Track radius in HOm (12mm) gauge.

[ianp]

I am planning to build a micro layout, modelling a French village scene in HOm (12mm) gauge. The track will be a simple circle. So, what is the shortest radius I can sensibly expect to achieve using commercially available HOm track from manufacturers such as PECO, Tillig and BEMO? My guess is a radius of about 12 inches. Does anyone know better?

[Flying Fox 34F]

IanP,

 

Visit the Peco website, https://peco-uk.com/pages/search-results-page?q=track+hom-12mm

This should give you the information you are looking for.

 

Paul

[hank]

Greetings from Czechia.

 

Well, if you are content with standard Tillig or Kuehn TT flexi tracks you can bend them down to diameters of 7 or even 6 inches (175 - 150 mm). Tried many times, it works. Naturally there's a question which vehicles are able to reliably negotiate such fierce curves but there exist about a dozen of TT locomotives and railcars (made in Germany, Czechia, Austria) I have tried without a trouble. Their wheelbases are up to 55 mm. For H0m vehicles it should be still easier due to their usual shorter wheelbases. 

 

Unfortunately I have no experience with TTm tracks. 

[hank]

54 minutes ago, hank said:

Unfortunately I have no experience with TTm tracks. 

Sorry, wanted to write H0m tracks...

[DIW]

As hank mentioned, it depends a lot on the wheelbases of what you intend to run - and on the models themselves. The general rule for Bemo HOm kit is minimum radius 330mm, and this is easily fine for many of their items. Some of the shorter stuff (ArosaBahn? some of the RhB guys will correct me if that should say Albula bahn) will easily fit on shorter radius. However some of the French railcars are rather long (both H0 and H0m, I'm thinking of the railcars operating in the Savoie Alps) so you'll have to select the stock to match your track. Depending on your era and setting, four-wheel stock may be suitable - what are you considering?

All the Best - I look forward to reading about what you create.

Dave

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by DIW
speeling

[DCB]

Pick a radius you can get round 180 degrees with one piece of flexi.   12" for metre lengths and around 11" for 3ft to avoid fishplates and joints on the curves.  That way you can get a lovely even curve which minimises chances of derailments.   My latest 00 layout uses 12" radius curves. It means compromises, but who needs a 4-6-2 Frying Scotchman when you can have a slightly shortened 4-4-2 version

[JimFin]

This is Peco HOm on an A3 sheet of foamboard and uses a 2/2 tractor with short wheelbase so the radius must be about  140mm = 5inches.