Superelevated double track unitrak...

[wm3798]

One of the more interesting adverts in the December MR... Anyone seen this stuff?

The notes say concrete ties with American spacing...
Nothing about rail code, though...

Lee

[Mark5]

One of the more interesting adverts in the December MR... Anyone seen this stuff?

The notes say concrete ties with American spacing...
Nothing about rail code, though...

Lee

In Kato land there is only one code ...

[Matthew Roberts]

40? 

Which means Code 80, of course.  :'(

[GonzoCRFan]

What direction is it superelevated in? I've never really seen the need to superelevate your model track in the same way the prototype superelevates theirs. The mass of a real life train wants make it tip over the outside of the curve, which is why they superelevate it so it leans towards the inside. But because model trains are so light, they have a tendency towards being pulled towards the inside of the curve by the pulling force of the locomotives...so tilting model tracks towards the inside will only exacerbate the problem. 

[tom mann]

What direction is it superelevated in? I've never really seen the need to superelevate your model track in the same way the prototype superelevates theirs. The mass of a real life train wants make it tip over the outside of the curve, which is why they superelevate it so it leans towards the inside. But because model trains are so light, they have a tendency towards being pulled towards the inside of the curve by the pulling force of the locomotives...so tilting model tracks towards the inside will only exacerbate the problem. 

Great point.  I never thought of that before...

[GonzoCRFan]

Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to create an exact representation of the prototype that we forget that the physics of trains doesn't scale down like simple dimensions do.

[sd80mac]

Hey Gonzo,

Physics is physics, whether in 1:160 scale or 1:1 scale. You can "string-line" a reall train just as easy if the conditions are right (pulling to hard around a tight curve, loads behind empties, etc.) Tilting model tracks will work exactly the same way when cars and engines are properly weighted ala NMRA specs. The only difference is that model curves are much sharper. But, on second thought, that really is a moot point because Chicago's L system superelevates nearly all of its super tight curves when negotiating through downtown streets. And if you look closely at the outside rail in this photo you'll notice the wooden shims use to give the rail the "proper" tilt.



Photo courtesy nycsubway.org

What direction is it superelevated in? I've never really seen the need to superelevate your model track in the same way the prototype superelevates theirs. The mass of a real life train wants make it tip over the outside of the curve, which is why they superelevate it so it leans towards the inside. But because model trains are so light, they have a tendency towards being pulled towards the inside of the curve by the pulling force of the locomotives...so tilting model tracks towards the inside will only exacerbate the problem. 

[bobcat]

I went to the Kato website and found no info there. Funny how it makes it in print before it gets on their own site.

[pedro]

I went to the Kato website and found no info there. Funny how it makes it in print before it gets on their own site.

You have to go to the Kato Japan page:
http://www.katomodels.com/product/nmi/unitrack_v11_e.shtml

[pedro]

I think the discussions about the physics are really pointless when it comes to superelevation on model curves. It really is just an appearance thing. Superelevation looks cool and gives N scale trains a feeling, or look, of mass and weight. Assuming carefully laid track and careful train handling, there is no impact on operation.

At one time a group of friends and I built a portable layout to take to train shows which had 36" radius curves that were superelevated with .020" plastic strip under the outside rail. We regularly ran 50-100 car trains with no problems. It was one of the first things a lot of people noticed about the layout. It looks really cool in photos and video.

Nothing looks phonier to me than "flat" mainline curves.

Pedro