Model Railroading > Minimum Functional Radius for

Rapido HO passenger cars? When I write "functional" I'm not referring to what looks nice. Will they operate well at 22 in. Radius, for example? I've got some hidden functional 22 R curves on a planned layout.

Victor Baird

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/24 01:40 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Rapido HO passenger cars? When I write
> "functional" I'm not referring to what looks nice.
> Will they operate well at 22 in. Radius, for
> example? I've got some hidden functional 22 R
> curves on a planned layout.
>
> Victor Baird
>
> Posted from Android
Long shanks or truck mounted depending on car lenght might work. 

Victor, I'm only judging from some of the artwork and photos on the Rapido site, but it looks like with the car diaphragms 22" may be too tight... you might enlarge to at least 24-26" if you have the room.

I would not run full length and highly detailed passenger cars on 22" radius hidden track.
24 is a good start, but 26" give you some fudge room.
I tried to stick with 30" Visible and hidden Radius on my layout but had to go down to
26" radius on an inside curve of a visible siding. I found this pushed the nubs or stoppers
on Articulated auto racks to the limit and cars derailed. I filled the nubs down on the few 
of those I had. 
If I were you I would build a test curve and run the cars on it and check them out.
Also watch the side clearance, The overhang both inside and out will be gnarly. 
Use a piece of paper or thin cardstock when you see things that are close to make
sure they don't touch.
Oh. one of the things I did with passenger cars as a close couple compromise; was
to use a long shank coupler on one car coupled to short one on the other. Of course
you have pay attention to those. Also I don't switch out passenger cars and trains
other than pulling off mail. That would matter.

Yeah, I'll do some testing first.
I am wrapping a steam road around the layout with my former Interurban with sharper curves on the inside of the walk-around layout. The steam road is not completely hidden, just less conspicuous other than at an interlocking. The visible steam road curves are at least 42 with easements and the sharp curves are not normally conspicuous from the aisle.

Victor Baird

RichM Wrote:
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> Victor, I'm only judging from some of the artwork
> and photos on the Rapido site, but it looks like
> with the car diaphragms 22" may be too tight...
> you might enlarge to at least 24-26" if you have
> the room.

Have quite a few Rapido NP passenger cars about a dozen or so. I have run them at the club track in Medford OR and had trouble there with some of the curves. What would happin they would swing enough to catch the open edge aand derail one place had a slight s curve to it. I dont think they will work without longer shank couplers at the least. Have Walthers Domes since rapido doesnt make them my idea to cure my problem is to use a longer shank coupler on rear of each car and see how that works.  

I agree with others who have said 24".  While I don't have any Rapido cars, my various Walther's Superliners and Horizon cars can handle the 24" radius curve into staging (that will be hidden someday), but I wish I had had enough room to do 26" curves as I can tell I'm pushing my luck at 24".

Nathan