I have been looking over my track plan and then it hit me......What about using street trackage where the space is tight. The trucks have to get to those industries you know What are some methods to model street trackage? and more specific to my question, how in the world do you model switches into street trackage? The Kingsbury branch sparked some of these ideas. So I started on my quest for online resources on street trackage. I see huge potential for this on my phantom layout (I will build it someday soon I hope). I know there has to be somebody on here who knows this. As always, thanks a ton.
Matt- I know of several ways that you could try. Theres using styrene sheets, or plaster. I've used plaster for all my roads and crossings (so far), and I like the way it looks, except that some places don't have the same shade of the paint I use. I just build a dam on both sides of where the road will go with some square-shaped columns of styrene strips, and glue them down with Elmers. Then I pour the plaster into the area and level it with a piece of styrene, which is wetted down with regular water if the plaster is setting. When its dry I carve out the flangeways with an NMRA look-alike tool. All I did was take a piece of scrap brass I had, and used my dremel tool to gring away two flanges into it that fit between the rails. Then I paint it gray. I have stayed away from modeling turnouts in streets, but when I have, I pour the plaster away from the switchpoints, and just cover the area after that (frog, guardrail). Just be sure the flanges don't take away any of the plastic (I use atlas track) away from these parts. I don't know how to use styrene this way, but i remember that Trains.com had an article on how to model intermodal yards in N scale using styrene. I'm thinking about using that on my next layout. I hope I helped you out. Dave
Ah, just my fav topic (I love industrial/city railways). Well, first I would suggest Kalmbach's book: Modeling Cities or something like that by John Pryke. It'll give you alot of insight on everything. Now for the actual trackage. I suggest using joint compound, not plaster, for making any roadways in track for a number of reasons. You first apply a good, but not perfect application of just below the railheads (gotta clean the track but not the street!) of the joint compound. After everything dries, but dont wait too long, get a smooth sponge and wet it. You can now drag the sponge across the surface to form a very smooth and good looking roadway. Oh, forgot to mention, if you are applying the compound between the rails, have alot of cheap Atlas trucks around them and ride them back and forth to clean the flanges. This is a major concern as it wont matter how good something looks if it runs like crap. Then while you are rewetting the surface, be sure to clean out the flanges. Score the joint lines with a knife (different for concrete and asphalt) and paint the color of your choice with a (strongly suggest)airbrush. Now for the turnouts. You could either use styrene or once again joint compound. Both have their pros and cons. Styrene doesnt look as good as joint compound, but it is a easier and less forgiving then getting some joint coupound in the middle of the throwbar. I really suggest using some spare track and building a diorama to practice your techniques. So for the styrene: make patterns for styrene templates to fit in the rails with clearence for the switch points to move. Glue down the styrene just below railhead (that means use styrene that fits just below the top of the rails when glued on the ties) and just putty and sandpaper to smooth everything out. Score lines for expansion joints and paint. Using the joint compound, this requires the use of dams to prevent the stuff flowing where it wants to. Build everything up and carefully apply it. Its tough but possible. For protecting the moving parts underneath (joint bar), you place styrene in the turnout first and then some joint compound. Then fill the outside of the turnout with joingcompound as before. Confusing, isnt it? Bill Denton is my hero for all this stuff and is on the top of the list for excellent modelers. Check his website here at http://members.aol.com/wdenton101/index.htm#page1 Street trackage requires already perfectly laid track in the beginning, so its demanding from there on. If you do it well, the results are well worth it. Good luck Mike
I have found the only method of laying street trackage that will permit slow speed switching without stalling is to use sheet styrene for the street surface, keeping the level below the railhead. Between the rails, I lay .020 x .020 strips to clear wheel flanges then top these with .020 sheet to similate paving. Plaster or joint compound will work out allright outside the rails for rail-highway crossings but caused me trouble with long stretches of track in the street.
