 BLMA makes a realistic “rubber crossing” kit that is very easy to build install. The kit represents the style of crossing that is typically installed by railroads today. Photo by Doug Foscale. |
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Gravel crossings are some of the easiest built. Cotton Valley Rail Trail Club is installing a gravel crossing for a private road on their former B&M Conway Branch operation in Ossipee, NH. |
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Crossings can contain different types of construction methods. On this crossing of Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line in Tyrone, PA tie bolted wooden timbers are used along with asphalt. |
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This 3 track crossing contains two types of crossing styles. The mainline in the background will have BLMA rubber crossings, while the crossing in the foreground is on the Tomah Secondary and will have a timber crossing. The material for the roadway is .050 styrene. |
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This road was modeled using plaster. I find it easier to work with when desiring to make pot holes, uneven surfaces, and more realistic transitions. The yellow and white lane lines were painted on the bare white plaster and then masked off using airplane striping tape. The road was then airbrushed the road color, and the tape removed. |
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This crossing of NH Route 153 in Wakefield on New Hampshire Northcoast’s Conway Branch main line is located at the very bottom of a hill making it difficult for northbound drivers to see. NHN has installed a second set of flashers at the top of the signal to warn drivers coming down the hill. |
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This crossing of NH Route 153 in Wakefield on New Hampshire Northcoast’s Conway Branch main line is located on the blind side of a sharp corner. NHN has installed yellow grade crossing flashers on the advanced warning sign to warn drivers that the crossing, just out of sight to the right, is occupied. |
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Concrete crossings, such as this one on NJ Transit’s River Line in Trenton, NJ can be prefabricated and installed, or poured in place as this one here. |
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“Mud Rails” a common New England application are rails placed on the sides of the running rail. These rails help to create a channel that helps to divert silt laden water from the roadway to the sides and keeps it from building over the running rail. Some crossings, such as the one modeled, had them on the inside only, while most had them on both sides of the running rail. |
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Abandoned grade crossings are just as easy to build. This abandoned trackage was installed, and then the road was built, paving right over the crossing. The height of the rails was made so that they just push though the pavement. Crumbling asphalt and patches will be added to give it that beat up appearance. |
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The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices makes knowing where to put roadway signs and signals very easy as all the measurements are done for you. |
By
Ian MacMillan/Photos by the author unless otherwise noted
Originally published March 6, 2010
As the Amoskeag Northern continues to gain scenery we'll be focusing more on specific areas of scenery and detailing. Whether you're modeling a backwoods branch line, or the action of the urban areas, the motoring public is going to need to cross your right of way. Since we are modeling trains, we may not think that modeling grade crossings requires a lot of our modeling skills or attention, however recreating these crossings properly can bring a realistic detail to the fore front of your layout. We'll be looking at modeling a series of different crossings on the Amoskeag Northern that are typical of Northern New England, but should suit your area as well. Most of the prototype crossings shown I have had hands on experience with repairing or maintaining working on track gangs for New England Southern Railroad.
Gravel and Dirt Crossings
While the Amoskeag Northern is mostly an urban layout with paved grade crossings, we'll start with the most basic of crossings as there are a few "maintainer" roads on the layout. Dirt roads, maintainer roads, and even illegal ATV crossings are as basic as they come. Most of these crossings are really nothing more than gravel or stone dumped between the gauge and on the sides to allow vehicles to cross without their undercarriage getting hung up on the rail, or pulling the rail out of gauge. Common materials are 3/4" crushed gravel, or even left over ballast from another project, and are typically the width of one vehicle.
While simple in construction, gravel must be maintained like any other crossing for safety. What may seem like a simple bit of gravel just above the rail head could easily derail a hi-rail truck and cause injuries, while in the winter, that same bit of gravel can become frozen and cause a locomotives truck to ride up and off the rail. Sometimes a simple shovel can solve the issue, while other times it may require the use of a bucket loader. Sometimes to prevent dirt and gravel from building up higher than the railhead we place timbers on the inside and outside of the rail.This helps to keep run off water with silt mostly to the sides and before the timbers and out of where it could cause issues.
Modeling these crossings is as simple as it is for the real thing, by simply applying some sifted dirt or ballast between the rails. For the N scale crossing shown here, we will be using tile grout and some weathering powders. After applying the material, you may need to drag a straight edge across the rail tops to knock down an material. Using an old freight car truck, run it over the crossing several times to create flange ways. I then lightly mist the crossing with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and run the truck over it again. You may also wish to add tire tracks into the material at this time using a scale vehicle. Secure the material with diluted matte medium and allow it to dry over night. If using real dirt, or real rock ballast, you may find that applying matte medium to secure it has caused it to take on a darker color, giving it the appearance that it is always wet. An application of earth or ballast tone chalks can give the crossing a dry, dusty look.
Timber-Guarded Crossings
If you wish to add the timbers to the crossing most modelers can use basswood or pre-cut wood cross ties. Measure your timbers with calipers or a sale rule to make sure that they are just slightly shorter than the head of the rail. Simply use superglue to attach the timbers length wise to the ties to make your crossing. Most of the time we secure the timbers to the ties by drilling and countersinking holes, then bolting the timers to the cross ties underneath. I've even seen in some desperate situations layered 2"x8"s spiked to the ties. Depending on your scale, you can use nut-bolt-washer ("NBW") castings, or use a push pin to represent the bolt holes in smaller scales. Applying a black wash will highlight the pin holes, giving the appearance of bolts or spikes. When the wash has dried, fill in between the timbers and the approach with your material of choice.
Paved Crossings
Over the years paved crossings have changed quite a bit, while others remain the same. There are all sorts of styles of paved crossings, some have guard or "mud" rails, some have side timbers like dirt crossings, while others have the pavement right up to the rail and in the gauge with the flange ways simply cut in by the weight of passing trains. Rubber and even steel plates that resemble something like large Legos are also used on the gauge side and outside of the rail to provide a smooth transition over the crossing. BLMA makes these rubber crossings in HO and N scale.
On some of our more recently built crossings rubber mats are placed under the tie plates creating "stress transition zones". You can simulate this by paining a black line on either side of the tie plate edge, or if handlaying maybe placing a think piece of electrical tape under the tie plate or where a tie plate would be.
Paved crossings can easily be modeled using styrene or plaster. Personally I prefer to use plaster or similar casting materials as I find it easier to create realistic ruts and potholes, and that the texture is more true to life. After adding any details such as timbers or mud rails, I use Woodland Scenics Paving Tape and cork roadbed to make the forms for the roadway, being careful to not have a steep approach that gives the crossing to have a hump that would cause trucks lowboy trailers to get hung up on the crossing.
Once all the forms are in place, I mix the plaster to the consistency of yogurt and fill in the forms. Smooth the plaster, using a straight edge to scrape the top of the forms and fill in any holes. The plaster will self level. If after allowing to dry over night you have rough or high spots, you can use a sanding block to smooth the roadway. While real roadways have a crown (typically 4"-6") that helps water run off, I do not add them to my model roads as on ones where I have tried it I generally did not notice a visual difference.
If you prefer to use styrene to make your roadways, just cut plain sheets to your roadway contours and secure them to your scenery. Butt the edge of the styrene up to your mud rails or the main rails, making sure to leave a flange way on the gauge side.
Painting the roadway... Ok, now I can't remember if I saw this somewhere, of if I just am plain lazy, but I paint my roadways BACKWARDS of how many would normally do... I paint my roadway lane markings first. The main reason for this, is that I am horrible at masking off lines and making them a constant width. By airbrushing the white and yellow lane markings before I airbrush the main road color, I can easily mask the lines by using tape the width of the markings. I then airbrush the roadway color, and remove the masking tape, leaving a nicely striped roadway.
Other Typical Crossings
I've never built a concrete crossing or roadway in scale, let alone 1:1 so I wont go into those, but I assume they are pretty much similar modeling wise with styrene and plaster. BLMA makes a metal model to represent cast concrete crossing sections.
Scenery around the crossing
When adding scenery around your grade crossings, take into consideration the sight lines for your motorists and train crews. While there are many vegetation encroached crossings out there in the real world, the management of the Amoskeag Northern would prefer that we not become part of a civil suit, so we'll be on the safe side. Motorists should be able to have a clear view down the tracks to determine if they have enough time to cross. There are generally different guidelines for signaled crossings and non signaled crossings, and these may even differ from state to state. But for a general rule of thumb, a crossing with no protection (no signal or stop sign), should have a sight line cleared so that a moving vehicle, using due care, would have sufficient time to see the train and come to a complete stop 15' from the rail. Crossings with passive protection (stop or yield sign) should have a sight line cleared, so that a driver, stopped 15' from the nearest rail, would be able to see of sufficient distance down both sides of the tracks to determine if they can cross safely to a point of 15' beyond the rail prior to the train entering crossing. So plant your bushes and trees, but make sure the MOW crews are keeping back the brush.
Sometimes there are scenery contours beyond the real railroads control that would not allow them to provide adequate sight lines, such as a crossing on the crest of a hill, on a blind curve, or an embankment in the way. New Hampshire Northcoast, operating the former Boston & Maine Conway Branch, has three such crossings where they had to improvise in letting motorists know that there was a train at the crossing that they could not see. Two of the crossings, a blind corner on a high speed state highway and an embankment in the way on a sharp corner, have round W10-1 Advanced Warning signs that have flashing crossing signals, but the lights are yellow instead of red. These signals are activated at the same time as the traditional crossing protection. The third crossing is at the bottom of a steep stepped hill where you can not see the crossing as you come down. Here NHN has put second set of red flashers on the top of the post mounted flashers, so that when you come down the hill you may not be able to see the physical crossing, but you will get to see if the lights are activated. Ideally the third location would be better protected using an overhead structure with flashing signals.
Details and Traffic Control Devices
Again management would prefer to spend money on signs than paying out millions in settlements, so make sure your crossings are properly marked. While a maintainer road or a dirt crossing in an industrial park may not be marked, how are our scale motorists traveling at 40MPH (and obeying the speed limit...right?) supposed to know that there is a railroad crossing coming up? While protecting our motorists, detailing crossings with the proper signage and markings makes them more realistic and can complete a scene. Several manufactures such as BLMA, Details West, Berkshire Junction, and others make details such as signs, crossing gates, crossing signals and relay cases.
Whistle post locations vary by train speed. The faster the train speeds, the further away from the crossing they are. However due to our compressed distances the posts may look odd being so far away from the crossing. I generally place mine between 85'-100' away from the crossing.
Researching crossings in your area, or the area you model can really help you to nail down the details. An even better source is USDOT's MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices). This manual, available as a free download, is used by every Department of Transportation in the country directing placement of placing signs and highway markings. Chapter 8 goes in-depth as to where and how far each and every highway marking, signal, street light, or road reflector should be in relation to a railroad crossing. Now that's rivet counting! The MUTCD is also a good source for high-resolution graphics of signs if you choose to print your own.
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About the Author
A Network Administrator by education, and a Dispatcher/Police Officer by trade, Ian MacMillan has been involved in model railroading for over 15 years. After a brief stint in N scale he has returned to HO to build his free-lanced Amoskeag Northern Railroad. Ian lives in East Wakefield, New Hampshire with his wife Tabatha and his two children. When not working on his layout he enjoys working on his Woodings speeder, and his website.