Hi, I want to super elevate a corner on my HO layout. I read somewhere that someone used 1/4" masking tape but I do not remember where they started on the corner or how many layers they used. Any advice would be appreciated.
roger2009
if you have an easement going into the curve, i would suggest you start the rise at the beginning of the easement. build it up gradually until you get the height you want and then taper back down at the same rate.
be careful with the amount of super elevation you use. i am operating 35 to 50 car trains in HO scale on 36" radius curves and it is easy to overdo the super elevation to the point that trains will "string line" on the curve and pull cars off to the inside. this was especially true on curves at the top of a grade where there was a lot of heavy train still coming up the hill.
i pretty much gave it up because in order to get enough to be really noticable, it was too much for dependable operation.
this was a problem for the real railroads too. the DRGW through the rockies found that if they had enough to maintain passenger train speeds then there was a chance the heavy freights trains would pull off in the curve. i guess the solution was less power on the head end and use of pushers or mid train helpers.
grizlump
Superelevation should only be considered if you employ spiral easements, barely starting at the actual point of tangency (where the spiral first begins to deviate from straight) and reaching full height at the actual point of curvature (where the spiral blends into the constant-radius curve.) A total height of 1/16 inch at the tie ends is probably as much as you should go for unless you operate Shinkansen trains at higher than scale speed.
In model applications, superelevation is purely cosmetic, since there isn't enough centrifugal force on the model to require it. OTOH, nothing says, "Well-engineered railroad," like a nicely superelevated curve with proper spiral easements.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I would expect three or four well compressed layers of tape to be about all you would want, five at the outside. It can be overdone, but it really does add to the realistic effect and gee-whiz factor if you manage to get it right.
You would start with one long bottom strip running along 90-100% of the curve, and a second with its ends inboard of the first layer's ends by perhaps 2", and so on. It should be symmetrical as viewed from either side, so the opposite end would have the same structure, but in reverse.
-Crandell
tomikawaTT Superelevation should only be considered if you employ spiral easements, barely starting at the actual point of tangency (where the spiral first begins to deviate from straight) and reaching full height at the actual point of curvature (where the spiral blends into the constant-radius curve.) A total height of 1/16 inch at the tie ends is probably as much as you should go for unless you operate Shinkansen trains at higher than scale speed. In model applications, superelevation is purely cosmetic, since there isn't enough centrifugal force on the model to require it. OTOH, nothing says, "Well-engineered railroad," like a nicely superelevated curve with proper spiral easements. Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I would disagree that you should only use superelevation if you have easements. I've superelevated the straight track leading into a curve a little - say about a scale 2" or so - and then increased the superelevation in the actual curve. From what I can see it looks good and works fine.
I'm not sure I completely agree that superelation for model railroads is purely cosmetic, it does have an effect as far as reducing the effect of the sharpness of a curve a little bit in the model, but I agree in the model it's primarily cosmetic...but then a lot of things we do in model railroading are cosmetic.
It is important to keep the amount of superelevation consistent with the speeds being used. As Chuck notes, a high speed passenger train line needs much more elevation then a freight-only branch line with a 30 MPH speed limit.
I remember that masking tape article, and the point of it is that super elevating is easy (relatively speaking) but a nice transition back to perfectly flat is more challenging. And in some ways it is that very gradual transition that lends so much realism to super elevated track.
The guy used layers of narrow masking tape in progressively shorter lengths to slowly build up the amount of superelevation he wanted under the outside rail. that is, the longest piece of tape would extend perhaps even into the tangent before the curve. By the time you reached the center of the curve there might be five or six or more layers of tape. The main need would be to take care to avoid lumps and bumps.
Dave Nelson
grizlump9 be careful with the amount of super elevation you use. ....this was a problem for the real railroads too. the DRGW through the rockies found that if they had enough to maintain passenger train speeds then there was a chance the heavy freights trains would pull off in the curve. i guess the solution was less power on the head end and use of pushers or mid train helpers.
be careful with the amount of super elevation you use. ....this was a problem for the real railroads too. the DRGW through the rockies found that if they had enough to maintain passenger train speeds then there was a chance the heavy freights trains would pull off in the curve. i guess the solution was less power on the head end and use of pushers or mid train helpers.
One is probably better off with a maximum superelevation of 3 or 4 scale inches in in all but fast-light-only train instances.
Prototype trains travelling slower than the speed the superelevation was designed for experienced increased wheel resistance, reducing maximum tonnage of the trains. Railroads were known to have reduced the superelevation because of this.
Mark
selector I would expect three or four well compressed layers of tape to be about all you would want, five at the outside. It can be overdone, but it really does add to the realistic effect and gee-whiz factor if you manage to get it right. You would start with one long bottom strip running along 90-100% of the curve, and a second with its ends inboard of the first layer's ends by perhaps 2", and so on. It should be symmetrical as viewed from either side, so the opposite end would have the same structure, but in reverse. -Crandell
You can use styrene for more exact thickness.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/