Trolley line design

Elevated section done with Atlas track and MTH Graduated trestles. Wood blocks fabricated to look like beams.

Replaced with this deck bridge.

The MTH trolley will also operate on D21 EZ Streets track.

Since I'm only running a single trolley on this track, will the MTH graduated trestle set be enough support by itself, or should I use plywood for better support ?

Thanks,

Mike

Mike CT - nice trolley line. Do you have plywood or something else under your track?

Sean

Track support profile.  There are two C-Channel blocks of wood.

Sean, I will be using 3/4" plywood with 1/2" homasote on top.  If I need additional support other than trestles, I'll probably use 1/4" plywood or something like under the track.  What are your thoughts on using Atlas vs Scaletrax for the trolley line.  

Mike  
  

Looks very nice

MTH pier sets provide support piers every 10 inches which is the length of MTH Real Trax sections. From experiences, I find that the MTH pier sets will adequately support the heaviest of trains including articulated locomotives. A trolley car is a light weight for the MTH pier sets.

In the event that you require piers to be spaced more than 10 inches apart, glue the sectional track sections together, or better yet, use a trestle or a bridge. I have seen the MTH pier sets used with several makes of sectional track including Scale Trax, Gargraves, Atlas and all types of Lionel sectional track.

In my opinion, the MTH pier sets are the best commercially available.

What you have done looks very good! I would not change it.

I would keep the Atlas track rather then use MTH Scaletrax. I have done some elevated track before with tubular track, mainly 027 and have installed wooden dowels to act as trestle supports and screwed the wood to the track and the plywood on my layout. Just make sure the track won't sag or come apart. If using 027 for an elevated run use the 027 track clips at each track connection.

Lee Fritz

Lee, thanks for the advice.  I'm using Atlas track with the MTH graduated trestle set.  Might take a little work to make it fit, but probably will need to use plywood underneath the track for support.  Fastening the plywood to the trestle is the trick/key. 

Mike  

Scaletrax is out of the picture due to lack of holes in the ties to fasten the track to the sub-roadbed.  Also, the ties are too thin to drill thru.  Does anyone know if Gargraves or Ross track has pre-drilled holes in the ties like Atlas does ? 

Mike

Just wondering if the bump-&-go trolley can handle a rise of 0 to 6" within six feet on just one end of the line ?  The other end of the line has at least twice that distance for the same rise, so that should not be a problem.

Mike  

Mike Miller posted:

Just wondering if the bump-&-go trolley can handle a rise of 0 to 6" within six feet on just one end of the line ?  The other end of the line has at least twice that distance for the same rise, so that should not be a problem.

Mike  

Just had an interesting idea; with the bump & go feature, you could probably build a really cool switch back design for the elevation change...

Montclaire, could you expand on that idea.  I'm not familiar with the switchback concept. 

Mike

You don't need any support under the track.  The rails are sufficiently stiff enough to support the weight of the trolley if you support it a every track joint.  The old Lionel tubular track could support a die-cast Hudson.  If you need to span a gap greater than one track section (an unsupported track joint) you will need to use a bridge. 

Jan

A track switch triggered by the track bumper hit by the streetcar would allow the trolley to "switchback"  to another track to climb in smaller table area.

Switchbacks in Y or Z forms are used when there is not enough space to loop tracks for elevation.

Big Trees tourist railroad in Felton CA put in a switchback after vandals burned the loop trestle many years ago.

This illustrates the concept pretty well.  Let's say each grade is 2%.  By the top of the switchback you'd be at 6% overall in a very short distance.  You are basically taking the whole incline and folding it over on itself.  The trolley would travel up a grade and through the switch, hit the bumper, and reverse.  The now-tripped switch will send the trolley up the next rung of the ladder to the next switch and so on.  It would be pretty cool to watch in operation.  

I have two separate elevated lines running diecast trolleys on each; all Atlas O track, a variety of pier supports, and several bridges.  As previously mentioned, Atlas O will support much more weight than any single trolley as long as the piers are under each joint.  Be sure to use a bridge or plywood under any joint not supported by a pier.

I am wondering if you would be better off using gargraves flextrack.  Then you would have a little more liberty of where you place your piers.  I would try to have my switches on something solid, the only place you are really risking a derail would be a switch.  You can make piers, too, btw - you can shape some 2x4 blocks and spray with a granulated "stone look" paint, or disguise them as rock outcroppings, or surround with sculpted foam core and paint.  

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

Two Trolley lines shown.  Middle distance with the Johnston is the spiral out-and-back.  You can see the supports under the track joints except for the Lionel steel trestle.  Nearest is part of a loop with another Lionel steel trestle.  Aside from the bridges, both are supported only at the track joints.  I run diecast trolleys on both lines with no perceptible sag.

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

I've decided to use Scaletrax for the trolley line, which is about 27' in length.  I also could only find MTH elevated and graduated trestle sets.  K-line sets are very difficult to find but might work better.  Know of any ? However, the MTH trestle sets are made for either realtrax or fastrack and are much wider than the ties.  I'm looking for ideas on how to attach the supports at the track joints or at least every foot.  Appreciate input on this problem.

Mike   

Mike CT posted:

Elevated section done with Atlas track and MTH Graduated trestles. Wood blocks fabricated to look like beams.

Replaced with this deck bridge.

 

Did you handmake the replacement bridge? Looks great!

I added an asymmetric U-shaped upper level to my layout with 1x8 boards cut to 4-feet sections for convenient installation section by section. For stability, I added a one-inch trim edging all around. I created the shelf primarily as the base for 35 DEPT 56 lighted porcelain buildings from the NORTH POLE VILLAGE collection. The shelf sections are painted "Christmas White." See the attached track plan and pix.

I  supported the shelf sections with MTH elevated trestles screwed to the undersides - six trestles per section. I modified the "top" of  each plastic trestle to fit flush to the underside of each shelf and then screwed the "bottom" of the trestles to the layout platform below - very sturdy and no sagging. 

I installed three short trolley lines of O27 track on that level with lighted bumpers at all ends.  I used a PC power supply (90 watts, DC) for trolley track power; its output is routed to a black box and split into three branches, with three small adjustable voltage controllers inside for individual speed control of each trolley line. The two trolleys and one MTH Santa Handcar have DC can motors, so DC track power is a good match. 

The DEPT 56 buildings (some of which are animated) and accompanying figures are the "scenery," and the trolley lines provide continuous movement. I'm not a skilled scenic effects guy, so there are no snow-covered trees or "real plastic snow drifts."  But it works for me, my great-grandsons, and their friends.

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394
mottlerm@gmail.com

CLH7508 posted:

Mike CT posted:

Elevated section done with Atlas track and MTH Graduated trestles. Wood blocks fabricated to look like beams.

Replaced with this deck bridge.

 

Did you handmake the replacement bridge? Looks great!

 

Bridge Solutions at the time,  No longer doing business.  Much of the product and bridge building ability went to the New Jersey  High Rail Group. 

Sean007 posted:

Mike CT - nice trolley line. Do you have plywood or something else under your track?

Sean

No