Need to find Special Bridge Track. Please help!!

[hwolf]

I am Scratch Building a large trestle (152'). This is a curved HO trestle. The hobby shop has straight bridge track with a second guard rail. This is Code 83. I am looking for a bridge track (Also Code 83) with close ties with only a singe set of tracks. I can cut the inside of the ties to make it act like Flex Track. Anyone know if this exists? Anyone used Regular Flex Track and if so how did it look? Thanks in advance for your answers.

Harold

[markpierce]

Harold, Central Valley Model Works has bridge tie kits (one applies the rails to the pre-made tie strips):

http://www.cvmw.com/1900/190210.htm

Walthers also has pre-made (ties and rails) bridge tie sections: parts 948-886 about 18" long and 948-899 about 19.5" long. 

I would go with the Central Valley product if you are going to the pre-made tie route.  It is easier to construct a given length and one can extend the guard rails beyond the bridge like the prototype without the work of modifying the Walthers products.

Mark

[gandydancer19]

Micro-Engineering has 3 foot sections of code 83 bridge track that is flexable like flex track.  It comes with two pieces of code 70 rail for the guard rails, some plastic castings of the beams for the ends of the ties, water barrels, and the setouts for the water barrels.  (This is in HO scale.) My LHS ordered it for me.

[doctorwayne]

The Micro Engineering track works well and looks good, too, although it's not as flexible as Atlas regular code 83 track.

Wayne 

[markpierce]

IMPRESSIVE bridge, Doctor Wayne.

For bridges, I believe it is easier to work with the bridge ties not already attached to rails by the manufacturere.  One can use full-length (36") rails rather than having many individual tie/rail sections with lots of rail joints.

Mark

[rogerhensley]

A 'how to' page on a big bridge (trestle) can be found here...

http://cid.railfan.net/scratch_big_bridge.html

[doctorwayne]

IMPRESSIVE bridge, Doctor Wayne.

For bridges, I believe it is easier to work with the bridge ties not already attached to rails by the manufacturere.  One can use full-length (36") rails rather than having many individual tie/rail sections with lots of rail joints.

Mark

Thanks, Mark.  I hope to make that bridge, and the ones shown below, a little less "spectacular" with some tall trees and underbrush hiding much of the support structure.

 

The ME bridge track is in 36" lengths, and while the running rails are factory installed, the guard rails are to be installed by the user.  The ME ties, however, are not styrene plastic, so regular styrene cement won't work to fasten them to a styrene bridge.  Contact cement or ca will work, although it's adviseable to "rough-up" to bottom of the ties, using sandpaper, to ensure a better bond.

Wayne 

[ARTHILL]

I used ME flex bridge track for my curved trestle. Worked great.

[markpierce]

Wayne,

I wasn't aware of ME bridge track 36" long.  It is good to know......

One method of attaching rail is to coat the bottom of the rail with Pli-Bond.  Let it set.  To lay, heat the top of the rail with a soldering iron.  Slowly move the soldering iron once the glue starts to sizzle and at the same time follow with a piece of thick metal to act as a heat sink. 

Mark

[mobilman44]

Hi!

I used regular flex track, cut out some of the tie "spreaders" and moved them closer together, and then glued guardrails in with AC cement.  That was 15 years ago and it still is like new!

Mobilman44

[larak]

Hi!

I used regular flex track, cut out some of the tie "spreaders" and moved them closer together, and then glued guardrails in with AC cement.  That was 15 years ago and it still is like new!

Mobilman44

I did the same on a trestle that is 3 feet away from the viewer. Cut out all of the "spreaders". You will need to add ties. Also note that the ties will be shorter than they should be (won't notice it from far away). Finally,  just glue in code 70 rail for guard rails. (or code 55 for code 70 track) Bend the ends in or down as you prefer before installing.