new indoor layout advice needed

[Tommy336]

I am wanting to install a ceiling track in my garage/man-cave and my question are I have room for 112 ft. of track in  33 x 23  and I am thinking I need to buy a 8 ft. circle for the 4 curves but dont want to limit what engine that I can run or risk dumping the cars off the track so maybe I need a 12 ft. circle. I want the train to move pretty good and also look realistic. I do plan on putting up guardrail around the track but wondering if its only needed in the curves. Also on the 23 ft. section over the garage door center rail I will need to rise my height 3 inches to get over the rail over a 23 ft. span. The highest point of the rise will be at 11 1/5 Ft, so is this going to cause problems. One last point of interest my wife purchased some 1950s Louise Marx signal and spot lights today from a consignment store and wondering if I can hook them to the track and how to test the lighting without the transformer or track available. Im thinking maybe a 9 volt battery. Thanks for any advice!   Tommy

 

[Razor_Antilles]

When it comes to your curves, the limiting factors will be two things: what locomotives you want to run and how heavy they are, and what rolling stock you want to run and how long it is. 8-foot diameter circles will accommodate just about everything locomotive-wise except for the USA Trains Big Boy, which needs 16-foot diameter and also weighs fifty pounds. I don't know enough about the MTH offerings to give good advice on those. I don't know if any Aristocraft locomotives need diameters bigger than 8-foot, either. Rolling stock-wise, 8-foot diameter will accommodate everything except the USA Trains two-tier auto carriers and articulated 5-unit intermodals, which need a minimum of 10-foot diameter. Bigger diameter circles do give more realistic appearances, and also creates a lot more flexibility for rolling stock in general.