"Tram" tracks

E

electricity_bill

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Hello
As part of a planned expansion to my railway this spring, I am planning to cross a grassed area at ground level where people, lawn mowers, wheel barrows etc will cross the double tracks. I am thinking of sinking the tracks just below the surface and partially covering them to create a "tramway" or extended level crossing type surface. I was thinking of using either concrete or upvc board to form the track covering which will be about 3 metres long. Any ideas or recommendations please?
Bill
 
I'd go for the UPVC myself, the concrete is bound to crack and the inevitable dust would be a pest on the rails I would have thought? If it ever stops raining, of course....
 
I did this, using some offcuts of paving slabs I had laying around.

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The slabs butt up to the sleepers and there is a 40mm strip of recycled plastic packaging in the 'three foot' between the rails.

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LGB track is supposed to be able to withstand the weight of a fully grown efferlump, but this helps to prevent tripping over the tracks....

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Forgotten who the generous guy was, or what the material was callled, I think it was Corex, he sent it to me via Dobies, ring any bells, come on, own up. It is ideal for what you have in mind.
 
Glengrant said:
Having had a closer look at Gizzy's pics, I would say that is the stuff he has put between the rails
Click to expand...

Corex I believe is like a corrugated cardboard version of plasticard and is often seen used on house 'For Sale' boards.

The plastic I used Cyril, is solid, and was made from some packaging corner protection/reinforcing strips that Ed (MMTS) gave me. These are made of recycled plastic.

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These were right angled strips of some 2 feet long, so I cut 2 flats strips 40 mm wide (leaving just the 'corner' which I later used as ridge tiles on the station on Hardyard), the thickness of these strips being 3 mm.

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I glued and later screwed these strips into the sleepers.

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It's worked well over the past few years and hasn't deteriorated, and I'm pleased to have recycled a recycled material for a 2nd re-use....

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That's it Gizz, Corex is also packaging material but is not solid, it's a honeycomb sandwich, now who was it who had supplies, maybe he hasn't got access to it any more
 
Depends what you mean by 'concrete' - the aggregate would have to be very small, no?

We used sharp sand and OPCement 5:1, PVA adhesive as plasticiser, laid fairly dry for our tramway sections. The track is aristocraft rail in long lengths three metres long held in gauge by alsorts of odd sleepers we have collected over the years about 10cm apart. If the need arises it will be moderately easy to lift but it has lasted four years (including two nasty winters, by Kentish standards) without any degradation.

Mix carefully, throw down with a trowel and polish off with a steel float - press hard to ensure no cavities else the frost will pop them open. We did buy some masonry paint sample pots with a view to tinting the mix but in fact it is weathering quite nicely. Remember to run the edge of the float along the rail to ensure the mix is clear of the rail head.
 
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