So I've been stuck "designing" (read: procrastinating) my layout for months. It's going to be very small on a 36x80 door. Anyway, by my house there is a circle of old warehouses that have been converted into art galleries and independent shops. It's located right next to a CSX mainline and as of now, an unused Amtrak station (thanks, Katrina!). But running down the middle of these warehouses is an old track. You can barely see it. (I wouldn't have if I hadn't tripped). So it got me to thinking that I haven't seen many photos of unused tracks modeled. I wondered if any of you guys had photos or ideas about something like that. In this instance there is no switch off of the mainline, nor across the road. Either it was paved over or that much was torn up. I don't know that in my little layout that I'll have enough room to sacrifice any room for track that won't be used, but it's a thought running through my head. Thanks for your photos and advice ahead of time.
Dave, I have a piece of "abandoned" track on my door panel. It truely was going to be a connection to another door, but I changed the plan. The cork was already glued down, so I added an "older" more weathered color for ballast (no track), added weeds and trees, and a dirt road crosses it. It looks pretty good for such a small space, looks to me like an abandoned ROW. This is where I park my railfans to watch the mainline.
It really doesnt need much room. The track doesnt have to be in a logical area per se, it can dissappear under the foundation of a building as if the building was errected over old ROW..fade off into grass, be paved over by a parking area. Only a few inches really to get the feel. Or maybe just some faded and broken ties laid alongside a newer track. If you exlplore some you will stumble upon old grade crossings for instance with no discernable sign of tracks in either direction, having been built over and re-developed. Check this link out from another thread: http://www.oldnyc.com/jay_street_rr/contents/jay_street.html
There is a park south of Boston that has abandoned track covered in new growth saplings. You can make out the rails and ties from the trail. North of Lincoln NH there is a wide path where there used to be a logging RR. There's a river on one size and forrest on the left. You could run yours through a forest area. Maybe just a short diagonal piece across a corner.
I believe most people don't model abandoned track, as railfans dislike seeing rails removed, etc. But when I have seen it done, most times, the contrast to regularly used trackage has an excellent effect. I'd be interested in seeing any photos of what folks have done on their layouts. Boxcab E50
My father always tells me about how in Chicago when they converted to bus service from trolleys, they basically buried enough steel for ten battle ships under new asphalt. Here in denver there are many places where you see track sticking up through dirt or in the case of streets asphalt.
Av8r - nice link! Not what I was talking about exactly, but an awesome link nonetheless. I love anything related to NY history. I once visited the subway museum in Brooklyn that is in a station of an abandoned line. They have some of the oldest cars that you can walk into and sit in. It's funny how short the seats are because collectively, as a race, we have grown taller in the past century. Boxcab - I agree with you, as modelers if we have track on our layouts, we want to run on it! But your reasoning is exactly why I started the thread.
