a question about crossings and roads


J

jabber1990

New Member
i'm not sure this is the right place to ask this question but here I go

hypothetically is it possible to build a crossing at a turnout or whatever they are called?

is it a good or bad idea to put a road ON the tracks, either as the main-line or the branch line

I ask because of an idea I had. I want to put a line right in the middle of a street (and have it run concurrent with the street) and if I can build a turnout at the crossing that opens up a few more ideas I have

all this is hypothetical for if/when I finally get to build a layout

I know there is no such thing as "wrong" but I want to kind of keep it as realistic as possible
 
I seem to recall a photo 'recently' of a turnout in a roadway in one of the hobby magazines. There is, as they say, a prototype for everything. With a turnout, you would need to consider how the points would be moved by a scale crew member. Google streetcar track should turn up something.
Pretty much any kind of custom track you can come with has probably been done in 1:1 scale somewhere. :)
Can you expand on 'turnout at a crossing?'

Quick search came up with this one - yikes! http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x4780653/austria_vienna_view_of_streetcar_track_WVF00014.jpg
 
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Railfans call it "street running". And it does happen just not frequently because of problems w/ vehicles. Go to some of the railfan forums & search for it. Also Google "railroad street running videos" to see it in action. Also do a search on this forum & others for modeling it as it's been discussed many times before.
 
Street running was never an ideal situation. It was sometimes the easiest way to access customers in a city. If the railroad decided it wasn't cost effective to build an alternative route then street trackage could continue to be used.
A lot of industrial trackage is still embedded in roadways.

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If you go to youtube and do a search for trains/tracks running in the street, you'll find plenty of current examples. A turnout, though....that would be something to be avoided if at all possible. It's not to say it never happens/ed, but...when they have to replace turnouts these days, the old one is lifted out and an entire package is inserted, much like on our scale railroads. That would mean a lot of extra repairs to the roadway if/when they break it up. I would not expect to find a turnout in the middle of a street unless there was little choice and the revenue too good to pass up for the RR. I could see a holdover from times past that still works being left in place and used, but nowadays it would be best to reconfigure the approach and access to the siding or spur.
 
Birmingham, Al had much street trackage in use up to the 1980's if not longer. It was handled by the Frisco/BN. there was a real good article about it from MR in the first half of 1988, the year we hosted the NMRA National. IIRC, the switch machines were under the pavement as well, in boxes with hinged lids. A few were even located between the rails. The switchman had to open the box, unlock and throw the turnout, relock it and then close the lid. A lot of work on a very hot humid summer day.
 
Well, I've got one place on my layout where an access road crosses several diverging sidings in a small space. Couldn't be helped. I use specially cut styrene pieces between the rails. I leave a bit more gap than the prototype would, to insure the trains won't ride up and derail. Local delivery cartage trucks would have a somewhat bumpy ride, but since the street deadends just past the crossing at the loading dock for a produce wearhouse, they wouldn't be going more than, say, 2-5 scale miles per hour. Since this takes place in the 1950's, you wouldn't have the completely pre-formed turnouts like you have today.
 
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