Rivermead Central

[John R Smith]

I had originally intended to have the platform 1 (main) station building on this curve and have platform 1 extending several feet around the curve. That is no longer my intention because of the clearance issues with long locomotives on a 3’ 6” radius curve requiring the platform to be absurdly far from the track.

Martin

Curved platforms are not just a problem in coarse scale. Even in fine scale, with a minimum of say 6' radius, we can be in trouble with GWR 70' carriage stock or big diesels - which works out at just over 19 inches long in O Gauge. Once again, we are trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot. On the full size railway any curve of 15 chains or less on running lines required a check rail and a very serious speed limit, that being a curve of 23 feet radius in our scale. So to have a chance of prototypical curves we need a room at least 46 feet across! Ho hum . . .

John