Rails to trails Model

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, but I have searched the internet without much luck so I figured I would turn to you.

I am trying to find out if anyone has built a “rails to trails” model on their layout. I saw it a while back in MR for an Aprils Fool, but I thought it was great. Something that crosses the mainline would be great.

If you haven’t built it, any thoughts on doing one?

Any chance we can get that image from MR posted again?

Thanks,
Aaron Marcavitch
Nantucket, MA

2

Hey Aaron
I’m planning to prototypicly model the Wisconsin and Southern railroad’s Reedsburg sub in Reedsburg WI. At the very end of the line they tore out the old CNW line after Reedsburg and made it into the “400 Bike Trail.” For a little ways (about A half a mile) the track and trail run paralell, so I’m going to model it there, in cluding both of them croosing a bridge.

Noah[:p][8D][:p]

3

Maybe not “rails to trails” but rails to roads, sure…part of my layout will include recently paved-over trolley track on crossing streets. Not quite the same, but close…the idea of modeling out-of-service right of way (old ties and discarded junk) is an old one in model railroading, but re-used out-of-service track is a different story.

4

Aaron, Noah:

Here’s a little study done in regards to Rails and Trails sharing the ROW - some interesting statistics, including that there’s usually a barrier between the tracks and the trail (either Vegetation, Grade difference, or chain link fence); that the average distance of seperation is 55 ft; that the average trail width is 11ft; and that there were almost no accidents due to the rail/trail proximity at the time of the study (which seems to be a bit dated - if I find anything later…)

http://www.americantrails.org/resources/railtrails/RailWithTrailStudy.html

5

I’m adding an abandoned spur to my layout; with some decaying flatcars at the end. Will put trees and grass in between the rotting ties. Just lovely.

6

[#welcome] to the forum!

I plan to have an abandoned track run into a tunnel at the edge of the layout. With an abandoned mining camp next to it.

7

At a train show a few years ago there was a module of an abonanded line turned into a bike/hiking trail, they had park benches, seating/picnicing area, bikes hikers, some abanded train cars, debris, it was pretty neet, only no trains to run, but must have been fun building.

8

Iv’e got a similiar situation on the MESS. I’ve biked on several railbeds and can make several observations if it helps.

Newfoundland tore up its tracks in the 80’s. This was a narrow guage line spanning the province. depending on location well groomed trails have a top layer of chrusher dust and stone which is very compact. All the exixting bridges are still intact but havn’t been painted. Out lying areas have not been groomed and due to the use of ATV’s the road bed is deeply rutted. You still find the occassional railroad spike.

Prince Edward Island has a really good trail system where all the road bed has been restored using crusher dust and small stone.

Nova Scotia is a work in progress and is continually upgrading trails.

If bridges have not been replaced then they have been upgraded where the track bed has been filled in with wolmanized wood and wooden hand rails installed.

In many locations the brush does encroach on the trail but is still kept groomed.

In several areas in the Musquodoboit valley farmers are using old railbeds to store there bailed hay for the winter. Reason being is this part of the field is elevated and accessible during winter months.

Here’s a link to a trail in my area

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/vandykes/Pictures.html

Hope this helps

If you need additional info e-mail me as I may have additional links. I do have photos but they are not scanned as of yet.

Regards

Fergie

9

Pacific,

That sounds eerily like the module MR used for its april issue.

Fergie,

I didn’t realize that all that track was torn up. It is so depressing to hear about the continual abandonment of railroads. But the good news is you can create anything you wish in models.

10

Thanks Fergie!

Those are great pics, beautiful countryside!!

Here’s a night pic of an AZ “forest” with the lights on. [:D]

11

Late September is the time you want to see it though as the fall colours are out of this world. I’ll post once I get a new Puter

12

There is imes that my whole layout was a rails to trails kinda thing