Can you buy this?

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BigJim

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Nov 19, 2006
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I have planned a trestle with separate tracks in both directions. I have seen pictures of railroads doubling up tracks without having any switching or ability to change tracks for a narrower bridge. I think it would really look great to have a bridge track like this.
dualtrack.gif

So... Can you buy the parts to make this or must it be hand-laid? If it has to be hand-laid would it be easier to use about 1/3 of a crossing at each end (throw away the center) and extend the tracks between the two pieces or to start from scratch?

I have never even considered doing hand-laid but there are first times for everything:thumb:
 
I have seen pictures of those in the prototype -- I think in Track Planning for Realistic Operation - but I have never seen anything like it commercially made. I think it's called a gauntlet, though, so knowing the name might help you look for one. But I wouldn't be surprised if you'd have to make it yourself.
 
I would probably start with 2 wye switches and trim at the pivots.
There used to be a firm called UMPCO that made such switches, but they haven;t advertised since the 60s. You're going to be stuck for track on the bridge unless you handlay. And you'll need a pair of guardrails as well.
There's a situation like that near here but I can't get in a position to actually photograph it.
 
I was thinking of a 12.5 degree crossing like below. Can't draw it very well with the curves into the rails but this should give an idea.

Do you think I also need guard rails? Wouldn't the other track do the same job? Have to find the picture to see if the prototype had them.

crossing.gif
 
You know, I saw in one of the MR issues on a layout with a car scale. The scale works on the same princeble but a little different. Those actually use full switchs but the four rails are very close together like above. I don't know why they did it like that because it doesn't really do anything but move the train over a few inches (prototype inches) then back. I'll have to draw up a diagram sense what I said probably makes no sense. I just got off work and it's 3 in the morning so that probably figures why I don't make sense. :)
 
I just bought two 18 inch bridge track sections for my Walthers double track bridge They are very well detailed and have guard rails. They are code 83 rail. You could use something like that for the trestle portion and as someone noted above, wye turnouts adapted to your needs.
 
KCS - the scale situation you are talking about is due to the fact that they don't wantthe incredible weight of the loco on the scale track, so they use the turnouts to run it on the separate rails. The cars being weighed will ride on the rails that actually attach to the scale.
 
BigJim said:
I have planned a trestle with separate tracks in both directions. I have seen pictures of railroads doubling up tracks without having any switching or ability to change tracks for a narrower bridge. I think it would really look great to have a bridge track like this.
dualtrack.gif

So... Can you buy the parts to make this or must it be hand-laid? If it has to be hand-laid would it be easier to use about 1/3 of a crossing at each end (throw away the center) and extend the tracks between the two pieces or to start from scratch?

I have never even considered doing hand-laid but there are first times for everything:thumb:
Click to expand...

The track you speak of is indeed a 'gauntlet' track. The CNW had one on a bridge over the Wisconsin River at Merrimac, Wisconsin. I replicated the bridge and track by using handlaid code 83 rail. Although you could probably use the methods in this thread, it looks to me to be much more work with the possibility of bad angles in the merging of track components. Handlay, the sound of it may scare some to death, but it's really not that bad.

As to the post from Dragon to KCS -- The ACTUAL reason for the scale track senario is, because the rails on a scale have seperation(no joint bars) from adjoining rails, so in effect the scale rails could float freely. The other rails were to provide movement on the scale track in normal operations without damge to the scale or rail attached to it. The track could then be used for normal speed operations. It is the scale track rails that slightly diverge. True engines were banned from the scale tracks, but the railroad did NOT switch tracks under a train to prevent this.

WC & WSOR Locomotive Engineer,

Johnny
 
BigJim said:
Found the pic in the Track Planning book and they do have guard rails. Six rails should look great :thumb:
Click to expand...

By the time you get 6 rails in place and correctly gauged, I would think 2 frogs would not be that difficult. But that's just me; I find hand-laying track rather soothing especially compared to shooting paint or weathering at an expensive locomotive with an airbrush.

my thoughts, your choices
 
Fred, No quite ready to try full hand-laid track - maybe later. Now if you want to take a trip over the coastal range to Notth Plains.........

I was going to try and "Track Bash" some flex track like shown below. If I slide one of the the moveable rails out I think I can interlace the tracks and slide it back in. Having 1/2 the full length ties for each track should keep the gauge correct. The joints fall between the tracks so they shouldn't be that hard to hide.

When I get to the "1/3 of the wye" the amount I cut off of each tie is reduced to spread the tracks.

Anybody have any success "welding" plactic ties together from the bottom with a soldering iron? If not - what kind of glue works best?
gauntlet.gif
 
I've thought about every way that you could kitbash flex track to make what you want, and I have to agree with Fred. You may be frightened by the idea of handlaying track, but I think what you are trying is going to be much more difficult to get right than handlaying track. You don't need switches. What you are looking at is more like a modified crossover. The two tracks are separate, but overlaping. The train that comes in on the right side track will stay on the right side track, and the train comng in on the left side track will stay on the will stay on the left side track.
 
Well I tried the concept with some black code 100 track. What I like best is pictured below. Keeping one side of the ties full length and triming the other side to match the space between the rails it makes a solid center and alternating full width ties.
I will still have to hand-lay (glue?) the guard rails but this came out OK bad for my first try at "Track-Bashing".
gauntlet2.jpg
 
60103 said:
If you cut apart a pair of switches you will have 2 sets of points left over to make youe scale track.
Go ahead, try track laying. Just keep the opposing rails separate so they don't short.
Click to expand...

You don't need a switch because you don't want points. What you want is a 1/2 5 degree crossover In effect the two inside tracks cross each other, the two outside tracks just diverge at each end staying parrallel to the appropriate inside track.
 
I just looked at your pic on the last page where you show a crossover cut in half and one half used on each end. It will work, just don't forget to bend the rails going to the crossover in a curve. You don't want a kink at either end of your bridge. I'm also not sure you need a rerailer in a gantlet track section. I think the rail going the other direction will act as a guard rail.
 
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