Hello, I was wondering how I can model rails in a street setting. Is there a special type of track that I can use? Like the rails that were embedded in an industrial setting? Probably cobblestone, since that's how I remember it when I was growing up in Jersey City, NJ in the 1950's. I figured that I could use a Dremel unit to cut into the road surface but getting the right type of rail is key to making the scene realistic .
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Well, to keep it real looking, you would want to avoid any kind of tubular track; just too wide at the top. Lay your track without ballast, then put down the roadway to the outside edges of the track. Cut narrow pieces to fit between the rails, being sure to leave enough space for wheel flanges on each inside. Any kind of curve, switch or crossing built into the roadway will also call for special "road" work. Just remember that street height has to match track height for the project to look good.
Chuck
Thank you Chuck for the reply. I am not going to be running any trains on this section of track. It's actually just a part of the scenery and to give the impression that the rails are not not used anymore. You have probably seen where the old tracks in the street were partially covered with asphalt where the tracks might have crossed a street into another industrial area.
Perhaps not what you had in mind, but I have a stretch of operational tubular track embedded into a plywood "street" to create an industrial siding. You could go a step further by running an additional wood or foam core strip in the center.
If there will be no actual "street running" on this section of track, I suggest that you buy some Atlas O 2-rail track that has a correct solid flat-topped cross-section (rather than hollow tubular track) with correct 1/48 (0.148 inches) scale rail height. You can put wood planks between the rails while leaving openings for wheel flanges adjacent to the insides of the rails. You can purchase planking for between the rails from Blair Line... As mentioned before, the height of planking or asphalt pavement should be just below the top of the rails. I have cobblestone streets on my layout (bought from Monster Models) but I don't think they're in business now.
MELGAR
Super Streets Track. It looks like road. It used to be made by K-Line but Bachmann makes it now. It has a very thin 3rd Rail. I’ve used it on layout scenes and it works well. You can see it under the Autorack on the right. 
If you are interested, Super Streets was renamed to E-Z Street by Bachmann Trains - link to their website Bachmann E-Z Street
I was able to get track in street from GHB models about 20 years ago.
Don "IndustrialModels" Smith did a fantastic industrial street trackage layout several years ago. He used spackling compound for the street (thin applications) up too the rails, then gouged out the flangeways using a drywall saw blade. Then he painted it and scraped the paint off the rails afterward.
I have done three methods.
Masonite on either side of the outside rails and "N" scale foam track bed on the inside. The foam is perfect to fit in the gauge and has a natural bevel for the wheel flanges.
The 2nd was the same as above but I used dollar store foam instead of masonite. You will see in the one pick, the foam can warp if not glued well.
Then I tried this. It was dollar store sand and a white glue mixture. I watched this video from another forum member. I guess it looks OK. It took a long time and was hard to do... and let's face it that track is never coming up. if it does, it will not be usable again.
The "N" scale foam does work well in the gauge though.
Have Fun !
Ron
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