Garden Railway Forum

Hello there, I'm hoping to get some advice please.

Im looking at getting into 16mm but the main problem is space. Ideally I'd like to have a small set up to get out every now and then on the floor.

But the smallest set curves I can find are far too big. I have found old hornby clockwork track which would fit but my concerns are firstly if the rails will be tall enough and secondly if trains would a really fit round the 2nd smallest radius curves.

Rolling stock wise I'd only be looking at 4 wheel battery engines and rolling stock, no way I'd getting a roundhouse russell round them lol

Any advice would be more than welcome

Hi and welcome.

It would help if you could give us the approximate dimensions of the space you have available. We might then be able to suggest the best options.

Of course, the space I have available is just under 4ft at one end, around 4 1/2ft at the other, by around 7ft long. Like a very slight L shape

Hello!

I don't think you'll have any trouble in terms of radius as long as, as you say, you keep it simple - have a look at this, 15" radius Faller e Train track, I think:

https://youtu.be/lRFdXeEost8

I believe others have used tinplate track - how successfully probably depends on wheel profiles, but with the low cost of smaller 16mm kits (I particularly like Phil Sharples' range, which use Binnie wheels) you can experiment quite cheaply...

Good luck with it, keep us posted!

Andrew.

OldVera wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:20 pm Of course, the space I have available is just under 4ft at one end, around 4 1/2ft at the other, by around 7ft long. Like a very slight L shape

Is it me or does that mean you could easily fit R1 Peco on that size? Peco R1 set track is 371mm radius, less than 30 inches, just. Maybe I am just missing the point here?

https://peco-uk.com/products/standard-curve-1st-radius

-steves- wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:24 pm

OldVera wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:20 pm Of course, the space I have available is just under 4ft at one end, around 4 1/2ft at the other, by around 7ft long. Like a very slight L shape

Is it me or does that mean you could easily fit R1 Peco on that size? Peco R1 set track is 371mm radius, less than 30 inches, just. Maybe I am just missing the point here?

https://peco-uk.com/products/standard-curve-1st-radius

True it will just about fit I've also got to take loading gauge into account, stock would likely hit the walls each side

-steves- wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:24 pm

OldVera wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:20 pm Of course, the space I have available is just under 4ft at one end, around 4 1/2ft at the other, by around 7ft long. Like a very slight L shape

Is it me or does that mean you could easily fit R1 Peco on that size? Peco R1 set track is 371mm radius, less than 30 inches, just. Maybe I am just missing the point here?

https://peco-uk.com/products/standard-curve-1st-radius

The Peco track is a diameter of less than 30 inches (centre to centre) so you 48 inch space would leave around 9 inch each side from the centre of the track, I would think that would give you lots of clearance.

Andrew wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:24 pm Hello!

I don't think you'll have any trouble in terms of radius as long as, as you say, you keep it simple - have a look at this, 15" radius Faller e Train track, I think:

https://youtu.be/lRFdXeEost8

I believe others have used tinplate track - how successfully probably depends on wheel profiles, but with the low cost of smaller 16mm kits (I particularly like Phil Sharples' range, which use Binnie wheels) you can experiment quite cheaply...

Good luck with it, keep us posted!

Andrew.

Oh wow I didn't think they could go as tight as that, I'll have a look into it, thank you

I'd be a little careful, light wagons are probably a good idea with very tight curves - I once stripped the gears of a battery loco by asking it to pull a heavy wagon round a Faller curve...

Lots of fun to be had though - the later incarnations of John Rogers' Pigsty Hill Light Railway are a good example of what can be done with Faller track.

https://peco-uk.com/products/standard-curve-1st-radius
[/quote]

The Peco track is a diameter of less than 30 inches (centre to centre) so you 48 inch space would leave around 9 inch each side from the centre of the track, I would think that would give you lots of clearance.
[/quote]

The link you provide is for OO gauge track. Peco SM32 radius 1 curves are about 30" radius not diameter ie twice the width.
Kubes

The faller e track seems to be the ticket, thank you every one for your help!

You could also use Peco flex track, bent down to 20 inch radius to fit.