N gauge Ground level tracks

[Dudley Dodger]

In marshalling yards and on tramways, the top of the rails are often level withe the floor, so how should i go about modelling this in N gauge? What should I use, and how much space do flanges need?

[Dave777]

It's slightly more tricky to achieve a prototypical inset tracks look in N than it is in OO due to the increased width of N gauge wheels - it's harder to infill the space between the rails because you need to leave a bigger gap for the flanges, so you end up with quite big gaps either side and a narrower infill down the middle of the track (or at least that is my experience, others may have solved the issue).

 

Choice of materials is up to you really, although there is a certain thickness of Plasticard that sits atop the sleepers and is perfectly level with the rail tops - I'll have a measure tonight for you as to which one it is. Cardboard would be another choice, and again you'll need to get the correct thickness, but you can always build it up to the correct height if it's too thin. One thing to bear in mind is that you'll need to raise the entire level of the surface on either side as well and support it - this crude diagram shows what I mean.

 

http://i70.photobuck..._2006/inset.jpg

 

The red bit is now your roadway, and as you can see there's a gap underneath that you'll need to fill in order to support it. You can of course slope the roadway up to your tracks as alternative, but if you want to keep the whole thing level you'll need to raise everything else (you can't lower the tracks into the baseboard, so if you want the 'ground' to be the same level as the rail tops then everything else will need to be raised up). I seem to be making quite a simple aspect over-complicated here, so hopefully you'll get what I'm on about!

 

A slightly cheating way of doing it is to fill in the sleeper gaps so that the rails appear to be placed on flat ground, such as a roadway. This removes the need to worry about keeping the space for the flanges clear, but obviously the rails aren't truly 'inset' as such and stand proud. I use filler to achieve this effect.

 

Photo showing butted up Plasticard:

 

http://i70.photobuck...olding3004b.jpg

 

Photo showing filled in sleepers (this was for a coal yard and so the ground wasn't smoothed out or anything - obviously for a roadway you'd smooth everything)

 

http://i70.photobuck...olding3006b.jpg

 

(not quite so useful pictures of these areas once they were completed are at the bottom of this page: http://www.gauginginterest.com/Folding/folding.html )

 

[54Strat]

 

 

I used plasticard in the pics above, laminated to bring it up to the height of just under the rails (code80 btw). I found it very fast with the whole job taking about a couple of hours.

 

hth

 

Paul

[Dave777]

Ah yes, I remember that little layout - excellent use of off-the-shelf kits and RTRs to produce something good.

 

Is it still happy in Aus or NZ (can't remember which) with your nipper?

 

[54Strat]

Hi Dave,

 

What a memory you've got! The layout's still in Aus, though under a bed and can't compete with the xbox and newly discovered girls. Such is a teenagers life. He does still play trains every now and then, or so he tells me, but I think he's just being nice to his old Dad, lol. Btw, I'm enjoying your blog and your website.

 

sorry for the brief hijack DD

 

Paul

[Gloucester Road]

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&img=5013

 

I did this using sheets of card till I reached the the track level then finished off with scalescene's road surface