Modeling an abandon line

[chutton01]

I was skimming my November issue of Railpace magazine when a picture of the Metro-North Beacon Line Fan-trip on page 24 reminded me of this - it shows a picture of the former double track ROW (only one track is in service) - the active track has the Fan Trip passing over it, NH painted Geneis heading up the Horizon coaches - the inactive track looks about the same condition in the foreground (ties about the same condition, rail about as rusty [the active track is used many for service and maintainence moves, so it's not that busy], ballest and ROW roughly in the same condition, except the inactive track has some a few patches of weeds here and there (mostly surrounding the rail) - then half-way up in the picture, the rail is lifted leaving behind the ties and a line of rusty tie plates following the former rail). The inactive track is hidden in the shadows after that, so I don't know if the ties were ever lifted further up, but I suspect not as used rail has much more scrap value than greyish, splintering ties. If your hobby shop carries Railpace it might be worth a quick look...

[railman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DSchmitt

If you are relative modern era (say 1970's +) Pave 6'-8' paint a white centerline and install bicycle signs[8D]. A bicyclist or two would add a fantacy[:o)] element to the scene[:D]

that, or just leave the embankments, and just the empty roadbed. Along the old BN line from Monticello to St. Cloud most of the bridges are there, road crossings are intact in places, but no rails or ties. Branches from nearby trees encroach on the ROW. This is on an old single track line.

[DSchmitt]

If you are relative modern era (say 1970's +) Pave 6'-8' paint a white centerline and install bicycle signs[8D]. A bicyclist or two would add a fantacy[:o)] element to the scene[:D]

[GDRMCo]

I would suggest that if the line is not the one of the two mains place evenly spaced ties as though you were handlaying track but do not add the track and ballast as norma and liberaly spread the weeds.

[twhite]

I can think of several ways. First would be to just ballast it, then put in some weeds over the ballast--maybe even some small bushes, depending on how long a time frame you choose for it to be 'abandoned'. Might scatter some old, weathered ties along the embankment, also. Stuff they didn't pick up because it was too far gone to recycle. Another idea is to actually model the track, but weather it heavily, and make sure that if you have any roads that it crosses, that the crossing rails are paved over. And use a lot of weeds among the ties. Even leave out a length or two of rail in spots. I know here in Northern California, some foothill lines have been abandoned, but the rails have never been completely torn up. An abandoned line has its own fascination. Everyone wonders 'WHY?'
Have fun.
Tom

[Anonymous]

Ok, if i get this straight, you have a 2-track mainline setup, but you want to make it look like one of the tracks is abandoned and the other is used.

Prototypically, 2 lines next to each other, even if one is unused, are still kept relatively clean (no high weeds, ect). so in order to make the second line look unused, ballast it like normal, add some low grass along the middle of the rails, small amount on the side with the active rail and make the other side more grassy. and to make it look really unused, take the rail and paint it rust colored, top and sides.

If on the otherhand, the line you want to make unused is not an old double line, then you can add some tall grass and hide the rails some, maybe even bury them a bit lower in the ground (sediment buildups).

Your best bet is to go find examples of both in the real world, both types exists almost everywhere. I've got doubles where it's obvious one set of rails has not been used in ages, and I've also got single lines where it's obvious they haven't been used in decades, both within an hours drive of my house and in several locations.

[Anonymous]

On my layout, there are two tracks running side by side and cork than runs down the layout, but has no-track glued down. How could I make the track that runs next to the line that the Super Cheif uses 'abandon'. No trains use it, I just glued it there when I was building[:(] And how could I cover up that cork[?] thanks.