# Pros and Cons of short and medium shanks?



## Roberto Lodigiani (Jun 7, 2013)

I'm making progress deciding what N environment I want. Now I have to decide the knuckle coupler shank length. Any views on the subject?


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## MRLdave (Nov 1, 2011)

Short shanks look better, but limit the articulation, which can be an issue if you have a lot of tight radius curves on your layout.


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## Roberto Lodigiani (Jun 7, 2013)

*"tight radius curves"?*

Dave. Thanks. How would you define "tight radius curves"? Would you say if I would use ATLAS track with curves code 2014 (seldom) and 2016 and above?


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

Atlas sells three different radius curves in N scale code 80 track...9 3/4,11 and 19 inches,9 3/4 being too tight for larger locos and rolling stock.Eleven inch is a little easier so almost anything can handle it but still look weird doind so.The nineteen inch is considered a broad curve and will look very good.
Then,if you want any radius in between or larger,you'll need "flextrack",wich I use all the time anyway.You can really customize your tracks to suit your needs.

Shanks...specially with passenger cars,the shorter they are more prototypical they look but you need broad curves so the cars don't "pinch" and derail.If you'll be using tight curves,you'll need longer shanks.

I have 15+ in. curves on my layout and the Challenger and Heavyweights do handle them easy.However,they'd look even better with larger curves if I had the room....


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## Roberto Lodigiani (Jun 7, 2013)

*A classification perhaps of ATLAS track sections*

Jake. Thanks. For now, I would like to stick to sectional tracking (don't ask me why).

I decided on ATLAS tracks N 55 without roadbed.

Would you say that (keep in mind the main subject of this thread)...

Not to use ATLAS 10" and 11,25" radius sections.
Use sparingly ATLAS 12,5" radius sections (maybe for yards for loco only traffic).
Use, in a conventional way (prototypical?) ATLAS 13,75" radius sections.
Use ATLAS 15" and above given the space.


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

The short shank work and look great on curves greater than 11". The larger the curve, the more prototypical it will look. Exception might well be logging layouts.


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## Roberto Lodigiani (Jun 7, 2013)

*Short shanks it is.*

For now, short shanks will do.


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## MRLdave (Nov 1, 2011)

There isn't really a hard fast rule.......a lot also depends on how far the coupler is from the truck.......if the distance is long (passenger cars, autoracks,ect) there will be more problems than if the coupler and truck are closer together. The same holds for engines.....engines with 6 axle trucks will have more issues than locos with 4 axle trucks. Sometimes the wheel flanges will have an effect.....high flanges will hold the track better than low flanges......

Go with your short shanks, and just be prepared to change out any cars that have problems.


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## Roberto Lodigiani (Jun 7, 2013)

Thanks Dave. I have reached the same conclusion. Also, I have some much to experience that I cannot foresee everything. I'm just trying to establish some kind of baseline standards so to put my arms around the whole N 55 environment.


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Here is another option and a number of folks have started to do this. Use trucks without couplers and then surface mount the coupler. The owner of Micro-Train and I had the opportunity to have a conversation about this at the N Scale Convention that was held in Houston, Texas (non-Texans and a serious problem with the heat and humidity and we may never see another N Scale Convention here). Anyway, Micro-Train was promoting the idea and had cars coming out with the coupler/wells separate. He said that it allowed the car to turn on a shorter radius. I tried it on one car and it did. Interesting.


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## Roberto Lodigiani (Jun 7, 2013)

Thanks, Carl. I'm not sure I understand you because I don't know what you mean with "trucks without couplers and then surface mount the coupler". I'm mounting the couplers to the body. And I don't know about "surface". "Coupler/wells"? 

Anyway, I would like to model as close to the prototype as possible.

Houston. I lived in South Texas for several years; I never got used to the temp. and the humidity. We moved to San Francisco, CA... much better weather.


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