Super Elevation - HO

[dwick]

Good Grief guys:
Super elevation has been shown in Model Railroading magazine within the past 3-4 years. and also in Model Railroader magazine by Poele Solberg several months ago.
Super elevating [creating a 3-4 scale rise to outside rails] with .040 Evergreen styreen plastic strips under the ties. The articles also show how much you should allow for the tangent leads from the curves to the straight track leading into the elevation. The effect is great and the ties can be covered by effective use of proper ballasting techniques.

Good luck
Don Wick - West Bend, WI

[dinwitty]

it should work.

The alternative is a different way of track construction and that is a sort of cookie cutter cutout of the curve and the supporting track is held by verical wood girders you just simply angle the girder screwed into the supporting benchwork, this is often accomplished using L-Girder benchwork.

[hissra]

Does anyone have any experience doing this (using tape to create the elevation) when using foam type roadbed? Can you achieve the same effect by placing the tape under the roadbed instead of under the track?

[Anonymous]

Thanks Mark! Boy , you have some great pics!!! Yes, its time consuming sanding it in but what else do I have to do lol and by the way, this is my last layout! Figure it will take 20 years to finish unless somewhere down the line I decide to expand it!

DON

[Pruitt]

Thanks, DONNNNN!

The tape is easy for me to do - it automatically makes the transition from flat to superelevated just by staggering the ends of the strips. I can sit there and spend a couple hours laying in layer after layer of tape, but I sure wouldn't have the patience to sand the superelevation into the cork (nor do I have the skill to make it even)! My hat's off to you for you ability and patience to do that!

[Anonymous]

NICE Pics Mark. I really think some sudle super elevation is the cats ***. I found it takes patience and care to sand it into the cork roadbed but I think all the work will pay off in the end. as long as you don't hurry it! lol

Thanks for the comments

DONNNNN

[Pruitt]

That's what I do, HighIron2003ar, except I use 1/4" wide tape - it curves easier without wrinkling.

Here's a photo of the first curve I did. I used 1/2" tape on this one, but even on a 30" radius curve the tape tended to wrinkle. After this one I went to 1/4" tape. It works much better.



And here's a train coming around the completed curve:

It's kind of a subtle effect, but it really improves the appearance of the trains, I think.

[Anonymous]

Here is a old idea a old railroader told me when I was young.

Take masking tape the little half inch wide kind.

Lay one strip under the OUTSIDE rail all the way from start to finish of the curve.

Lay a slightly smaller strip (Cut 6 inches off the ends or so) on TOP of the first strip all the way thru the curve.

Repeat with each strip shorter than the one below it until several strips raises the outside rail just a LITTLE BIT! Your eye is the best gauge.

[cheese3]

Thats a good idea, it would save alot of agravation that comes with little pieces of styrene.

[Anonymous]

Has anybody tried sanding some superelevation into the cork roadbed when building there layout? Instead of sticking stuff under the road bed or track.

I an not looking for alot of superelevation but a little would be nice!

Thanks, DON