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LGB Track & Switches

Most people from smaller scales will naturally express themselves in radius.

Well, LGB, who basically "started" Large Scale, used Diameter, for what reason, people can only speculate. (Probably to know what space a simple loop would occupy, since space is ALWAYS an issue)

LGB also expressed it's Diameters as "R" curves (could it be more confusing?"

 

LGB "R"
number
 common LGB
 track number
 degrees
per section
 switch
number
 frog
number
 true diameter
MM
true diameter
inches
 true radius
 inches
 closest foot
 diameter
 closest foot
 radius
 R1 11000 30 12000 2 1200
 47.24 23.63 4' 2'
 R2 15000 30 none
  1560  61.42 30.71 5' 2-1/2'
 R3 16000 22.5 16000 3.5 2390  94.09 47.05 8'  4'
 R4 see note
     ~3500
   ~11-1/2' 
 R5 18000 15 18000 5 4640 182.68 91.34 15' 7-1/2'

Note: Tom Trigg indicates that at one time there was an R4 turnout which was also supplied with a single piece of curved track as a "parallel track" adapter. Maybe in the early 80's.

ALL the LGB switches are "curved" meaning that the rails beyond the frog are curved not straight as in a prototype switch.

Many manufacturers did this to match their curved track, especially with the ultra-sharp curves made initially.

The equivalent "frog number" of various LGB switches listed above are close approximations.

 

 

Last Updated on Friday, 05 February 2010 19:14
 

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