s-curves! But... in your run-a-round-track you create and unnasseary s-curve by yourself! 😤 Bad boy! Greetings from Germany, A
Lots of good info here Martin.For new modelers don't make the super elevated curves too high. With Marklin K track I try to use the 2251/618r in full or easement.2274/902r can be used where possible this is close to 15 degrees or 2270 series switches leading into curves. Peco/Roco flex track can be used also with the contact strip for the centre pickup. P.S at 7:15 the arrow pointing to the 2241 easement shows 420mm this is actually 554mm.
Martin: good as ever. A migraine standard back to back S curve has crept in at 5:20. Transitions are difficult with set-track. Expensive Marklin flex is rarely mentioned anyWHERE by anyONE - I noticed you quietly slipped into 2 rail flex while describing spirals/ transitions. Has anyone any ideas on structurally sound '3-railing' of Peco etc. track? So far it has eluded me, the usual solutions seeming to lack mechanical integrity. Dumping the 'third rail' is one of the biggest blunders model railroading has ever made; three railing a loco effectively doubles the electrical pickup wheelbase. Much ink could be used on this. Time means I don't catch your channel much, but on the odd occasion I do, it is always good, and readily recommended. Hope these ideas help. Time makes me cryptic; hope things are at least clear enough. Peter
I adore that blue coach in the opening picture please too let me know what it is. Thanks. I too released a new video this week with some wonderful surprises. Stay safe see you in the next one with more top tips
1 s-curves are only frowned upon at "high" speed rail traffic. In layouts as I build, slow shunting layouts, an s-curve is fine. Curved turnouts are a primary source of derailment, henceforth they are not used in real life. As far as I know, banking is useless in model railroading, unless used in high speed traffic. If and when derailments occurs, it will occur almost always on the inside of the track. Banking may only ad to derailments.
Hi! You are correct. Introduction of banked curves has nothing to do with operational benefits. Actually the opposite, but it adds realism when shooting video or taking photos. If this is of no interest, no banking should be added.
8:17 the explanation of the easement went too fast for me... I should divide the curve radius by 64 and then make the easement section equal to that length, centred on where the curve would end without the easement. But I dont understand how you get the gradual change?
Another easy way to do it is to make a complete radius curve and move the main track out about a half an inch or so, then freehand the main track into the existing radious thus creating an easement. It just means your curve into the turn starts out gradual, then a consistent radious.
I knew to avoid S curves but I’ve never seen good alternatives before. The whole video was very useful, thanks.
Für mich einer der besten Modellbauer auf RUclips
Hello, Martin, I'm glad to see some new videos. Cheers from eastern Tennessee
Howdy Martin, good to see some new videos. I really never understood super elevated curves until now. Thanks. Cheers from eastern Tennessee
Great video Martin, been doing this for years AND IT MAKES A NICE DIFFERENCE.
That was most interesting especially the part about banking your curves. Very useful indeed.
👍 yeah I definitely agree with you.
I experimented with hyper-elevation (banking) but I overdid it. In combination with 3-rail mass block detection it caused some trains to loose contact to the outer rail and either stop (no more grounding) or fail block detection. Now I know you need just a tiny amount of elevation 👍
Good, informative video Martin. Especially about the double S curves. I learnt the hard way with those! 😂
One of the most informative videos I’ve seen on this subject.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this. I’ve been second guessing myself on my current track plan that I’ve been working on way too long now.
Very helpful guide to forming easements, thank you!
Highly helpful information packed in about 11 minutes, especially about turnout configurations to avoid problems such as derailments. We've tried banked curves and it took quite some experimentation to finally get them reliable without any loss of contact. Apparently, the outer rail only needs a fraction of elevation indeed.
Thanks for this very useful video Martin!
Hi, Martin, many thanks for this very useful video! Uppskattat :) One comment. I know that a model railroader has to make huge compromises during building a layout due to shortage of place. BUT! If anyone can: avoid to use short radii such as R1-R2 (depending on brand) about 360 mm. I know that most of producers approves to use even long steamer on such curves. But if you use curves with minimum radius of 437.5 mm(Märklin/Trix C), 419.6 mm (Roco Line), 425 mm (Tillig Elite), 421.9 mm (Piko A), etc (I am focusing now to the european H0 producers) you can avoid serious derailment issues and spiral curve transition or avoid double S curves are going to lose its importancy...
Always good bits of information. Elevation curves are sometimes difficult to gauge, but it’s essential when you run high speeds. An often forgotten detail on larger layouts. Thank you for your explanation. Excellent video. 😎
So short video with so much great information. Thank you.
The calcul for the easement of the track curve is very helpful. The warning about S curves also. The run around in the staging yard is also very good ! I am finalizing an oval design where I did not consider the S danger, and I had to dismantle a nice X turnout to remove the S curve.
Great video.
Sensational video. Very well presented. Hope you can do more on track planning. Thank you very much. PAUL. Australia
Hi Martin ,thanks a lot for this video !!! Hyper or super elevation is so very important !! These are the details that make a real model railway out of a train set !!!! If you watch the real thing you won't find any curve without it ,cheers again for mentioning it :-):-):-)
My track is completely finished but I think it’s a useful video for everyone 👍🏻
Happy New Year to you and your family 🎉🎉🎉🎉 ❤ Bob C.
Thankyou for the tips and video
Very good and usable information, well presented as always, Martin. Please note that the 1/4mm thick styrene you are using for elevating the track outside is equal to 0.010" (or when spoken: ten thousandths or one one-hundreth of an inch). Cheers from Connecticut!
Hello Martin,
I give a 👍🏻 for showing how too avoid these often seen and unnasseary, horrible s-curves!
But... in your run-a-round-track you create and unnasseary s-curve by yourself! 😤 Bad boy!
Greetings from Germany,
A
great video, simply explained but very useful!! getting ready for mid summer??
Thank you! Yepp! Only two weeks now! Then vacation! 🥳😎
Thanks for that useful video!
Lots of good info here Martin.For new modelers don't make the super elevated curves too high.
With Marklin K track I try to use the 2251/618r in full or easement.2274/902r can be used where possible this is close to 15 degrees or 2270 series switches leading into curves.
Peco/Roco flex track can be used also with the contact strip for the centre pickup.
P.S at 7:15 the arrow pointing to the 2241 easement shows 420mm this is actually 554mm.
Martin: good as ever. A migraine standard back to back S curve has crept in at 5:20. Transitions are difficult with set-track. Expensive Marklin flex is rarely mentioned anyWHERE by anyONE - I noticed you quietly slipped into 2 rail flex while describing spirals/ transitions. Has anyone any ideas on structurally sound '3-railing' of Peco etc. track? So far it has eluded me, the usual solutions seeming to lack mechanical integrity. Dumping the 'third rail' is one of the biggest blunders model railroading has ever made; three railing a loco effectively doubles the electrical pickup wheelbase. Much ink could be used on this.
Time means I don't catch your channel much, but on the odd occasion I do, it is always good, and readily recommended. Hope these ideas help. Time makes me cryptic; hope things are at least clear enough.
Peter
Great tips.
I adore that blue coach in the opening picture please too let me know what it is. Thanks. I too released a new video this week with some wonderful surprises. Stay safe see you in the next one with more top tips
thanks !
Thank you 🙏
Hey can you make a video about adding a bridge to the martinstown layout
Good!
1 s-curves are only frowned upon at "high" speed rail traffic. In layouts as I build, slow shunting layouts, an s-curve is fine. Curved turnouts are a primary source of derailment, henceforth they are not used in real life.
As far as I know, banking is useless in model railroading, unless used in high speed traffic. If and when derailments occurs, it will occur almost always on the inside of the track. Banking may only ad to derailments.
Hi! You are correct. Introduction of banked curves has nothing to do with operational benefits. Actually the opposite, but it adds realism when shooting video or taking photos. If this is of no interest, no banking should be added.
8:17 the explanation of the easement went too fast for me... I should divide the curve radius by 64 and then make the easement section equal to that length, centred on where the curve would end without the easement. But I dont understand how you get the gradual change?
Another easy way to do it is to make a complete radius curve and move the main track out about a half an inch or so, then freehand the main track into the existing radious thus creating an easement. It just means your curve into the turn starts out gradual, then a consistent radious.
So if i had a 15 radius track which part is considered 15 radius the inside rail or outside
Where is the crane behind and to the left of you? I remember you modifying it in a previous video.
Do you ever add lead or weight inside box cars or other rail cars?
Geht das auch bei Spur N und wenn es gehen sollte ? Was brauche ich ? Kann leider kein Englisch
Nice. Pity we dont have the massive rooms to emulate the Real world Curve Radius.
the curves are for trams, but not for railroad!, not realistic!!