Hello, has anyone handbuilt HO track with curved crossings?
I'm interested in seeing the order of the build - did you build it all "solid" and then slice and dice? The curve seems to make it difficult or does it? Am I Looking for problems?
well they don't show any curved crossings. The templates they have are very good, They may still be of some help.
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Ha! I posted the same question on their BB yesterday and it got deleted. I was referring to Tim's excellent "Bronx Terminal". There are no examples of curved crossings in the Fast Tracks range.
I've never tried. I don't know any reason why it wouldn't functionally work, but I don't know how prototypical it would be. If you are an experienced track builder, it shouldn't be that hard to experiment and build one to see how it works out. You don't need a template or a jig if you know what you are doing (although it would help). I think you would want to accurately bend the rails to the right diameter before construction, though. I figure that could be the hard part - to make sure the curve is smooth all the way through.
-- Kevin
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Having hand-laid my track for many years, if I were going to tackle a curved crossing, I'm thinking I would build the actual diamond itself straight ... I don't think a one inch straight section in the middle of a curve is going to be a problem, but then ...
... I could be wrong -- God knows, I've been wrong before ... (I just don't admit to it very often.)
biL
Lehigh Susquehanna & Western
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~~Abraham Lincoln
My "speculation" is: where the length of a diamond is so short ( relatively ), that it would not have curved track within it.
The frogs of a diamond would be kept straight to reduce the probability of derailments. Any curve would end at the entrance to the diamond, and resume at the exit.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
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I can't say if it is prototypical, but I built one this way. I first laid one of the tracks, then cut out what had to be removed in order to lay the second track. Then I cut those rails to clear the other route. Mine will be in pavement so it was all laid on luan. I spiked the short sections of rail between the frogs prior to cutting. The frogs themselves were made from a two part epxoy paste, I don't recall the brand. Similar to the liquid epoxies, with this you took a dab about the size of a pea from both parts and rolled them together with your fingers. It gave plenty of working time. After pushing it into the spaces and cutting the top even with the rails, etc., I rolled a spare truck thru it. I didn't bother with guard rails. I will use styrene for the pavement.
I am positive there were prototype instances where curved tracks crossed each other, especially in industrial settings. Heck, look at the Bronx terminal trackage that the founder of fast tracks did. I am sure he would have suggestions. I can't imagine why a post asking such a question would be deleted from the forums, perhaps trying a personal email?
I've always wanted to try to hand lay a curved double x-over. Just for the challenge. I started sketching one out a while back, but shelved the idea as I had a whole layout to work on.
If memory serves, there was a layout profiled in MRR'er mag with a hand laid double cross over. The article mentions it in a photo tag line, however does not go into details as to how it was built. So a single curved diamond can be done, with careful planning....hmmm... but where would I use it???
Let me put my thoughts clearer.
1. I don't believe my post was deleted deliberately - I've always found the Warris Bros., to be most helpful.
2. If you want good free flowing track you don't want a straight section in the middle. What I'm considering, for example, is trackage as you would find in tight situations like Brooklyn where a spur goes off in one direction but in order to make the angle the line first goes through a turnout in the opposite direction, balloons out then crosses the track it just left in a curved crossing. There are plenty of example of this.
As to whether I should send a PM to the Warris'; yes that would work but I believe the point of BBs like this one is to share information with anyone who cares to read it.
As it happens I'll probably follow the route of using Templot.
Best, Pete.
PS Nice work jglfan. Thanks for sharing. Who's track gauges/type do you use?
I've just built curved crossings for my H0n3 module Silver Creek .
There's no prob with curved crossings. But ..
With about 20'' radius I run into a problem. The guard rails worked as girder rails. For engines with stiff frame this gave problems. I've solved this with wider spacing between stock rail and guard rail AND shorter guard rails.
Wofgang
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just in time - and safe
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