Thanks Knuckles! The moving bit you refer to is the radius rod.
No problem, and cool. I have learned the names of the various rods before but keep forgetting. So many of the bloomin' things. It does look very convincing in motion, something I'd like to see modelled more. Whether I'll be a one to do it is unknown. Currently not thinking so as it looks a bit of a pig to get to work well.
Going back on message, don't take this the wrong way, I don't fully know what your plans are, but it has always seemed to me it's a bit daft* modelling in P4 for its realism yet making trains whizz round unrealistic curves, relative to the stock and speed. But there's "onstage" and "offstage", and what we do offstage is entirely our own affair, with no limit on lateral thinking. If I wanted to turn a circle in the minimum space "offstage" I would resort to anything that was practical.
Awful space restrictions make it the only way. It's either do tight curves or don't do anything.
Tight curves or not, P4 track and wheels is still miles more realistic and convincing than 00 to me.
On my Crab thread I showed all the places of the running gear that foul even on a 4ft curve, there will be that much more filing and fiddling the smaller the radius.
Hmm, see this sort of thing is what worries me, on the converse side of things; part of why I reconsidered this particular plan to be in P4 is because I read several of your posts and those of other people elsewhere saying you can get Black 5's around a 30' radius or whatever, and another guy got a 9F around a 2' 6" curve. Reading those posts gave me some more hope yet what you just said about the 4' radius still being not enough then dashes that.
So what is it!?
Ok I know there are many variables. My current plan if I go P4 for this one is to construct the loco's I need, some are already done and I have proved to mysself they go around a much tighter curve than I need, the majority of other loco's are 0-6-0's so no problem there. My gripe is the 4-6-0 & 4-6-2 I'd need to somehow build later to traverse those 34" radius curves.
Is it possible.....and I know pitch forks may be aimed my way for saying so, but is it possible to just pull the whole cylinder assembly out by 0.5mms either side or something? Ok so I know that is possible as you just snip the link between the cylinders and mount them outwards, but practically speaking, as long as platform clearances are adhered to would it be viable to do whilst avoiding binding? My biggest worry is doing everything then when it finally comes to tackling those bigger engines finding out it is impossible....even though I have read from you and others before it is possible.
I suppose if I personally found it impossible I could dig deep and find someone who would be willing to build them for me, really don't want to even have to consider that though.
Also a baby question tagged on, some of these 34" curves will require curved points and a diamond. This may be asking for pain I guess. Viable? Gauge widened by 0.2mm with a wide check gap thus still gauged from the crossing, would it work?
Hoooo