My Canadian Prairie is slowly beginning to come together. I have fields and mats on order and need to put another coat of red paint on the roof of the white grain elevator. I'm thinking of putting an asphalt road down the center marked by my tape measure. I now have fine ballast to create gravel/dirt roads to the house and fields. Dave
Dave, it would be easier for us (and you) to follow the progress of your layout if each post was not a brand new thread. Start a thread for your layout (how about "Canadian Prairie"?), and post update messages to that thread, and we can respond also to that thread. That way, all we have to do is scroll up within the thread to see previous posts, and progress that has been made in later posts, etc. Nice work, by the way! I can't see where the two sidings in the foreground lead to, but if you swap their order (rightmost switch to the inside, next one to the outside,) that will avoid an S-curve when trying to get in/out of the outside turnout. However, I would also increase the radius of the curve(s) between siding and switch's diverging (curved) route. S-curves are created when you join two curved tracks (including switches) that are curving in the opposite directions. Slight S-curves are ok, but more severe ones can cause operating problems, particularly if you start using longer engines and railcars. Most Kato N scale equipment is designed to successfully negotiate a minimum curve radius of ~9.75", and that includes a transition from straight track to such a curve or vice versa. For approximating the severity of an S-curve to an equivalent transition between curve and straight (tangent) track, I use a formula: 1/Req = 1/R1 + 1/R2 [where R1 and R2 are in opposite directions and Req is the equivalent radius for a curve to straight transition] Solving the above for Req: Req = 1/(1/R1 + 1/R2) Using this equation, the following combinations should be your limit 19R to 19R S-curve : 9.5Req 28R to 15R S-curve : 9.8Req And other combinations with either or both radii greater than those shown (eg. 19R to 28R) would be ok. Otherwise, you can add a straight section (roughly at least a long as your longest locomotive or railcar running over it) between the two opposite curves to eliminate the S-curve altogether. It is also possible to flip the first (rightmost) switch from lefthand to righthand, to avoid that S-curve, The righthand switch would replace the 15 degree curve immediately to the right of the rightmost switch in the picture above.
