Burying yard track

I'll need to dig to find pictures. You can use Z fold foam (1/8" thick) to bring the base up flush to the tops of the ties.

Ive used plaster, masonite, plywood, dirt, drywall mud.. 

Most real lumber yards that I've switched in real life, the tracks were burried in the dirt. That's the easy way to do it. Use foam core or wood to take up the voulume, paint it to seal and cover in real dirt. You can mix some ballast in there, along with some powder paint to get a different shade.

Not a lumber yard but same concept around a turntable which is the look I'm shooting for on the areas around our club's turntable.

Thanks for the replies guys. Gilly, looking forward to pictures. Doug, I thought along the same lines, but was wondering if you have any pictures? John, thanks for the pictures. Do you remember Latham lumber in Mineola? That's the yard I'm referring to. They had asphalt up to each rail on the sides and between the rails.

Andy

I simulated the embedding of FasTrack yard spurs in dirt.  I've made a short video showing how I did it:

Bob A.

Andy - I meant to give you the link to the previous video in my series, #19 (below).  It has more background on the method I used.  Sorry for the mixup.

This floor was actually mixed up and poured like real concrete. Tracks buried in it so the rail head is flush with the floor. This was messy and a PITA!

The roundhouse floor was 2 layers of cabinet grade plywood. Less messy than the above method but still takes a long time to get it right.

The whisker tracks were buried in dirt. Real dirt mixed with ballast, paint powder, and whatever else I felt like mixing in. The ties are buried so just the rail is above ground.... like most real engine service areas on the outside of buildings. If you want it flush with the rail head, just pour on more dirt. 

The concrete pad was made with Masonite, and scribed. Then I used dirt and sand to fill the gap between the rail and the edge of the concrete pad. It's completely flush so it looks like the wheels are sitting on the dirt.

Thank you Bob. Very informative, I like your techniques. Your yard looks great!

Andy

Doug,

It might have been a pain, but you can't beat the results. It looks fantastic! Thanks

Andy

Who makes the yellow end of track stoppers?

 

Wheel stops are from Tomar Industries and Custom Finishings... both found on EBay

Here's a video that shows a lot of imbedded track. He didn't add inserts between the rails though,

Wheel stopper question answered before I asked.  That all REALLY looks good.  On my weedgrown short line I will just have to bury it all, with a liberal use of "grass" and "dandelions".

It depends. The lumber yard near the high school I attended had track in pavement, so you had the rail heads and flangeways visible. There's a lumber yard in Rialto west of my house where the tracks are sitting in dirt -- ties covered, but rails sticking up. Depends on the look you're going for. If you want tracks in asphalt, you can build up the base to just under the rail head and use asphalt roofing paper for the surface, similar to a grade crossing.