Road Crossing Question

[WickhamMan]

I'm in need of some suggestions for my layout. I'm planning to have a trolley run down the main thoroughfare of my rail town. I'm planning to use Woodland Scenics road system for the road but I'm curious as to how to handle the spacing between the rails. Given that this is not a typical "crossing", I'm wonding what advice any of you might have as to how to accompli***his. Is there a way to pour road cement between the rails without screwing up the electrical contacts? Any help would be appreciated.

WickhamMan

[cacole]

In Saint Louis, Missouri in the days of streetcars, the streets were cobblestone between the rails. Pouring plaster between the rails won't mess up your electrical wiring, but opening up the flangeway for the wheels after it sets is difficult and messy.

You might want to consider gluing thin balsa wood sheet material between the rails with a cobblestone or brick pattern printed on paper glued to it. There are a couple of German scenery companies that make cobblestone streets, too. If this is thin styrene, it could be cut and glued in place between the rails.

I once poured a large passenger station area out of plaster and then painted it a concrete color. After the plaster had dried good, I used a cut-off wheel in a Dremel to open up the flangeways, and that really created a lot of dust. I have heard of people who just roll a box car back and forth as the plaster sets to open up the grooves, but you would need a car out of a Christmas train set with large, plastic wheel flanges for this.

[Bennekers]

I have tried for years, even with cardboard, never really satisfactory. I think it is Walthers (not sure) sells plastic inserts for streetcars for code 80 track. I used it and actually liked it.
I also used the German cobblestone (I believe Faller), it is preglued but I still felt it looked artificial.
Rolling a box car really messes up the wheels, plaster is a lot of work and it does not always come out even.
Have fun.

[Jetrock]

Trolley lines used "girder rail", which includes a metal channel for wheel flanges to run in. You can make your own by soldering Code 70 rail sideways into the web of Code 100 rail, or you can fake it by using styrene streets, or you can use Orr girder rail.

Check out www.trolleyville.com for tutorials on the use and installation of Orr girder rail and in-street track, both poured and styrene-topped (Look in the Schoolhouse section.)
Then check out www.customtraxx.com to buy Richard Orr girder rail from George Huckaby, the same guy who wrote those articles. There is also information on the Trolleyville site on hanging overhead wire, and materials for sale at the CustomTraxx site.