Embedding Streetcar Track in a Street

[ed-aurora]

Does anybody have suggestions for embedding flex track in a street? Is it better to layout and cut styrene to match the tight curves and crossovers? OR Does a material like spackle or papier mache work better? If so, what is the best technique to clear out the flangeways between the tracks?

Thanks

Ed 

[arkansasrailfan]

Styrene is the right one. Any wet material will ruin your track. Experince has told me that paving like the real thing is notr good for the track or trolley or trains.

[ndbprr]

A lot of street car tracks were laid with bricks between the rails so they could be removed to service the track if required.  I have had success pouring streets using soupy plaster that shrinks when the water drys up. That would take care of the paved surface outside the rails and it dries lower than the rail surface.  Then cut brick sectons of brick paper or plastic to place on the ties between the rails.

[jktrains]

Not quite right there Wyoming!  If "Any wet material will ruin your track" then why doesn't ballasting and gluing ballast ruin your track?

Styrene is only one option.  You can pave like the real thing if you want.  The biggest issue, as it is with any street trackage is handling turnouts.  You can setup dams, styrene or balsa strips, at the edge of your road and pour in something Durhams' water putty or using spackling paste to fill in as the road. Us a putty knife or like pouring real concrete screed to level with the outside barriers and the top of the rails.  Now find one of those old cheap cars you have lying around, you know the ones with the big, oversized, pizza cutter style flanges.  Take the car and rolling it back and forth along the track so it cuts in flangeways into the freshly paved street.  You can even tint the Durhams or spackle before pouring so that the color is uniform throughout.

[arkansasrailfan]

Whoops! I forgot to mention that it excludes ballast

[fiatfan]

Hi, Ed!

First off, to the forum.

If you are using track with plastic ties, water/plaster will not hurt it.  I use plaster of paris for my street trackage.  I use craft sticks to lay out the edges of the road and then just pour the plaster in.  You want the mixture a little soupy.  After it's poured I use a phony plastic credit card I got in the mail to level the surface even with the tracks.  I generally use two layers of plaster since the first pour will settle around the ties and leave an uneven surface.  When the plaster is dry, I then take a hacksaw blade to cut the flangeway.  I don't use this method around turnouts.  There I would use styrene.

(click photo to enlarge)

I mix some craft paint from Walmart in the plaster to give it a uniform color.  I also sand the surface with some fine sandpaper to give a nice smooth finish.

 

Tom
 

[tomikawaTT]

One club that I was associated with wanted to put a concrete paved surface on a street.  The modeler who took on the job used - concrete.  Portland cement, actually.  After it was down and level, he cleaned out the flangeways with a piece of shaped styrene.

The basic surface below the concrete was marine-grade plywood.  The flex track was Shinohara.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[MisterBeasley]

Spacemouse started this thread a while back.  We had a pretty interesting discussion on the topic:

http://cs.trains.com/forums/1267279/ShowPost.aspx

Take a look in particular at the post by gear-jammer.  She found a company that made really neat brick sheets which could be trimmed around the tracks.

I've got a short street-running section on my layout.  I did the outside parts with Durhams Water Putty, which worked great.  Between the rails, I cut sections of styrene and glued them in place on the ties.

[loathar]

I've seen plaster react with plain steel causing rusting and corrosion, but I doubt it would do the same with nickle silver. I've done a few grade crossings with it and not had any problems.
Those old big flanged Tyco trucks are great to run down the track to make flange ways before the plaster dries completely.

[paulsafety]

How about Luna Track?

http://www.ghbintl.com/Luna_System.html

 

Paul F.