I recently got myself a neat Bowser PCC trolley and I was hoping to find an easy way to build a street-based layout. Just wondering: is there anyone out there who produces modular street sections with pre-installed trolley tracks that would go together like “SnapTrack” or am I looking at a complicated project? Also, does anyone know the minimum radius that the Bowser PCC’s can turn? Thanks, Karl
Karl,
At one time, Walthers offering a system of street track “fillers” that worked with their code 83 track, but it’s not listed in my 2012 catalog.
An alternative might be to use one of the sectional tracks that integrate the roadbed/ballast into each section. Then use some of the roadway sections that different scenic accessory vendors offer, shimmed so they are just a little below level with the railhead on each side of the track. That still leaves between the rails, but plastic brick or other material could be cut to fit I suppose.
All more work than would make quick work of a project like this.
I’m not aware of a ready-made sectional track that incorporates the street. Sounds like a product that should be out there. At least a central core that came in various asphalt, concrete, and brick formats/colors that you could then add roadway onto both sides.
Google Pennsy heritage models. Great product and just what you’l need. There was also a write up in RMC on their street track system which will also come up on the Google search. Sorry but I am on my iPad and don’t know how to paste the link in to this note. But the product is great and the RMC article has great pictures. It was just what I needed, considering that I didn’t want to take the time or make the effort a real traction guy might do to do this.
Lefty
Here is the link:
In addition to thhis, there is also the Lunatram track system made by Tillig in Gemany. A quite nice, but expensive system, which also includes switches and crossings.
Look here:
Proto:87 also makes a street track system:
http://www.proto87.com/easy-street-track-system.html
I’m using this in my waterfront carfloat area.
This is an early construction picture. The rail sections are short, about 4 inches, and pre-formed to shape. This is girder rail, the kind used in real trolley street systems, not traditional rail. The rail sections and cobblestones are separate, so the plastic cobble sheets must be cut to shape and size. The tan cobbles are the original color, before painting and weathering, while the gray cobbles are as I’ve finished and weathered them
The second picture has all the cobbles painted. The cobble sheets have not been glued down yet, so there are gaps and white spots.
This is a challenging project. I like the finished look. The curves are available in a wide variety of radii, and there are a lot of different plastic sheets for bricks and cobbles. On the other hand, this is really hand-laying track, and it’s not easy to get each rail section aligned with its neighbors while maintaining the right gauge between the rails. There are no rail joiners, and each section must be soldered to provide electrical continuity. I found it easier to solder a feeder to each section, as soldering rails end-to-end resulted in filling in the top channel with solder. If you’re going to do a lot of this, get a Ribbon Rail track gauge for your chosen radius, and for the straights, too. Unfortunately, the smallest radius they make is 15 inch.
I know that this thread is HO, but thought I’d point out that Kato makes a system for N scale. Road markings are Japanese so different from US practice (especially since the Japanere drive on the left).
Might be useful if one wanted to model a narrow gauge trolley line in HO. N gauge track is generally used to model 3-foot gauge.