HO Minimum-Radius & Turnout Quick Guide
FREE
HO scale curve and turnout reference: practical minimum radius by car, what each turnout number does, radius bands, and where to use them. Free printable PDF.
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Before you lay track, two questions decide whether it runs clean: what's the tightest curve this equipment tolerates, and will that car take this turnout's diverging route? This free one-page reference answers both at the bench.
It gives the practical minimum radius for common HO equipment from a 40-foot boxcar to an 89-foot auto-rack, the substitute radius and frog angle each turnout number (#4 through #10) behaves like, and rule-of-thumb radius bands so you can size a curve at a glance. It also covers which turnout belongs where — yards and spurs versus mainline versus high-speed crossovers — and why a short easement into a curve keeps long cars from lurching.
The numbers are practical guidelines, not manufacturer specs: brands vary, and coupler type and truck mounting move the real minimum. Confirm a critical fit by rolling your longest car through it before you ballast.
Checking a specific car and turnout? The RailForge Min-Radius & Turnout Checker does it live.
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