Talking T Gauge

DanMacK · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject: Thoughts on track planning for T

I was thinking of how an HO scale layout would scale out in T gauge, and given clearances and such, figured that 3" would be a good compromise. That way things aren't crammed, there's lots of room for scenery and curves can be broader.

Thoughts?

Skibbe · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 11

3" for what exactly?

I took Mike Danneman's plan for his brother's MRL layout in N scale (Model Railroader, August 2003?), and just divided it by 3. Nice little L shaped layout, and in T the roughly 6'x12' becomes a nice 2'x4'. Minimum radius is 18" on the N scale plan, making it 6" radius for T... which is already larger than the Eishindo snap track.

I traced it out on Plywood and cut it out. Think it might work out for a first attempt.
_________________
Mike Skibbe

DanMacK · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:22 pm Post subject:

Whoops. I meant for a plan that has rulings of 12", reduce them to 3" for T, as MR recommends 4.5" for Z. Although your calculation of 4" works out as well, and allows for broader curves.

Can't wait to see your progress

pray59 · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 88 Location: Fremont, CA

I hope we see turnouts soon. Turnouts and flextrack are the only showstoppers for me. With that, I can build a layout.

I was looking at possible ballast solutions, and came across some peppered light grey silica sand at Michaels. It really looks fine enough in person, and the color was somewhat acceptable, but I did not purchase any yet, because I was originally thinking I would crush some Arizona N Scale ballast.

Other than turnouts, handlaid track sounds easy enough.
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-Robert Ray

Skibbe · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 11

David K Smith · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:01 pm Post subject:

billhko · Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Southern California

For a fast and dirty solution to turnouts for T scale would be a single point turnout. These can be seen on some Japanese narrow gauge web sites.

They are also called something like Kick turnouts because the single turnout blade would be kicked over during operation. They were so rudimentary that they don't even have a throw bar.

I know that it won't look right but it could work until you get your fingers shrunk small enough to build some scale T scale turnouts.

Bill
El toro, CA

rmyers · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA

I think a little larger than 1:4 for HO and a little smaller than 1:2 for N.

The T Gauge radii are large in scale for sectional track -- apparently because of the 'stiffness' of the mechanisms. 120mm is the smaller radius, which is a radius of curvature of between 30 and 35 degrees. Most scales tight normal is a curvature of 45 degrees -- at least in US practice.

So 18" being normal tight radius sectional for HO gives us 18 * 25.4 / 120 = 3.81

And 249mm (Kato tight normal N scale) / 120 = 2.08

TBA · Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 120 Location: Massachusetts

Stub turnouts could also work, provided the rail is springy enough. Old-fashioned, but simple!

Smile