Show me what you've done with the space between tracks

Nicely done.

My (limited) experience is that the roadbed between two mainline tracks is pretty sparsely vegetated. But that does depend on the railroad......

rex desilets posted:

Nicely done.

My (limited) experience is that the roadbed between two mainline tracks is pretty sparsely vegetated. But that does depend on the railroad......

In real life I agree with you. Since I have 4 mainlines running in continuous loops with 2 trains on each loop I feel like I need a lot of stuff between them to try separate them visually. Not so much that it distracts from the trains but enough to break things up.

Thanks

joe

I think you're doing a splendid job!  

Eventually, I will be in need of doing something similar.  

I like what I see. I'm encouraged to move forward!!

Keep us posted!

KD

Right now I am worried about the space between my ears!  A lot going on.

Before railroads started deferring maintenance, cinders were frequently used to keep vegetation down and prevent soil erosion along the right-of-way. Prototype photos along the B&O mains show a prodigious use of cinders and well dressed ballast, especially during the late '40s and early '50s.

Paul

yards are darker then main and branches

If I may offer a suggestion; do NOT paint your outside rails red. The red color draws ones eyes to the red instead of your VERY nice scenery/ground cover. You might try weathering all your rails with a "camo-brown" or "dark charcoal green" color that tends to be less noticeable. 

Hot Water posted:

If I may offer a suggestion; do NOT paint your outside rails red. The red color draws ones eyes to the red instead of your VERY nice scenery/ground cover. You might try weathering all your rails with a "camo-brown" or "dark charcoal green" color that tends to be less noticeable. 

Must be the lighting or camera since they're painted rail brown

Most O gauge railroaders live in the east, where it actually rains often, trees grow naturally, and the vegetation is green and bushy.  I chose the somewhat arid high plains for the setting of my layout, and, therefore, don't use a lot of vegetation -- and the only trees are the ones in town, planted by landowners.

Next to one of the main tracks, there are a few ties for the section gang. Every year, they replace some ties that are showing cracks or other wear.

Around the engine facility, weeds are pretty well controlled.  Our Master Mechanic, Jack Wheelihan doesn't miss anything on his periodic inspection trips, and the Roundhouse Foreman keeps things pretty clean.

Over between yard tracks, there is a little dry, west Texas grass and a couple of very small sage bushes.

The wye is at the edge of the town of Caprock, and, therefore, has more dry grass and sage.  Rocks we have, trees we don't.  There's a small playa in the center of the wye, which holds some water after our infrequent rains.  Right now it only has a dead tree trunk, very old, probably dead when the Comanches lived here.

Tom, a reminder to check out the Team Track Tuesday thread for some great ideas. By the way, outstanding work you did on your layout!

Rich

dobermann posted:

Hot Water posted:

If I may offer a suggestion; do NOT paint your outside rails red. The red color draws ones eyes to the red instead of your VERY nice scenery/ground cover. You might try weathering all your rails with a "camo-brown" or "dark charcoal green" color that tends to be less noticeable. 

Must be the lighting or camera since they're painted rail brown

Well OK, if you say so. However, whatever color it's supposed to be, it sure draws your attention to it, plus the unpainted black center rail. I painted all the rails a dark charcoal green, in order to try and make them less "visible" to the viewer.

Gentlemen,

   Space between the track!

PCRR/Dave

What space between the Track?  Maybe Space between levels.

Hot Water posted:

dobermann posted:

Hot Water posted:

If I may offer a suggestion; do NOT paint your outside rails red. The red color draws ones eyes to the red instead of your VERY nice scenery/ground cover. You might try weathering all your rails with a "camo-brown" or "dark charcoal green" color that tends to be less noticeable. 

Must be the lighting or camera since they're painted rail brown

Well OK, if you say so. However, whatever color it's supposed to be, it sure draws your attention to it, plus the unpainted black center rail. I painted all the rails a dark charcoal green, in order to try and make them less "visible" to the viewer.

I feel awful that you're not happy with my track painting. Maybe later today I'll tear it all out and start again

dobermann posted:

Hot Water posted:

dobermann posted:

Hot Water posted:

If I may offer a suggestion; do NOT paint your outside rails red. The red color draws ones eyes to the red instead of your VERY nice scenery/ground cover. You might try weathering all your rails with a "camo-brown" or "dark charcoal green" color that tends to be less noticeable. 

Must be the lighting or camera since they're painted rail brown

Well OK, if you say so. However, whatever color it's supposed to be, it sure draws your attention to it, plus the unpainted black center rail. I painted all the rails a dark charcoal green, in order to try and make them less "visible" to the viewer.

I feel awful that you're not happy with my track painting. Maybe later today I'll tear it all out and start again

Sorry. Try to help some folks, and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.

I notice after installing LED lighting. The camera pics up more green hues...

But anywaze...

I would look at real tracks, before you decide what you are going to glue down.

Between the mainlines, nothing.  Between the mainlines and a siding/team track, trash and greenery.

Someone dumped their old bathroom fixtures along the tracks .....

Peter

Hot Water posted:

dobermann posted:

Hot Water posted:

dobermann posted:

Hot Water posted:

If I may offer a suggestion; do NOT paint your outside rails red. The red color draws ones eyes to the red instead of your VERY nice scenery/ground cover. You might try weathering all your rails with a "camo-brown" or "dark charcoal green" color that tends to be less noticeable. 

Must be the lighting or camera since they're painted rail brown

Well OK, if you say so. However, whatever color it's supposed to be, it sure draws your attention to it, plus the unpainted black center rail. I painted all the rails a dark charcoal green, in order to try and make them less "visible" to the viewer.

I feel awful that you're not happy with my track painting. Maybe later today I'll tear it all out and start again

Sorry. Try to help some folks, and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.

Well OK, if you say so

I was fine with what you had to say until you threw that little tidbit in. Next time I need to paint something though I'll be sure to consult you.

J Daddy posted:

I notice after installing LED lighting. The camera pics up more green hues...

But anywaze...

I would look at real tracks, before you decide what you are going to glue down.

Over the track are 12 LED shop lights from Sams and 2 from Costco. when I picked up the 2 at Costco as usual I didn't pay attention to anything but the price until I hung them. They're different in color and when I get around to it they'll go in the garage and I'll try for a better color match with the replacements. Sometimes that seems to be a problem when buying at Costco or Sams. You go back 6 months later and they don"t carry that model anymore

As a boy,  I remember traveling on a road sandwiched between two lines for a ways, before it crossed one track.  So  that road always exists on a layout for me. It went from gravel & dirt to blacktop and I imagine by now it's concrete so anything goes IMO.

Be nice, boys . . . don't fight.

dobermann posted:

I started to do this space but before I glue down too many trees I'd like to see what others have done with this space. Here's what I've started.

Thanks

joe

I like it!

dobermann posted:

J Daddy posted:

I notice after installing LED lighting. The camera pics up more green hues...

But anywaze...

I would look at real tracks, before you decide what you are going to glue down.

Over the track are 12 LED shop lights from Sams and 2 from Costco. when I picked up the 2 at Costco as usual I didn't pay attention to anything but the price until I hung them. They're different in color and when I get around to it they'll go in the garage and I'll try for a better color match with the replacements. Sometimes that seems to be a problem when buying at Costco or Sams. You go back 6 months later and they don"t carry that model anymore

look at the LED rating. I try to stick to warm 3000k rating. I noticed the higher ones seem to have a brighter white to them and pickup allot of Blues and greens which will distort colors in photos especially mixed with other room lights.

I stay away from the 5000 K, the K or Kelvin temperature is generally defined as the color that the light source emits, but that is just my preference.

Hi Joe, for me what works best is a well ballasted main line that is neatly sloped with drainage on both sides of the tracks and also in between tracks. Standing water in the trenches with drainage pipes is about all I would do out on the main line but as someone had stated earlier, the time frame and the financial condition of your railroad would dictate the amount of maintenance applied.  Small rock cropping's between the tracks could sever as a visual break between the tracks that you spoke of.   In  passenger station areas fencing between the tracks looks great and prevents injury.

Bill

I think your work looks pretty good . I did originally put some things between the track that resulted is problems causing crashes.

In reference to your question, between the tracks here is a few.

Good luck with your project.

Larry

.

Every time I glue in a tree or large rock I run the long passenger cars around before the glue can set up.

Here is some between the tracks stuff from the Free State Junction Railway.

I doubt if this is prototypical but on a toy train layout it works.  John in Lansing, ILL

I don't know about you John but that's what I have. A toy train layout

Hot Water posted:

If I may offer a suggestion; do NOT paint your outside rails red. The red color draws ones eyes to the red instead of your VERY nice scenery/ground cover. You might try weathering all your rails with a "camo-brown" or "dark charcoal green" color that tends to be less noticeable. 

Not red, the photo color effect i think was result of light used at the time and camera exposure.. never looked like that again

Just put some grass down.  

Mostly rock but some grass.

Fort Pitt Highrailer modules.

I don't remember seeing grass in between the tracks in the St. Louis area.

Ken M

Joe:

I too will eventually get to scenery for my yard track. As inspiration I have have saved the following photos from the internet.

excellent right-of-way maintenance

Trainlover9943 posted:

Just put some grass down.  

This is a nice shot Trainlover.  Suggest you weather the track lightly (no RED) with a gray/brown hue and let some overspray hit the center blade and that track will really look GREAT!

Thanks! Eventually I will weather the track. 

with respect to the "red rails"...it was a combination of the lighting (fluorescent)  and camera, not nearly that color. layout since taken down, so its not possible to redo.  Similar photo was in Classic toy train and it came out fine..