Broken ties

[Anonymous]

I've copied this over from the weathering thread in case anyone wants Broken ties in their scene.

Broken ties... one or two: use balsa cut to size, break and then stain/paint....

Lots of broken ties and other ties (stored and car loads) buy real wood ties and work on them.

Track weathering...have a look at my previous posts... short version is that track weathering is as complex as car weathering... you won't make it look right if you just spray it all one colour.

Simple example...

if a tie is just broken the broken wood will be a "fresh" lighter colour (but not white wood unless the tie is untreated - as it might be on a logging road - most ties are high pressure impregnated).

If a tie has been broken some time the shattered ends will be closer to the rest of the exterior tie colour.

Just a thought... what's going to have broken your tie(s)? they are hefty lumps of wood. They only usually break about the middle with a lot of force... like a BIG digger on a building site crushing through the middle. Sometimes they are cut through the (approximate) middle when track is being taken out.

Otherwise they only usually bust when they are rotten... in which case they will be black(ish) right through and tatty. Where are these rotten sleepers relative to the track? Have they been replaced with new unweathered ones? Has the wet ballast (if a log road has ballast) been changed and/or drainage improved?
have fun :-)

Concrete ties shatter rather than break. As far as I know they all have rebars through them... so if you cut one in two or more bits and insert wires to link the bits together and bend it about a bit you can create a small work of modern art. It shouldn't end up longer than the original tie. Aggregate material from the middle can just crumble away. Some concrete ties are taken out because they have chunks knocked off them or cracks right through but nothing much missing. Concrete ties are 2 to 3 time heavier than wood... that's what tie handlers were originally developed for here in the UK. tie handlers don't get on well with rotten timber sleepers.
Usual thing for breaking a concrete tie would be a car in the dirt... on timber it could/would leave grooves along the line of ties but not seriously damage the ties strength. I think this is why Railroads stick with timber.

Evidence of derailed car's wheels cutting the surrounding scenery is something I've not seen modelled... even when there's a car down a bank.

Have fun :-)

[Ibflattop]

That is why They told us "Never to step on the Ties as we were crossing the Tracks. You would never know where a rotten tie was" Always step on the Ballast!!!!!
Just a Flashback from Conductors School with NS. Kevin

[Anonymous]

I'd forgetten that! ...and they tell us it again every 2 years when we re-certify for Personal Track Safety (PTS).
Yes treading on a rotten tie is pretty disastrous although (over here) we usually only find really bad ones in sidings. I'm sure you'll know that even a good tie is pretty lethal if it's icey or wet with anything (grease or green stuff - under trees- )... anyone wants to get for ultra fine detail I've left a few skid marks along such ties (and clouds of blue air). Trouble is, sometimes the ballast is worse! (See the pic I've posted in Old Diesels and New Ballast).
To correctly model track men walking along the formation you'd often have to have them looking at everything they're treading on.