Garden Railway Forum

I’m planning to use Peco SM32 track on my garden layout. Now when I come to building the curves do I use 30” or 38” radius or either as I’m planning on running a Roundhouse Millie and Accucraft L&B wagons.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Fit the largest radius possible.

Even small live steam locos will sling shot out of tight radius curves and you may want to run larger locos in future including rolling stock.

Using larger radius curves will also open up the selection of visiting locos that can come and play.

Kevin,
I totally agree with everything that Tom has said.
Howeever from your initial query it sounds as though you have your eyes fixed on Peco Setrack fixed radius curves? My advice would be to ignore them and use Flexitrack to, as Tom says, get as big a radius as possible.

Hi Tom and Kevin, thanks for your reply and information to help me with my track work.

I've very recently laid my track with 38" radius setrack curves & certain items of stock are struggling to get round. My Roundhouse Lady Anne is fine thanks to the flangeless centre driving wheels but an IP engineering Glaslyn, surprisingly, isn't happy at all. Wheel back to backs are critical even on 4 wheel stock at this radius & so 30" radius can only be worse.

It does though depend on what space you have. 38" radius was the maximum I could get away with, some people will have to use 30" but if you have the room for flexitrack curves that will be the way to go, not necessarily for your current stock, which should be fine, but its best to future proof if you can

Hi Paul thanks for explaining this with me. I think I still might go with 38” radius as it should be fine with my current stock.

As everyone has said, it really is the bigger the better, things just go around the curves so much easier and more naturally and as already said, it really does help protect it for any future stock that may come along, it might not be until years down the road you are glad you went bigger or wish you went bigger, but one day it happens to most of us

I have used Peco ST-607 SM32 Setrack 38" radius curves that give me 5' maximum radius, which most but admittedly not all of my stock will go around. If I take it easy with the speed I can get them around, but then I don't tend to run at breakneck speed. I also use 60" right/left hand points.

I don't seem to get along with Flexitrack unfortunately, but if you can Keith it's probably worth using that...

Just take your time and enjoy the build...

Hi Rod thanks for the advice and replying. I do plan just to take my time when it comes to my garden layout build.