Recommendation for radius 1 track

[Bryan -345211]

I’m looking for recommendations for something that will run on a radius 1 track. My layout consists of a radius 2 linked to radius 1. Any thoughts would be appreciated

[Brew Man]

Pretty much all of the 0-4-0 locos I should think and 4 wheel wagons. Some of the smaller 0-6-0 locos may be OK too, but probably not much else.

[LTSR_NSE]

Please check out the following threads for the advice you are seeking:

https://uk.hornby.com/community/forum/radius-1-and-2-curves

https://uk.hornby.com/community/forum/first-radius-curves-what-locomotives

[RDS]

On my layout I have 4 concentric ovals, Radius 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Without any problem at all, I can run all my Loco's on all tracks:

Diesel Class 08, Class 20, Class 37, Class 42, Class 47, Class 52, Class 58, Class 66, Class 70.

Steam Class 05 Shunter, 4MT 2-6-4T, Royal Scot, Flying Scotsman.

Having said that, all tracks are perfectly level and I run them like Trains and not a Scalextric.

I can never understand comments that say you cannot run anything other than small Loco's, because I have been running all the above for years.

[Rana Temporia]

If you go for some of the older locos they will all work on 1st radius as they were designed to do so. This includes some of the better detailed locos from some other manufacturers. I have no problem with an old 9F or Jouef 2-10-0 on 1st rad. My house is small and by necessity my layout will have 1st radius curves on it. If a loco won’t go round them it’s no use to me. They don’t look great but there is nothing I can do about it.

Many of my older Tri-ang locos will actually go round Playcraft/Jouef 12.75” radius curves with no problem, and will run quite happily on that track without bouncing along on their flanges.

[Brew Man]

Yes, the older locos were indeed designed to run on rad 1 curves. To do that their centre drives wheels were flangeless and never actually touched the rails, so they were all in effect 0-4-0s.

[ntpntpntp]

I don't know about Hornby 00 and other brands, but in British N it's now customary to quote the minimum radius the model is designed to negotiate, on the box and in associated instruction sheets. Preferably given as a measurement in mm although sometimes seen as "R1" or "R2" which then have to assume is referring to Peco Setrack.

Unfortunately the desire to add more and more fine detail and fidelity to prototype etc. can come at the expense of ability to negotiate the minimum curves and points of people's existing layouts. Personally I find that disappointing. With the Continental N models I run, it's extremely rare that even a large/long steam loco won't manage the track system's smallest radius (there would be an outcry from the brand-loyal fans :) )

[DC-345471]

I run sections of rad 1 in the middle of a bit of rad 2 where my layout turns 180 degrees at each end and pretty much everything steam tender ringfield drive from Hornby and all diesels handle it no problem even an Evening Star. I have 3 relatively more modern Hornby steam locos, a Tornado, K1 and a Scotsman all are fine as well.

Bachmann are less so. A couple of steam locos a V1/3 and an Ivatt Class 4 had to have the middle driver flanges ground off, others seem fine.

All Lima, Mainline, Replica, Airfix are OK with rad 1 or at least I haven't had any problems with any I have.

[Rana Temporia]

Not all the locos that will go round rad 1 are wannabe 0-4-0s. Evening star had all wheels flanged apart from the centre ones which was actually prototypical. I think my Jouef 2-10-0 has all wheels flanged, it’s just designed so that the axles can move sideways and the coupling rods are loose enough to allow it to happen. It also picks up from all the driving wheels and the tender and will crawl at a snails pace even on relatively dirty steel track.

I think all my Jouef 2-8-2s also have all flanged wheels as do the Pacific’s, and no problem at all with 1st Radius.

[GeoFF03]

I have 1st, 2nd & 3rd radius curves on my small layout, and all but one of my steam locos handle the 1st radius with ease. All the locos are fairly modern, 10 to 15 years old at the most. The one that fails is a Fowler 4F 0-6-0 tender loco from Bachmann which has little or no lateral movement on the axles. My diesels also have no issues, though I tend not to run the largest, such as the class 37 or class 55 deltic on 1st.

[The son of Triangman]

Most post 1966 UK made Hornby was designed to run on the then standard trainset 1st radius curves, there are odd exceptions. Anything made after 1999 will be China made and mostly 2nd or 3rd radius. However some Railroad range 0-4-0's, the odd Railroad range locos such as the compound, D49, 0-6-0's and ex-Lima moulding models, and Tri-ang re-introductions will be 1st radius compatible.

[atom3624]

I doubt any of my steam locomotives other than the Peckett's will negotiate 1st radius - I always fit the detailing.

I do understand many will simply have little choice through space availability, but it's not an ideal consideration, and will aggravate chassis / bearing wear.

I remember my original Triang / Triang-Hornby locomotives running on 1st and 2nd radius - hours on end ... and having to request my Dad redress the oval holes!!

From what I see of many of the 'super detail' larger diesels as well, the articulation is limited, and 1st radius is definitely not a consideration for most of them.

Al.

[M. Matthews]

This video may be of some help:

[samfieldhouse]

1st radius gets a lot of hassle. On my layout I have a complete R1 loop and most of my recent stock runs fine on it. That includes:

All Hornby 0-6-0s, B12, A4, Pecket, J15, Pullman coaches. Bachman Prairie, USA tank, DJ J94 and O2.

The J15 is a lovely model. For a tender loco that would be my choice.

[The son of Triangman]

J15 is an 0-6-0 tender loco. There are two versions of the B12, super detail and the ex-Tri-ang model. The ex-Tri-ang model is fine on 1st radius. The class 08 from the Railroad range is fine, but the super detail main range 08 isn't so happy with 1st radius. A UK made A4 would be fine on 1st radius, but a modern China made one would have difficulty on 1st radius. It's not totally cut and dry, but rule of thumb is UK made Hornby, most Railroad loco's, 0-4-0's and most 0-6-0's are fine.