Tubular track guard rails

A picture of how you did it would be cool to see.

Okay, here's a closeup of a problem area and the rest of the layout.  My main layout was donated and rebuilt for a museum (pictures at strasburgmuseum.org).  My home layout is on the only available place, the workshop basement floor.  Although slight, the floor of course slopes toward the sump pump, which tugs at my Mikado.  The guard rails at a few spots corrected that.  My large Gargraves layout required a few extra guards as well.

That is some seriously good looking tubular rail. Great work and a great idea on the guards.

Well scenery consists of a pole, shelves, appliances and power saw but other than that it's fun.  I move freight cars and passenger train around with a simple shuffled deck of "waybill" cards.  Ballast, by the way, is Arm & Hammer multi-cat slide litter, just loosely brushed in place and will be easy to sweep up when the time comes.

It looks like a great track plan with plenty of options for running.

Just hope your cat has no access to your "ballast"! LOL!

No but I'll have to move quick if I get more rain than the pump can handle 😬

@jps32016 posted:

No but I'll have to move quick if I get more rain than the pump can handle 😬

You could post on @Arnold D. Cribari's "Breaking News" Topic if it came to that!

By the way, also apply gun metal paint on the tops of outer dummy rails and guard rails. If everything else on the layout is weathered and realistic, tubular track treated like this eventually convinces you that's what it's supposed to look like (at least I go with it 😀).

I love this layout.  It reminds me of the kinds of layouts that kids used to set up on a lazy summer day when the urge to run some trains could not be resisted.  The backdrop is just the way I remember such enterprises.  Bravo! 

Thanks Earl.  Nice of you to say.  Yeah Washing Machine Canyon and Mt. Power Saw are formidable obstacles but railroaders meet the challenge.  By the way if you want to see my original RR backdrop go to strasburgmusem.org.  I donated my earlier Gargraves layout there 17 years ago and run shows  Saturdays May - October while continuing to develop it.  Lots of special effects including stars at night, sunrise and solar eclipse, thunderstorms, structure fire, and a train wreck Gomez Aadams would enjoy.  The backdrop is a 70' photoshopped lighted mural I designed 10 years ago.  Get the chance y'all come 😀  Don't forget, ALL model railroaders are kids!

@jps32016 posted:

Okay, here's a closeup of a problem area and the rest of the layout.  My main layout was donated and rebuilt for a museum (pictures at strasburgmuseum.org).  My home layout is on the only available place, the workshop basement floor.  Although slight, the floor of course slopes toward the sump pump, which tugs at my Mikado.  The guard rails at a few spots corrected that.  My large Gargraves layout required a few extra guards as well.

You wouldn't happen to have a closeup of the guardrail would you.  It's a bit difficult to see them in those photos.

Thanks,

John

I agree with @Craftech - i studied those 3 pictures and cannot for the life of me see any guardrails.

- walt

see above these are not the guard-rails he is talking about. or these

@AlanRail posted:

see above these are not the guard-rails he is talking about. or these

Thanks Alan,

I think Walt and I both get that.  He described them OK.  Strips of styrene laid inside the track to guide the wheels.  But we wouldn't mind an actual closeup to see the detail.  The photos he took are too far away.

John