Trolley tracks have no ties, but all I can find are RR tracks. Any suggestions, or do I have to lay and spike my own? Thanks.
How do they stay in “gauge” if they have no ties?
A lot of information about modeling trolleys here: http://www.trolleyville.com/school.shtml
The prototype does have ties - they are buried under the pavement where the track runs in the streets.
Fred W
Trolley tracks in the streets also use a “girder” rail that has a “guardrail” or flangeway cast into the head of the rail. I have seen modelers simulate that by soldering a rail on its side to the running rail, they solder the head of a rail to the web of the running rail.
Dave H.
Most trolley modelers use live catenary so the rails can be soldered to a trip of shim brass to keep them in alignment. You can use regular track and fill in a road with plaster. you can simulate the girder rail by laying a piece of rail with the head against the inside of the running rail. The reason most trolley people use the catenary is you cna reverse the polarity of a trolley by making the trolley pull hook go to ground and use the pole that is up for positive current. That way there is no track polarity issue.
Back to Ye Olde Prototype - there were some trolley tracks simply ‘laid’ (literally) on a solid surface (concrete, well used Belgian block…), held in place by temporary blocks and paved around. They were held in gauge by rods between the girder rails, and nary a tie in sight.
Remember seeing this when they were doing some under-the-pavement work in Da Bronx back when I was a pre-schooler.
Incidentally, streetcar trackage was usually single wire, not catenary.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Indeed!
Interurbans ran single wire live overhead with pick-up from a trolley pole, or a pantograph. Catenary with pantographs, as well as third-rail, is usually reserved for metropolitan areas with high-speed rail and long straight stretches of track.
After looking at the most excellent Trolleyville Schoolhouse mentioned above:
[1] See “Interurban’s” 2 Guyz and Sum Trains Forum - The Trolley Line…
http://2guyzandsumtrains.com/Forums/viewforum/f=8.html
[2] The quintisential trolley club site - East Penn Traction Club…
[3] Don’t overlook - Japan Rail Modelers of Washington D.C. …
http://www.japanrailmodelers.org/
[4] N Scalers also have - NCat Live Catenary…
http://www.teamsavage.com/ncat/ncat.html
[5] The extensive trolley prototype picture library - Dave’s Electric Railroads…
http://www.davesrailpix.com/index.html
Upon closer trackage review, in addition to Trolleyville’s outlined Orr Rail approach, you’ll see most tend to use standard scale track - simply covered with plaster, water putty, or plastic - then weathered and etched to suit the desired effect.
My solution was to slit cocktail straws, (which I greased), as a way to prevent plaster from getting on the rail. I then poured in greyish-blackened Hydrocal plaster, which I leveled to the height of the rails with a narrow putty knife. The straws not only prevent plaster fronm getting on the tops of the rails, but leave a beveled space for the wheel flanges. I like Hydrocal plaster because when it hardens it is very strong and is not brittle.This slit cocktail straw technique is also useful in applying ballast. Especially, when you spray the ballast with adhesive, as the final sealant. Be sure to remove the slit straws before the plaster and sealant hardens. Using Woodland Scenics ballast was much too expensive for 240 yds of track, so I used a coffee bean grinder to slightly reduce the size of grey Kitty Litter. Florist’s green styrofoam, or kitty litter is, also, excellent for modeling tree foliage. It can be sprayed green for Summer, or any shade of yellow or orange, for Fall foliage.
My grandmother had a pet-phrase for an idea like this…
“What won’t they think of next?”
Thanks to all for your help. Problem solved.
Walthers has a Street Track Insert Set
Found this…
Welcome to PA Heritage Models, LLC
HO Street Track Straight Covers-gray, wide
Available in either red(brick) or gray (cobblestone), it fits right over your Atlas flex track. Each packet contains 4 six inch sections, and will cover 2 linear feet of track. - Assembles quickly -wide(3 inch) widths -