Street Running?

I have a section of trackage on my new layout that is going to need to run down the middle of a busy downtown street. I've never attempted to build a road around (and over) a piece of track, so my question is: how do you build a road over the rails but still keep the track functioning and smooth? Any tips?

 

Walthers makes a street track insert set that might work for you 933-3140.
The LK&R has street running and we poured hydrocal where the street went and used a plastic credit card as a screed to smooth the plaster while it was still wet. an old freight car truck with older wheels that had deeper flanges was run back and forth to make the flangeways. Everything was painted a very dark almost black grey and allowed to dry. Sidewalks were then added to finish the street.
Here in town there is street running in real life. Maybe the attached photos will give you some ideas too.

 

Unfortunately, it's backordered at the moment . Any photos you have of your modelled street running would be quite helpful.

 

Many thanks JD, those were great threads.

 

I've used gypsum and a home made tool:


And here's my How To.

Wolfgang

 

I would not recomend the walthers road kits. they never seam to fit into your idea of the roadway. The plastic road kit is only good for 100% flat parts of a layout. you will end up cutting and bending trying to get it to work. The best way IMO is to take plaster of paris and apply thin coats untill you build up the road way level with the track. sand it smooth and keep the tracks clear when you apply each coat.

Trent

 

I don't have street running, but I will say that using spackle is the way to go.. it's soft enough that you can carve it. I just tinted mine with india ink first..

 

Great roads, Diez.

Wolfgang: that's a great tool. Maybe you should consider selling a few of them? I know I would be in the market for one immediately. It looks nice and sturdy.

Secondly: how wet was the plaster when you began carving it with the tool? Was it partially dry, or still completely wet? And did you have to go back afterwards and carve the inside of the rails, or was the tool alone enough?

 

The plaster was still running, like paste. :angel:
But this tool works with dry plaster, too. You must work slowly, don't push hard.

This tool is easy to made:



Take a piece of steel you replace when you build your cars. I don't want steel weights in my cars. I've used only a piece from this. I use these (one steel weight into three) for my removable loads. Removable with a magnet. :angel:

At one end you use a file and some time. You see the form of the tool. If you go deeper than one millimeter no problem. I had an NMRA gauge as reference.

Sometimes I take an old (!) point knife and scape the plaster away under the rail head. It's also a good idea to remove at the outside of the track a little bit of plaster, with sanding paper e.g. This way you can easily clean your track without removing the plaster. I use the Roco rubber for such cleaning.

Wolfgang

 

Wolfgang...thats a nice tool to have handy. I may make that tool when I do a scrap yard on the club layout.

Nice website you have also!