Ties

[FJ and G]

Fellow model train afficionados,

Occasionally, having nothing better to do while riding the VRE, I make mental notes of scenery during my 1-hour commute. I’ve been observing ties lately (as well as Thighs and Thais). How different they appear than most hobby shop ties, which are smooth and uniform in color and evenly spaced.

Real ties are often mottled in color, some have giant knots in them, and most are cracked, some quite cavernous. Colors range from light brown, where rust has been deposited, to pitch black, like the occasional tie that on a hot summer day bubbles creosote. Most ties, but not all, are laid parallel, and most ties are unevenly spaced.

I will be observing fishplates and frogs today and may report my findings. And then again, I may not.

Dave Vergun

[Anonymous]

That's where you have to draw the line where you want to be prototypical or not. Just as you, I've noticed that real ties are far from being spaced evenly or completely parallel to each other, but would it really make that big a difference on a layout?

[FJ and G]

In O scale, somewhat.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, but considering that many O scale use a 3 rail track (or at least many), I would think that this makes it all less prototypical than the fact that all the ties are exactly paralell [:D][;)]

[FJ and G]

Neerie,

There is a growing # of 2 rail O out there. I started out in 3 rail and stayed there, but the reason I surf this forum is because I like everything as detailed as possible and as prototypical as possible with the exception of the 3rd rail and some oversized couplers and flanges.

In fact, I cut my own ties and make my own track and tie color, etc is important to me and I'm the only person I have to please. For a brief glimpse (kinda hard in the photo to see the subtle color changes), see:

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16955

Dave Vergun

[dknelson]

I think all modelers could spend more time actually looking at prototype track. There are a lot of things we can do to make our track more realistic even if you use prefab track -- remove a tie here and there and put it at a skewed angle, bring the ballast up to the level of the ends of the ties, vary the color, etc.
Dave Nelson

[FJ and G]

Dave,

A couple of other things I forgot to mention. I don't know if this is widespread or not and don't know when it started, but some ties are painted white where natural gas lines travel beneath the tracks.

Also, some ties are mashed up pretty bad. Of course many do not neglect to put spills or oil streaking.

Another thing today. On CSX mainline tracks at Alexandria VA, I noticed weeds about a foot high growing between the edges of some of the ties. Most don't put weeds on mainline track but there they were.

[Anonymous]

Don't get me wrong Dave, it wasn'T an attack on O scale modelers, far from it, all I ment was that in this hobby there are things that we are ready lo let slip. And of course, some people are going to let slip more things than others. Nobody is right or wrong, as long as they have fun.

[FJ and G]

Neerie,

I didn't take it as an attack. Interesting remark about "there are things that we are ready to let slip." I let slip the center rail and some in HO and N let slip a fictitious road name or selective compression.

And then there are Freudian slips and women's slips to think about too.

[cacole]

If you ever have an opportunity to see a mainline track where the wooden crossties have been replaced with concrete, you will notice that they are very evenly spaced. Wooden crossties were usually put down by hand, and were then replaced at random only as required.

Concrete tie replacement trains lay down crossties at very precise intervals, and they are uniformly straight. One of these trains, which can be up to 1/2 mile long or more, unspikes the old wooden crossties, lifts the rail and spreads it out of the way, removes the old wooden ties, places new concrete crossties, puts the rail back in place, and clamps it down in one continuous operation, moving along at about 20 MPH.

[on30francisco]

Micro Engineering flex track is made with ties that are not all parallel to each other or evenly spaced. Once the ties are weathered, using a combination of various browns, blacks, greys, and other earth-tone washes, it looks extremely realistic; as good as and sometimes better than hand-laid track (I've laid track using both methods). If you want some ties shorter than others, just snip the ends off several ties at random. Micro Engineering flextrack is available in several different scales, gauges, and rail sizes.

[cwclark]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

Neerie,


And then there are Freudian slips .

I had a Freudian slip the other day..what i meant to say at the breakfast table was "Honey" " Would you please pass the butter for my toast" but what came out of my mouth was: "You ol' biddy!..you ruined the best days of my life".....ok...back to the trains now.....Chuck[:D]

[Dough]

I have noticed this for some time as well. I used to live near a NS mainline that frankly looked like model rail. The ballast was all white and raised several feet in the air as well. Now I am near a CSX mainline and it is nothing at all like the uniform ties of model track. The recent tie replacement has added to the fact.

The final piece of track that I have noticed is a shortline that has places where ties are completly gone. The recent replacements have left a strark contrast! Also, it appears that both NS and CSX spraypaint either the rail or the ties that are about to be replaced. I think that would make an interesting detail.

One day I would like to hand lay some track and see if I couldn't replicate some of the differences.