DIY / homemade buffer bumper

[DougM]

A while ago I saw a web page that described making your own bumpers but now i can't find it.

I seem to remember it used a nail and in the end was painted yellow.

Anyone know where that might be or have any good techniques for building simple bumpers?

I don't care too much right now about style/era although I will later.

 

[UP2CSX]

I don't have any information on the article but the two most common bumpers are easy to make and cheap. The most common is a pile of dirt or ballast about three scale feet high just before the end of the track. The other common type uses ties. You can either glue a stack of three or four ties to the end of track or have a pair of ties buried in the ballast (or dirt) so the ends stick out in a kind of "X" pattern. Fancier bumpers like the steel Hayes bumpers are used in larger yards and intermodal terminals but the old pile of dirt or ties are still the most common type of bumpers in use.

 

[John P]

Here's the "ties in an X" design (one tie isn't totally easy to see, but they are both there):

 

[DougM]

Looks good, I'll try the ties. Thanks

If anyone has info on other types as well let me know.

 

[V&AL]

for temporary track, I usually drive 2 spikes into an X shape over each rail. Usually enough to stop a drifting car, but not a powered train...