CNJ Bronx Terminal

CNJ's Bronx Terminal had a minimum radius of 90 ft. and a maximum of 104 ft.
http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/crrnjbxt.html#Trackage

Similar radii were to be found at the Harlem Terminal:
http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/ht.html#Trackage

And than there is the modern grain terminal in Portland, Or. with a runaround track:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sL3WQYmDW_A/TKUfsY_CWyI/AAAAAAAAApg/06HgpcmRoPo/s1600/Tight+curve.jpg
/> http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.de/2010_09_01_archive.html

Regards, Volker

Some of the curves were very

Some of the curves were very tight as they would travel on tracks in the street to reach inside structures or manufacturing plants. In some cases freight cars would travel on tracks that would stay between the sidewalks on city streets, and you may have them traveling on curves that could be under 60 foot radius. In HO scale that would be under a nine inch radius. On curves that tight cars might be pushed but not coupled to a locomotive and likely pulled with a chain or cable to get them back to the main from the siding.

I remember seeing freight cars on tracks that were at one time street car tracks in the 80s. Some individuals had coasted or pushed a tank car full of molasses from the Bloch Brothers plant down the siding and into the street and then opened the valves that allowed quite a lot of molasses to run into the street. Not my area to work but it made a big mess. The curves in the street were quite sharp.

If one looks to the right of the map one can see there were three separate rail lines at this time in what was the eighth ward of the city. The Ohio River Rail Road that became part of the B&O, the B&O, and the Wheeling Terminal Railway. There was also a section marked city rail way which had street cars that ran until the late 40s and possibly a bit longer. Notice the curves in the streets that the track made. The streets had parking on both sides and two lanes of traffic they were approximately 48 feet in width. The tank car spill was in the area of 40th street on Jacob street give or take a block, and as can be seen it would have needed to travel over some very tight curves.

tight radii

Yeah, Bronx terminal is an excellent example. Some trolley lines might have handled older era boxcars on even sharper street trackage.

I have no problems pulling short strings of unmodified HO Athearn 40-foot cars with body mount Kadee couplers on 10" radius curves with easements. Some of my shorter 4-axle diesel power (NW2 etc) handles 10" radius well.

You'll need to test run your own equipment to determine what curvature it can handle reliably. It's simple enough to pin curved flex-track to a large piece of corrugated cardboard for testing purposes. Whether it "looks right" is another question.

This project started out as test ovals with 10" and 13" radii, and I turned it into a mini-layout. I find that tight curves enable additional track plan and operating possibilities in small spaces, and can look good with easements and appropriately sized cars and locos.

90 foot curves

are no problem for HO or S scale equipment. Here's two photos of test tracks for a 90 foot radius Harlem Transfer layout.  First is HO scale showing clearance between cars on 90 foot and 104 foot radius tracks.Second is S scale equipment on 90 foot radius......DaveB

Real life vs model

Place I worked at in New Hope MN had a siding leading into a industry about 100ft further north. Every once in a while they would get a covered hopper in there that was a real wheel screecher on the rails. They would move very slowly.

I did some tests of my own and found that I could do a 12" radius very easily with a SW1200 and 3 40ft box cars. Tried it with Bachman's 0-6-0T and had no issues there either.

Jack

CNJ Bronx Terminal

I built my CNJ Bronx Terminal to the exact sizes on the original blueprints for the track, 104' and 90'. These worked out to about 12.5" and 14"R.

Using 40' cars there are no operating issues on it...

BEDT in the Streets of Brooklyn

Hi,

The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal railroad turned street corners in Brooklyn, NY off 1st Ave with 90' or slightly smaller radius curves. Sometimes more impressive, they would also enter the door of an adjacent building with a left turn from the right lane of a 2 lane street (with parking on both sides) which I believe was smaller yet. They ran 0-6-0T's and S-1's.

Have fun! 

Interesting TIGHT radius

I was real surprised when I ran across this subject thread and its links last night. Forgot to bookmark it, but fortunately I was able to find it again.

Are there some other discussions that make some links to such tight radius turns on prototype railroads?

prototype max track curvature table

here's a table for Philadelphia and Reading Locomotives.  Smallest radius is 75' (HO 10.4").   Note that a more modern B8 0-6-0 has a shorter wheelbase to accomadate 100' curves (HO 13.9").   I have  models of the B8 and OE-1 boxcab that I use on 15" curves.

Thanks!

That;s a cool table.  Am I reading that right, that there's a loco that can handle a 50 foot radius?  That's less than 7" in HO scale--streetcar radius, almost!

OE is the boxcab.

i think it means oil engine

Modification

I think my boxcab will need some modification to take those curves!