Superelevating Curves?

[Mike Nowakowski]

How do you do it in HO Scale? I possibially heard using masking tape and cardboard?

 

[Beachbum]

Pinstripe tape, thin styrene sheet as a shim, fine gauge solid copper wire. Itty-bitty screws, tracknails? Dunno about those two... The wire is kind of nice because you can bend it to your curve easily and it's a one piece operation.

I'd be concerned that cardboard and / or masking tape would get warped if you ballast. Guess you could seal them somehow beforehand.

 

[bigB]

styrene plastic is the way to go. In jeff wilson's basic trackwork book, there is a side bar that describes how to do it. basically you take shims of styrene in small strips on one side. i think he started with .015 strips on the outside curve, then .020, then .030 then back down to level on the outside rail of the curve.

 

[cajon]

A search showed this topic has been discussed here before & more than a few times. Consensus is what works for the prototype doesn't necessarily work on models. Here's one thread:
http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16268&highlight=Superelevation

 

[tankist]

A search showed this topic has been discussed here before & more than a few times.

it seems our friend Mike, does not belie in searching. why bother and put effort if you can just ask.

Mike, this topic was thoroughly discussed.

 

[Selector]

Yes, like just about every topic, this one has many threads in the archives showing it has been bandied about previously. Sometimes, though, someone has a new observation or a new method to share. So.....what the heck.

I have resorted to using cardstock shims, I have planed and sanded roadbed so that it superelevates the outer rails, and I have slipped the bottoms of risers supporting spline roadbed outward so that the spline surfaces are titled just enough to tilt the tracks. There are many methods, and all can be made to work with some care and skill.

I usually caution people wanting to superelevate that they should be careful to minimize it. I don't mean don't use it on your curves, or on most curves, or anything like that....heck, it looks really great in photos if you get it right. What I mean is that 'getting it right' is unlikely if you overdo the disparity between the rail heights at the apex of the curve. IOW, less is more. Just a bit, just enough that you can say, "Aaaawwww....that's so cool."

I mean maybe 1 mm, perhaps as much as 1/16", but I would not go any higher.

Test your elevated curves, too. Make sure they work will all your equipment in both directions, and reversing, too. Only then should you ballast.

-Crandell