Bumpers for 1950's Spurs?

[tstage]

Hansel, 

Like MB, I have the Walthers Hayes track bumpers on my layout and I like them a lot.

You mentioned using nails on your spur ends because of your son.  If you wait till a week from today (May 1st), my web site will be up and running again.  I have a step-by-step tutorial how to kitbash the Walthers track bumpers and making them "working" bumpers by adding 4 x 4 dimensional wood to the bottom of them so that it fits between the rail ties.  They are both portable and work quite well.

A couple of years ago, I tested the design out on a Athearn BB F7 going at full speed.  It stopped the locomotive cold...with no ill-effects to either the bumper or the locomotive.  The portability gives you the option of easily moving them to different locations.

Tom

[Hansel]

Thanks!  I have 3/4" nails in place currently so that my son won't run the train off of the benchwork, but I will use one of your suggestions in the near future once I get everything else in place.

[MisterBeasley]

Walthers makes the 4-posted metal ones.  They come in 12-packs for about 9-10 dollars.  I assemble them, paint them black, and then add rust depending on where they're going.

These may not be prototypical for spurs, but I like them.  They are certainly better than the Atlas things.

[leighant]

seen on a spur in the 1950's?

When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s in the east end of Houston, hanging around the neighborhood train tracks and comparing them to my Lionel sets, I noticed that the end of track on the Contractor's Supply Lumber Co spur was the pile-of-dirt-over-some-old-ties variety. 

I figured my fancy Lionel bumper was a fantasy.  But I did see some big bumpers on the passenger platform tracks in Mexico City.

[locoi1sa]

 That would depend on the Railroad. They each had thier own way of doing things.

[GraniteRailroader]

1) Two ties with one end under the rail and the other end on top of the opposing rail.

2) Nothing

3) The "typical" four post angle iron bumper, some three post bumpers were used as well.

4) A concrete block with rubber pads.

5) Piles of dirt that covered the end of the tracks high and wide enough to stop a car.

Smaller roads typically didn't put bumpers on the tracks. Handbrakes, skates, and chocks did the job.

 

[Hansel]

Hi again,

Could someone please tell me what type of bumpers would be seen on a spur in the 1950's?

Thanks, Hansel