Some help with track support

doesn't look like you can go under...try some sort of suspension....run supports under and go golden gate on it!  looks like my track planning...i have lots of awwwww craps!

I had a similar problem on a layout that is now in a pile in my new basement so no pics but I built a support that spanned in your case both the track and the turnout. It would be w wide support in it's foot print but it will do the job. On your pic"Another view form above" I would put one vertical support where you have your tape measure start and the second vertical support an inch or more outboard of the main line of the turn out. The horizontal piece could be a 1/4 x /1/4 angle running between both verticals. Just my thoughts on the subject. Basiclly in a inverted "U" shape.

Don’t know if you have the clearance, but 1/2” dowel rod or 1/4” threaded rod  drilled through base and glued or bolted might work. “T” connection to track.  Then disguise with scenic elements.

BK:

Two things you can think about

1. Fashion a curved 'under-support' out of pink or blue foam. Either cut in lines for bloc or glue on block wall (Scenic Express has foam walls) then either glue to the two trestle bents you have or to a support next to the bents. Just allow for clearance of trains passing underneath.

2. Build a curved wood trestle deck. You will need to support it at the two trestle bents in the same way as above.

Joe

It is not uncommon for a support lintel to extend outward a significant distance in situations like that. Example:

Also, if you build a more rigid roadbed under the Fasttrack, you can get away with much longer spans. Just make sure that the adjacent supports are anchored against upward as well as downward motion, since the track will tend to see-saw.

Here is a trestle I made that was quite rigid:

I built track supports out of 1" wood dowel and 1/4" plywood. I added some square stock to the edges to provide a little more strength. Has been holding up fine so far.

I always keep a supply of 1 X 1/2 basswood, 1/4 X 1/4 inch basswood, and balsawood sticks.  There are tons of uses for this stuff on a layout.  I've used it often to solve these types of problems.  A few examples follow.  Since you have a 6 in clearance, this would work.  I agree with RJT, I would span the switch and the remaining track.   Measure twice, cut once.  If you do it that way, be sure to glue the perpendicular pieces first.  You don't want the pieces to move/bend against each other.  Then drill and reinforce with a screw on either side.  You can see I didn't need to insert screws in the first pic, but I did in the second.

Here, the Santa Fe colors enhance the double bridge.  The cross braces are balsa wood.  They are mostly for show and provide little support.

If this isn't an option, you could do a "T" as Ted suggests, with a dowel (like this) or other support.

The arches are from Bridgeboss.  You can check out his excellent stuff at bridgeboss.com   You can see the supports I had to conjure to get them up that high.  This one took two months to get it right... 

Good luck, keep us posted,

Jerry

you can use Polystyrene and make it look like steel beams. The Polystyrene becomes pretty strong when it is reinforced. The green structure, the bridge in the top photo and the arches are Polystyrene.

1x's work for me!  Russ

@ChiloquinRuss - your girders and supports look great!  Can you share more detail and/or photos on how you fabricated it?  It's exactly the look I'm hoping to achieve on my elevated line!

Thanks!

I had a similar problem with Real Trax. My solution was to glue track sections together with CA, which makes rigid track sections longer than the stock 10".

I would use the inverted U support structure shown in the previous responses, the two vertical supports columns ( wood round dowels or square/rectangular cross section white pine) with a transverse wood piece that bears against the bottom of the track and spans the two support columns is the best solution. This transverse piece is a simply supported beam resting on the two columns, the beam transfers the track and moving train load to the columns by a compression loading. I would also recommend the horizontal span beam be of a rectangular crossection, for example, 1/4 inch by 1 in wood strip, the 1 inch dimension vertical the 1/4 inch base bears on the track bottom and on the top of the two support columns.

The bending stiffness for a rectangular shape is 1/12 the base times the height cubed, this is why the 1 inch dimension is vertical. This support is easy to make, it spans obstructions between the two columns and can be assembled and mounted to the train deck with wood glue. Also remember to support the elevated curved track on possibly 1.5 to 2 foot centers to minimize vertical/rotational deflections, seal and paint the inverted U shaped support concrete gray. 

  If it is a change of pier style you want to avoid, try turning two sideways with a support strung between them. This will also help with movement parallel to the width of them; i.e. stronger against falling like dominos. 

These may be more "get er done" post war than you'd like, but I cant click on photo's at the bottom to see it. Besides, it's the idea, not the style, or lack of. 

This light gets a catwalk from the track, but it gets stolen for use as a loading ramp too. The beam is adjustable shelf  brackets, one nut &bolt makes a clamp out of it and graps the T between the two slot's on each arch. 2x4 risers. The single arch alone was not enough support. There was too much lateral push to the outside from the centrifugal forze of heavy engines in the curves. I.e. it was tippy 

It didnt get used, but a turnout belongs here. It is canted over the milk car. 

t

   Avoiding this cantelever was impossible; the beam would have been 2' beyond easy and maybe off the layout edge. (Adding turnouts and a couple of non-trimmed track sections would center it again and allow the second concrete/foam section to be used.) I hate the look of a cantelever so something had to fill the space too.  It almost got a signal light or semifore vs a tower on old concrete, asphalted with old cracked emory cloth.(under the dust, 

He only has 6" minus the Fastrack. If you use a 1" support, that makes a little over 4.5" headroom. Not good for a lot of situations. My RK stacks just make it with Fastrack in a 6" space.

John and guys,

I've been thinking about this...  You're right about the height of the lower fastrack, which gives him less than 6".  He could use a 1/8" piece of brass, or any stiff metal piece to slide under his curve and attach to vertical supports.  He could notch them, or cut them off and add a matching top to the metal piece.  It looks like he has room for a support in the graveyard corner.

He could also fashion bigger bases for his existing piers to raise them to an acceptable level.

Jerry

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful suggestions.  For a temporary fix so I can run the polar express for Christmas I will try the CA glue on the track  joint and rely on tthe pvc pipe

running the bigger locos requires a different solution

the idea of a suspension bridge is enticing but the dynamic load probably rules that out.

will have to be some type of vertical support, maybe small diameter brass allthread through drilled holes on either edges of the fastrack (where the painted railroad ties end) with a small nut below as a support?

Thanks again for all your suggestions and I will definitely keep you posted on my solution!

enjoy the season and happy new year!

BK

Mattrain - Here you go.  Russ

Here's some pics of what I did on my layout using the Lionel Trestles. The first one I just used Hot glue to hold in the metal strips in place (the one that came with the set). The second one I used zip ties as well. Also in the second one the bottoms are screwed into those rock piers.