Dilapidated track

Been there, done that....

The green HiCube isn't derailed; that's the state of the track.
For more info search for "Portway Center" on this Forum

Nice effect...

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but just recently I completed laying the last stretch of track on my layout. It still needs going over again to fill in all the tie plates & spikes, but trains can run, at least.

 

Sundayshunter, frightenly awesome. Your video showed excellent movement, and everything stayed on the track! LOL

Dan Weinhold

The late Ed Reutling (sure do miss you Ed) did a stretch of track of that ilk. I am pretty sure he posted a video of it here on the 2 rail forum. From what I can see of most of the MODEL versions of this track, I think the important thing is to keep it symmetrical from side to side, in other words, each rail and it's right or left counterpart was pretty much identical had they been laid beside one another. The rails were always in gauge with each other even though they zigged and zagged about.

Simon

Simon, I am not sure if this was the same person you mentioned but many, many years ago in Model Railroader there was an article of a guy who modeled bad track, rail and ties. He also worked on the trucks of the cars and maybe the engines too to add more to the rocking action of the bad track. It was very impressive. It was like looking at the real thing......Paul

Simon Winter posted:

The late Ed Reutling (sure do miss you Ed) did a stretch of track of that ilk. I am pretty sure he posted a video of it here on the 2 rail forum.

He did and it was good fun to watch his trains trundle about over that terrible looking track.

From what I can see of most of the MODEL versions of this track, I think the important thing is to keep it symmetrical from side to side, in other words, each rail and it's right or left counterpart was pretty much identical had they been laid beside one another. The rails were always in gauge with each other even though the zigged and zagged about.

Yes, just need to keep it all parallel....which for many folks is a difficult objective to meet.

paul 2 posted:

Simon, I am not sure if this was the same person you mentioned but many, many years ago in Model Railroader there was an article of a guy who modeled bad track, rail and ties. He also worked on the trucks of the cars and maybe the engines too to add more to the rocking action of the bad track. It was very impressive. It was like looking at the real thing......Paul

Paul,

I am pretty sure what Ed did was posted on this forum!

mwb posted:

Simon Winter posted:

The late Ed Reutling (sure do miss you Ed) did a stretch of track of that ilk. I am pretty sure he posted a video of it here on the 2 rail forum.

He did and it was good fun to watch his trains trundle about over that terrible looking track.

From what I can see of most of the MODEL versions of this track, I think the important thing is to keep it symmetrical from side to side, in other words, each rail and it's right or left counterpart was pretty much identical had they been laid beside one another. The rails were always in gauge with each other even though the zigged and zagged about.

Yes, just need to keep it all parallel....which for many folks is a difficult objective to meet.

Martin,

That is actually a BETTER description of what I was going for!

Simon

Brother_Love posted:

I would love to model some track like this in O scale. I tried to find Rich's instructional post about imbedding video but I was unsuccessful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2SDYMwINuQ

There 'ya go!

Reminds me of the ICG track thru Oxford, MS back in the early 80s.  They would have one whole tie two ties that were blocks under each rail.  It looked like Morse code -..-..-..-   Got to pull out my slides, you wouldn't believe they ran trains on it..........it was a rockn and ah rollin.

Ed Reutling's videos are still available on YouTube, where he placed them:

https://www.youtube.com/user/reutling

I miss Ed too.

After building and operating the proto-freelance OW5 Chemung Northern RR in the Boston area, for well over 30 years...

http://mrr.trains.com/videos/l...thern-model-railroad

...in retirement the late D. Ben Brown dismantled, sold off that RR, and moved to Seneca, SC where he embarked upon building the prototype Maine Central's Eastport Branch, in P48.

One of the primary features he emphasized was the MEC's poorly maintained trackwork, with buried and sunken ties, missing spikes, tie plates, bad alignment and questionable gauging. 

Here's a view of the MEC's actual engine house @ Eastport. 

Ben documented everything he did on his blog/web page at https://dbenbrown.com 

Unfortunately, with his demise no one has maintained the site, and being wordpress-based, it has been compromised and is now unreachable. Even so, Ben proved that decrepit, poorly maintained track is a really viable thing, especially in 1/4", and if carefully executed, can be operated very reliably. 

Matt Forsyth

http://mattforsyth.com/ 

Always hope to someday model not only dilapidated track but lighter rail track that was well rusted and buried in weeds like a fair amount of the prototype.   Running BPRC would allow this to happen.  

Simon Winter posted:

The late Ed Reutling (sure do miss you Ed)...

Simon

You and me both.

Some time ago, there had been some discussion on the O Scale Modelers Yahoo Group (which Ed moderated) regarding modeling bad track. The general consensus was that if you ran locomotives and rolling stock with equalized trucks (the frames swivel on the cross beam) they'd have little trouble with uneven track and would even develop a bit of a rocking motion without derailing.

I modeled a few of my sidings like this, years ago, in HO.

Rusty

    I have a K with a bent axle that simulates the action of lousy track quite well.

I could easily true it, but it stays railed and adds action, so I don't bother.

(oops, flange size, might not work out so well 2rs, but I'm going to leave it as food for inspirational thought)

My layout has always been an industrial layout since 1988 with messy track but it also had to be reliable because it also has always been an operational layout i don't accept derailments.

I also enjoyed playing with the layout before I made changes and still do although now retired I can make changes much quicker than when I was working.

Here are some older photos back when it was part of New York Harbour theme with my limited budget I could never afford a video camera would rather buy a loco. Roo

I notice track in movies that don't look like a train could stay on.

Cool idea.

Have to agree Matt.

Ben Brown was another very talented modeler that left us too soon. Got to know him through his outstanding milk car kits. Wish I had met him sooner.

Chris and Matt...I was fortunate enough to visit Bens railroad in MA. several times and operated on it as well. Ben was a gentleman and came down to visit my railroad too and gave me some good input which I value even more now that he's no longer with us. Matt I was following his Maine Central Blog right up until he passed...saw you did too in fact. Miss Ben a lot.

Bob

Bob provided me with a link to Ben's site that works. Here's one of his posts about decrepit track, so titled. 

https://dbenbrown.wordpress.co...epit-track-modeling/

MF

Thanks Matt...and here is a link to the complete Blog for those interested in some serious modeling by one of the hobby's best Ben Brown.

https://dbenbrown.wordpress.com/

Bob