I sent a request a few years back to MR to include the average train car length with their
information about layouts, mainline runs, minimum radius, turnout size all important information
but so is the number of cars in average trains that can run on the layout…
I was shot down…
fast forward…
I just got my MRP 48 track plans
Guess what
they include average train car lengths…go figure
Now for the wants…
where can I get prefab shims for elevating curves on my soon to be started HO project?
I am seeking a product that can be cut like wood, is 1/2 or so thick, and not affected by “earth conditions” to use as a base for my 44 foot 3 track mainline run along the sofit in my basement( the extra space I gained by allowing a pool table in my train domain) I can use OSB or MDF but I was hoping to get a vinyl or other man made chemical product…but if “wood” is cheaper then thats what I will use…
I am feeling the drive and anticipation that a new train layout project brings…
I just used 0.02" thick styrene strips and glued them to the underside of the rail ties (i.e. parallel to the track and directly under the outside rail) with Testors Liquid cement. 0.02" styrene is plenty for super-elevation in HO, still flexible for gluing to the rail ties, and isn’t affected by moisture or temperature. I then used Latex caulk to adhere the track to the cork bed.
You will also want to transition up to the 0.02" super-elevation in steps. Since my curve was just after a turnout, I left the first inch or two after the joint with no super-elevation. I then went a few inches with 0.01 thick strips then up to 0.02". You’ll want to reduce the super-elevation the same way coming out of the curve.
Evergreen makes 0.02 thick strips and you can get that at your LHS. I believe I used either 1/16" or 3/32" wide strips. You don’t want the strips to be too wide because the narrower the strip; the easier it is to bend it to follow the contour of the rail.
Tstage is correct on that. I might want to add that if you’re using flex track (or even sectional track for that matter), these strips do not have to be a continuous strip within the outside edge of the ties, I just use 1 to 1 1/2 inch long strips spaced at approximately 3 inch intervals along the curve. I also didn’t glue the styrene strips to the ties. I also used track nails instead of caulk to fasten the track to the roadbed. This makes it so that if you want to change your track plan and you still need that same track , you can re-use it. You can still use caulk; its just that on my layout I may want to someday reconfigure the track plan so i used track nails. That way I don’t risk destroying the track when I take it up and I don’t have to clean it up either. Just a thought.
LION built a helix with super elevation. The sub road bed is OSB board, the risers are 2x6" members, and him used builder’s shims on top of the risers to cant the entire deck.
I was going to use super elevation in order to help keep long trains on the track , but I discussed it with a LHS who did it and he stated he still had issues and the elevation actually made the derailing worse on longer trains…so I am scrapping that idea because the track will be 6 feet above “real ground” and I cannot afford the therapy after having a train cliff dive…
FWIW, John, I have NEVER had a derailment issue due to super-elevation. (And I have turnouts at each end of my curves.) If I surmise correctly from what you are saying above, my guess is that since the LHS guy was already experiencing derailments BEFORE installing super-elevation, his problems were due to poor and/or inconsistent track work, which super-elevation isn’t going to fix. I’d also be curious to hear what method he used to super-elevate his curves.
Don’t toss out an idea just because one person had a bad experience with it. Just be sure your track work is smooth and you shouldn’t have any problems with derailments. And, if your squeamish about accidents, fascia guards will help eliminate any “cliff hanging” experiences.
Superelevation, like curves and grades, need transistions to work correctly. You can’t just suddenly go from level to 6: scale superelevtation in one bang. That will guarantee derailments. A gradual transition to maximum superelevation in the center of the curve and then a gentle transistion back to level as the curve ends will give nice smooth operation. I did this on my previous layout and even full length 85’ passenger cars with body-mounted couplers could run through at warp speed. Deliberate attempt to stringline long freight trains by stopping on the curve and then suddenly opening the throttle to full failed to pull the cars off the track. I used various thicknesses of styrene strip to build up the superelevation and let it back down again. Worked very well. The maximum wasn’t all that high, but it was enough to give the effect. Perhaps trying for too much is also an issue since physics doesn’t scale.
Additionally, John, derailments on superelevated curves can occur if your cars are not weighted correctly. Make sure that all your cars are at least at NMRA minimums. These standards are to ensure that cars track properly, especially on curves and on turnouts. I,ve had some under weight cars, especially 50+ foot gondolas and 50 foot boxcars have trouble with tracking, thus derailments occurred.
Long model trains on tight curves often derail toward the center of the curve, called stringlining, due to the build up of forces from the friction of the curve. I’ve observed multiple cases where superelevation made this worse and removing the superelevation eliminated the problem.
Obviously some people get away with superelevation and some don’t. But my observations in multiple situations suggests that it doesn’t help performance in the model and is primarily cosmetic.
Edit: It should be said that as with many model railroad issues, a lot depends on the minimum radius. Stringlining issues are significantly exacerbated with long trains and HO radii of 22-24" or so and down (and proportional radii in other scales), especially with grades through the curves.
