# Track Gauge Sizes



## deeredaze (Mar 10, 2008)

What is the actual tolerance for the distance between the rails on gauge 1 track? I am hand laying some track and going to make some aluminum bars to hold the rails in gauge while putting in spikes. The cheap gauge I bought measures 1.768 to 1.794. What do you guys use for straight and curved sections? I know the curves need to be a little wider, so should I make them to the upper limit? How about the curves in switches?

Thanks for your help.
Kris


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## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

from the G1MRA standards: 
Gauge 1.772" +or- .02" For tight curves 1.79" You'll find the full details at http://www.gaugeone.org/resources.htm. 
This is for 1:32 standard gauge, you can get away with a bit wider gauge in 1:20.3 due to wider wheels. I found this out 
when my 1:32 wheels fell through where the wider wheels were quite happy. 

Harvey C.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Actually the gage for the tangent track and curve track stays they same. You should not widen the gage for curves. Later RJD


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## Hagen (Jan 10, 2008)

Posted By aceinspp on 03/02/2009 1:59 PM
Actually the gage for the tangent track and curve track stays they same. You should not widen the gage for curves. Later RJD


Depends on your locomotives, you can sneak a lot trough sharper curves with gauge widening...


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By aceinspp on 03/02/2009 1:59 PM
Actually the gage for the tangent track and curve track stays they same. You should not widen the gage for curves. Later RJD


Ah, one well-known and very popular Gauge 1 track manufacturer here in UK - RTR and components - DOES make and recommend the use of wider gauge track for curves. But then he makes 1/32nd track that is to scale, for 1/32nd scale Gauge 1 models of finer standards than 1/29th/1/27th/1/24th/1.22.5 and Fn3.

tac
www.ovgrs.org


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

If you use a three point gauge with the two pin side on the outside of the curve, you automatically widen the gauge on the curves. This is what we did when we handlaid track in HO and HOn3 (also dual gauge).


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## deeredaze (Mar 10, 2008)

Thanks for the answers guys. Harvey, I checked out the gauge one website. They have a lot of info. Rich, it makes sense with a three point gauge that the curves will widen, and probably in proportion to the sharpness of the curve as well. It sounds like the "ride on" scales add about an 1/8" to their curves to lessen the drag of the cars. I surely won't need that much! 
Kris


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Do real 1:1 widen gauge on curves?


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## Hagen (Jan 10, 2008)

Posted By SE18 on 03/03/2009 1:50 PM
Do real 1:1 widen gauge on curves?

Yes, it's a factor along with curve, but it varies of course


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Hagan: Wrong As US RR no longer widen the gage for curves. A lot of test where done for this and also you now come into a problem with the FRA standards. It is not recommended to widen gage even in G scale . its a fantasy Believe what you want but I'll tell you I will never widen the gage in G scale for a number of reasons. As for those hand laying track bet the gage will widen on you eventually and cause you problem especially if using wood ties and large loco's Later RJD


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## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

Aw come on, RJD. We'ld really like to know those reasons. 
Why be so mysterious? 

There's a lot of curves laid with flex track that works great without fudging the gauge, so I suspect wider gauge is somewhat over rated. 

Harvey C.


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## Hagen (Jan 10, 2008)

Posted By aceinspp on 03/03/2009 5:35 PM
Hagan: Wrong As US RR no longer widen the gage for curves. A lot of test where done for this and also you now come into a problem with the FRA standards. It is not recommended to widen gage even in G scale . its a fantasy Believe what you want but I'll tell you I will never widen the gage in G scale for a number of reasons. As for those hand laying track bet the gage will widen on you eventually and cause you problem especially if using wood ties and large loco's Later RJD

Since the 2-10-0 and their kind went out of service there may no longer be the need, with "short-boogie" based engines, and 'active railtracking boogies', but earlier you had to, or they would spread all by themselves...
The brits by the way do have a bit of a problem with their Class 66s because the boogie follows the curve to the point where you wear a grove in the threads... 

Not 'wrong' or 'fantasy', that they no longer do it is a moot point at best, YES, 1/1 railroads did it, and some still do.......

Werent there a class 4-12-2 (atleast 12 drivers) that where just called 'railsplitters' in the states?



As for G, maybe not, it has far too much slack in the standards as it is, but with F and Gauge one there are places where such practice can give a positive effect, but it's optional, so do whatever you fancy.
I obviously shouldn't bother...


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## Hagen (Jan 10, 2008)

Why is it you think, that your self made track widens with use of large locos, if it is not widened from the start?!
I think you just mentioned the number one reason for gauge widening right there...
As for flex track not being widened, it doesn't have to, it's plastic, it widens all by itself. It's mostly rigid self laid track that sees this problem.
(And the rather sturdy sleepers made by the manufacturer mentioned by Tac earlier in this thread)


But I don't really care, do whatever you feel is right for you, we just tried to answer the original and follow up questions...


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