Factors Affecting The Minimum Curve Radius
Minimum curve radii for railroads are governed by the speed operated and by the mechanical ability of the rolling stock to adjust to the curvature. In North America, equipment for unlimited interchange between railroad companies are built to accommodate 350-foot (106.7 m) radius (16 degrees 26 minutes) or sharper, but normally 410-foot (125.0 m) radius (14 degrees) is used as a minimum, as some freight cars are handled by special agreement between railroads that cannot take the sharper curvature. For handling of long freight trains, a minimum 717-foot (218.5 m) radius (8 degrees) is preferred.
The sharpest curves tend to be on the narrowest of narrow gauge railways, where almost everything is proportionately smaller.
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