The recent thread on degree curvature and compensated grades http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/946had me wondering about things like the Bellina Drop.  Essentially it's a turnback at the end of a peninsula with a view block at the very end.  The general idea being to get people to not hang out there and get to the other side faster so they don't clog the aisles.

The discussion talked about drag on the curves and such.  One of the things about the BD is that you can use a smaller radius curve at the end since it isn't about aesthetics.  Given a decent amount of transition curve into the BD, what kind of drag do you think you'd have at 24"-36" radius vs. going with a larger 42"+ curve?  Is it worth messing with something like that?  The idea of "only" a five-six foot blob at the end of a curve is certainly easier to deal with compared with the seven to eight foot turnback.  I just don't know how bad the drag would be and there would definitely be a limit to this before you just stringline the cars off the track.  i.e. I wouldn't try this with 18" radius at the end, even if my stuff would track the curve, which most of it won't.

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