modeling bad rails
- Thread starter cf2004
- Start date
diburning
AlcoHaulic
I can't really answer your question, but the rails on the main line at the club are somewhat kinked and wavy. The layout is in a basement so the place is always humid and can either be very warm or very cold. The combination of the temperature changes and humidity has kinked up the rails so that they're wavy, but are still operational (no derailments)
It's difficult to represent the tracks actually being in poor shape and still have them be operational, due to the micro-size of everything. Kinks, etc, have to be exaggerated beyond 'scale' in order to be perceived (similar to speed).
Instead I would focus on the other aspects, like overgrown grasses and debris. This thread has a lot of good pictures, including some from HO models.
http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10297
Honestly, you should be able to make the grass pretty tall, so long as it's soft enough the trains should push right through it.
Instead I would focus on the other aspects, like overgrown grasses and debris. This thread has a lot of good pictures, including some from HO models.
http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10297
Honestly, you should be able to make the grass pretty tall, so long as it's soft enough the trains should push right through it.
Scordicus
Member
Undulating track may well be more effective to keep the reliability.. You would only have to dip a tie height or two to be effective..
I would go about it by laying the track on a cork roadbed and removing sections of the cork (or doubling up on the cork) to give you a wavy up & down rather than a wavy side to side..
I have seen lots of pictures of sunken track & one in particular with a rather large puddle that the trains have to drive through which would look rather good if modelled right...
I would go about it by laying the track on a cork roadbed and removing sections of the cork (or doubling up on the cork) to give you a wavy up & down rather than a wavy side to side..
I have seen lots of pictures of sunken track & one in particular with a rather large puddle that the trains have to drive through which would look rather good if modelled right...
N
North Coast Railroad
Guest
Their is a guy who has done this quite well actually...I think it is called 'the bakery line', and I have seen it on other forums. The guy is amazing, a true artist. He modeled kinked up tracks and they really, really look fantastic. He is from down under and models New England in the winter.
Oh, good call, Devin!
http://vimeo.com/17870094
That's scale modeling to an extreme. He has a few other videos ... including one of humpback whales ...
http://vimeo.com/17870094
That's scale modeling to an extreme. He has a few other videos ... including one of humpback whales ...
N
North Coast Railroad
Guest
The guy is an amazing modeler. He had a picture posted in MRR a few months back. His work is very dramatic...cold, dark...He has a very unique style.
He is also an incredibly nice guy.
He is also an incredibly nice guy.
Selector
Well-Known Member
Mike is on several forums, such as MR and trainboard. He is actually an artist...painter. His ability with photography and HO layouts is unparalleled IMO.
Notice, though, that Mike was careful to ensure his humps and bumps were minimal, just enough to cause noticeable yawing and pitching, but not enough to cause the couplers to come apart.
You can do this to flextrack. You can make a slightly rough roadbed and then glue (hard) your track to it so that it conforms to the general profile. Then, fill in around the rails and ties with ground products. I used sifted garden soil. He uses plant roots dried, inverted, and planted for his trees.
If you are patient about this, and really want the look, you can use pliers to gently kink and twist your rails. Do it in subtle steps and keep checking that standard RP-25 wheels will continue to track well, particularly when on paired axles in a truck. Notice in the last video that the rear boxcar's rear axle actually lifts off the rails near the end of the video.
Notice, though, that Mike was careful to ensure his humps and bumps were minimal, just enough to cause noticeable yawing and pitching, but not enough to cause the couplers to come apart.
You can do this to flextrack. You can make a slightly rough roadbed and then glue (hard) your track to it so that it conforms to the general profile. Then, fill in around the rails and ties with ground products. I used sifted garden soil. He uses plant roots dried, inverted, and planted for his trees.
If you are patient about this, and really want the look, you can use pliers to gently kink and twist your rails. Do it in subtle steps and keep checking that standard RP-25 wheels will continue to track well, particularly when on paired axles in a truck. Notice in the last video that the rear boxcar's rear axle actually lifts off the rails near the end of the video.
N
North Coast Railroad
Guest
He used sectional track for his though.
While Mike Cawdrey has managed to accomplish the impression of poorly maintained trackage to perfection, I don't think that many others would be so successful in their attempts to mimic it. I'm sure that reliable operation under such adverse circumstances calls for not only being rather selective in the choice of motivepower (limiting engines to only 4-wheel trucks) and rolling stock, but also over-weighting both locomotives and cars to maintain solid contact with the rails. Allowing enough play for trucks to pivot in both axis can also result in an unrealistic shaking of the cars when operated at mainline speeds elsewhere on a layout.
Even on the prototype, such poor trackage drastically limits operating speed and often results in putting cars on the ground. While having such trackage may be a novelty at first for the modeler, I think that in the long run it is more likely to become too unsatisfactory and troublesome to leave in place.
NYW&B
Even on the prototype, such poor trackage drastically limits operating speed and often results in putting cars on the ground. While having such trackage may be a novelty at first for the modeler, I think that in the long run it is more likely to become too unsatisfactory and troublesome to leave in place.
NYW&B
N
North Coast Railroad
Guest
I agree completely. But, if the OP wishes to do so...have fun, good luck, and show us some photos.
I enjoy the videos and photos, but it just isnt for me on my RR.
Selector
Well-Known Member
I wasn't aware of this, but if so, he must have modified the base. He would have heated and bent it or actually cut it to allow for plastic separation and torsioning.
N
North Coast Railroad
Guest
He describes how it does on his build thread on another forum. I am not sure how this forum reacts to posting other forum threads, or I would have shared it. I will give you a hint: TWP
I'm glad I came across this post.
I will be trying to recreate the look of a CNR branch line, which were notorious for seasonal derailments in the Maritimes in the 1950's.
I would go more with the illusion of bad track. I'm thinking of gaps of missing ballast under rail and ties; ties unevenly spaced and some showing signs of slippage over time and of course weeds, grass, and dirt blown up against the side of the rails. Also track not level in places - some rises and dips, but very, very minimal and gradual. Trains do not wobble and rock realistically in HO scale. Ever see an HO scale car wheel-drop over a switch? For me it's an ugly site and for this reason I have custom made switches.
Crane scenes will be a must on my next layout.
I will be trying to recreate the look of a CNR branch line, which were notorious for seasonal derailments in the Maritimes in the 1950's.
I would go more with the illusion of bad track. I'm thinking of gaps of missing ballast under rail and ties; ties unevenly spaced and some showing signs of slippage over time and of course weeds, grass, and dirt blown up against the side of the rails. Also track not level in places - some rises and dips, but very, very minimal and gradual. Trains do not wobble and rock realistically in HO scale. Ever see an HO scale car wheel-drop over a switch? For me it's an ugly site and for this reason I have custom made switches.
Crane scenes will be a must on my next layout.
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diburning
AlcoHaulic
Nice! On the prototype, the area under the bridge is where the locos get stuck in the mud
(seriously!) The prototype also uses sectional track for this branch.The line has since been abandoned/out of service since the customer switched to CSX.
Now... try modeling this!
[youtube]g11qWro1LzQ[/youtube]
Or this!
[youtube]FhbFUNll85g[/youtube]
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Ken G Price
Member
I lucked out and have 5 places where my track work is off enough to cause rocking of rail cars with out any derailing. Not planed, but the good thing is that the track does look bad but works good.
