Mike Miller posted:Regardless of track used for the trolley, just curious as whether or not to ballast the trolley line. It runs about 20', starting at level in a circle and at the end of the circle it rises for about 12 feet over other track and loops back around eventually returning to level again. In this situation, would it be customary to ballast the trolley track, which would require plywood sub-roadbed. Or, should it just be supported by trestles, no sub-roadbed and not ballasted at all ?
Also, with the rise in both the out and back directions, would the voltage need to be adjusted or can it be constant for steady operation ?
Mike
The track by itself will carry any trolley you'd desire (even the die-cast Western Hobbycraft streetcars) as long as it's supported every foot or so. Whether or not to add roadbed+ballast depends entirely on how realistic you want the trolley line to look.
One might be inclined to place girders or a ballasted deck under the rails and use simulated I-beam or concrete columns to hold it up, looking much like a real-life structure might be built, or you could at the other extreme simply put supports under the bare track like a roller-coaster. Depends on what would appeal to you.
Trolleys by themselves are light enough that any slope then can climb without stalling, should be able to descend at the same voltage without running out of control.
---PCJ
