Need advice for rail crossing

[MichaelT]

Evening,

I've a spot on my J&NW layout that I want to put in a vehicle grade crossing. I've read a number of different ways to accomplish that, but wanted to check here and see what some of you have done and liked?

My first thought is to tape the rails, make up a small batch of plaster and put that down, remove the tape after it dries and file the plaster inside the rails to make sure rail wheels go through.

I know styrene is a popular choice as well. It's on a curve, two tracks, so I'm just trying to figure out what will be the most optimal way to do this.

thoughts?

mt

[Ian MacMillan]

I normally use some scrap rail for the mud rails, or scale wood, and then use plaster for the roadway that way I can weather it pretty realisticly...but the new layout since it will be traveling to shows I needed something that could handle all the moving so I am using my old backup of styrene. You can see some of the roads I am working on right now in the photo below. Its. 050 for sale sign styrene. The big sheets are $2.39 at Wal Mart.  To cut the sheets for curved track I put a thin layer of craft paint on the rail head and then lay the styrene over it to transfer the paint, and then Iscore it, snap, and its a perfect fit.

[diezmon]

If you want wood crossings, you can simply scribe some wood and stain it.



depending on how sharp the curve is, you can do individual boards.  Mine's just a slight curve, but you get the idea.


Otherwise, yes you can plaster right over.. and cut out the flange ways afterwords.

[MichaelT]

Otherwise, yes you can plaster right over.. and cut out the flange ways afterwords.

I think I'm leaning on giving plaster a try...the crossing will empty into the layout to a street/parking lot for two industries, and I'm thinking I can just use the plaster for the parking lot and for bases for the five buildings that will go around the street, using some styrene to build forms I'm guessing.

mt

[wm3798]

I recommend coloring the plaster before you spread it.  That way when you go back with a track cleaning block, if you knock off a little plaster you won't see it.


I did mine by mixing some acrylic craft paints (some black, maybe some burnt umber) into my plaster.  I mixed it a little runny, then applied it with a paint brush.  Once dry I could go over it with a foam sanding block to smooth out the rough stuff.  I added the striping (rather badly) with a yellow colored pencil.

Lee

[diezmon]

I recommend coloring the plaster before you spread it.  That way when you go back with a track cleaning block, if you knock off a little plaster you won't see it.


I did mine by mixing some acrylic craft paints (some black, maybe some burnt umber) into my plaster.  I mixed it a little runny, then applied it with a paint brush.  Once dry I could go over it with a foam sanding block to smooth out the rough stuff.  I added the striping (rather badly) with a yellow colored pencil.

Lee

Whoa.. so the guy driving the paint truck was on the way home from the bar?   

[DKS]

I used to do the "smear the plaster across the tracks" trick, but lately I've found I prefer the control offered by styrene much better. It helps considerably if I happen to find I didn't like the results the first time; resurrecting the track from plaster isn't fun. I use black sheet styrene that I shape, sand, paint and distress to look like blacktop.



This is Z scale, by the way, which makes control even more important.

[Ian MacMillan]

Whoa.. so the guy driving the paint truck was on the way home from the bar?   

+1

I have seen some lines where I was like, man is the paint crew drunk!? NHDOT had I-93 in Concord repaved over the summer and the contractor they hired to do the line painting had the left lanes yellow line all over the place...not subtle drifting, but it looked like ribbon candy. NHDOT made them paint a wide black line over it and repaint the line 

[wm3798]

Let's just say the line painting crew has something of a reputation...

I told you it was a little shaky.  If I was doing all straight lines and right angles like Ian, then I could use a straight edge... but I'm more of a "free form" guy...

 

[DKS]

... but I'm more of a "free form" guy...

Well, there's "free form" and then there's "no form"... 

[Ian MacMillan]

Let's just say the line painting crew has something of a reputation...

I told you it was a little shaky.  If I was doing all straight lines and right angles like Ian, then I could use a straight edge... but I'm more of a "free form" guy...

 

Shoulda modeled the city! Not my problem you cant be as epic in straight roadness as I! 

[wm3798]

Well it is rural West Virginia afterall... having the road paved at all is probably overkill!!
Lee