Let's just say, for a story, that Hurricane Mike struck my railroad creating a road bed wash out at a major curve, and derailments were beginninng to occur. When the engineering department made a survey, it was decided that the entire section needed replacing.
Work began three days ago. The track was literally ripped up followed by the roadbed which had to be scrapped with a spatula which created a ditch like affect, with the ballast piled up on the sides. A sanding block was used to take the roughness down to the blue foam bed. Once that was accomplished the ditch was brushed clean and the bottom was now nice and smooth.
Of course I needed new sub-roadbeding, but I did not have any so what to do? It was off to Lowes. Walking up and down the ailes I came across rolls of blue foam insulation, 6 inches wide and the strip was 1/4 inches thick, it was cheap, a big roll for only a couple of bucks. I then realized I could cut these in 2-3 inch wide- long strips and use it as the sub-roadbed. I laid a bead of white caulking down the entire length of the ditch and placed the thin blue foam on top. Smoothing it out, making sure there were no dips, lumps or bumps. I now had a good roadbed wide and thick enough for the track and ballast, I was even able to raise the outside of the strip of foam, creating a bank in the curve. I painted the blue foam granite grey to match my ballast. As the paint dried I worked on the track, filing the ends of rails, cleaning the track and making good solder joints with smooth transition from track to track. The track was then laid on the new roadbed and rail joiners joined the end of the rail to the main line, again the joints soldered. The ballast was applied neatly using Cody Grivno's technique than sprayed with alcohol and attached with a white glue solution. Feeder wires were soldered to the rails then attached to the the buswire under the table, before ballasting.
After the tracks were cleaned with alcohol it was time to test the new curve and the layout.
I met Andy Sperandeo of MR several years ago at a National MRR Convention. He was kind and graceous and very helpful. I finally asked him, "What was the best way to test one's track and layout in order to make sure you had good track work?"
Without batting an eye he said, "Run your trains backwards around the layout in both directions, if the trains run well without any gliches or derailment, your track work is good." So I coupled a forty-two year old Atlas GP-38 ICG engine to a consist of 8 freight cars and two brass passenger coaches and ran them backwards in both directions. Not a glitch and not one derailment. Even through the yard then out on the mainline for almost 30 minutes. So, according to Andy's recommendation the track work is good.
Andy was such a knowledgable gentleman and for what he did for this hobby, I will always greatful. For me, a new type of subroad bed, and a way to test my track work.
Thanks,
Robert Sylvester
Newberry-Columbia Line
A different kind of sub-roadbed and a great way to test the layouts' track work all because of a little storm.
Newberry Columbia Line
I always test by running real slow forward and backward and then both ways at max speed being ready to catch any derailments. If none, we are good. Many times things will run fast or slow without derailment but fail the other way. Also test in both facing both directions, always done with the most likely to fail loco.
That, and move out of hurricaine territory.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Kinda came close to my railroad getting some effects of huricane Mike. We had a record for rainfall here in Danville VA as the results from that- sadly three people in the area drowned from the flash flooding. Quite a few people got some flooding in basements even though they are almost all walk outs. We got water coming into to the storage area next to the layout and it soaked some of the carpet. Finally got everything dried out but the layout area smelled like a wet dog for three days. Have boxes from the storage area all over. Still it is nothing compared to some of the flooding that several of the folks in our church got- one family had two motorcycles in the basement that were probably ruined. I feel so sorry for the folks in Florida.