I’ve always used rerailers on straight tracks for RR crossings. Is there a quick and easy way of doing crossings on curves? Thanks!
Blair Line offers laser-cut wooden crossings, but I made my own by using strip styrene. Since the crossing is on a fairly wide curve, I simply bent the strips to (unprototypically) match the curve…
If your road is paved, you could do the crossing using sheet styrene, cut to fit the curve…
The street trackage shown below also uses styrene…
For sheet styrene crossings on curves or street trackage, lay a piece of paper over the area where you want to place the crossing, then rub a pencil, held almost parallel to the paper, along each edge of each rail, taking care to ensure that the paper doesn’t move. Mark lines on each of the lines thus created to denote the end points of the crossing’s width.
You can then cut out the portion of the paper between the two outermost curved lines, using it as a pattern to trace the edges of the approach portions of roadway outside of the rails.
To create the part between the rails, cut the pattern so that only the two innermost lines are left, then trace that shape onto the sheet styrene. Use your X-Acto or a utility knife to cut out that shape, then carefully sand both edges to smooth the cut.
Next, set a drawing divider or compass to a width suitable for flangeways, and move the divider or compass along both edges of the curved piece intended to fit between the rails. Use a knife, or file, or sandpaper, to remove the outer edges down
Awesome description and discussion Wayne! Very helpful and congrats on your superb work! Enjoy seeing your work!
I have used a heavy duty card stock cut to fit the curved rails. I the pencil on lines to look like individual boards / planks, add a bit of weathering and I have been happy with the results.
Thanks for your kind words, Rick.
I know that many folks don’t care for long-winded posts, but I do try to make the explanation of a technique as understandable as possible, so that anyone can do it. Sometimes, it takes more than a few words.
Wayne
I made crossings using some strip wood (basswood?) from Hobby Lobby (forget what size). This photo is not a big curve but it works on curves, too. The strips bent nicely, fitting four strips between the rails. Added two strips against the tie nubs and then two between, they bent in nicely and glued down (CA, I guess). Also a strip outside each rail. And “asphault” up to those strips. The strip wood was stained in place with an India ink wash. I liked the result.
IMG_7603 (2) by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
20180909_202240 (2) by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
I do, too. It looks great!
Wayne
I use gray craft foam to make roads. I can easily cut a piece to fit the curve, as with the GP Mill lead track.
I used air dry modeling clay and a rolling pin to form my crossings after shaping the slopes and cutting the excess I ran some rollong stock throug the still soft clay to cut the flangeways, Once dry I painted the roadway to blend it in to the rest of the roadway.
Great ideas to try! Thanks for sharing and showing some pictures!
I took a plain sheet of printer paper and rubbed it over the curved rails with my fingers. This gave me a paper template to cut out as a guide for cutting a small piece of styrene.
Ditto to that