For testing purposes to check if I succeeded in designing a proper curve, I allways use the consist shown here. I attach the camera to the wagon before last and look to the front. Due to the many lines of the wagon's roof it is easy to judge the bending movement of the consist during a slow drive along the new curve.
Here the engine and the wagon behind it are already in the transition curve (fig.18). Well, in the screenshots you may not distinguish the difference very much. But if you do build a line like this here you will recognise the slow and steady bending movement there when the consist moves onward. You have to try for yourself to find out.
fig.18
In the fig.19 the consist is well into the curve.
fig.19
Note: The radius I choose here - at least in Germany - is considered a very narrow one. 500 meters radius is the limit value for main lines in a hillside environment. With maximum superelevation only 100 km/h (62.5 mph) are allowed. I do not want to comment on the curves that can be seen on some maps and even some tutorials. For me it is one of the biggest advantages of the sim to be able to build curves to as large a radius as I want to wthout having to look for some gymnasium to accomodate it. But other people may feel different (and this is their good right to do so, I do not judge).
Just to give an idea of what I am talking about:
Min. radius for mainline in flat country: 1000 m
Min radius for (not so very) high speed trains of 200 km/h (125 mph): 3000 m
Figures 20 and 21 show what our consist looks like in our curve of 500m radius.
