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Superelevation |
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Super Elevation (revised 7/2004 with more detail) I have super-elevated the curves after seeing George Johnson's efforts on his Missabe layout. I glued .060 x .060 styrene to the top of the roadbed under the outside rail of the curves before I glued the track. The strip is applied beginning several inches into the curve at both ends. I run a bead of carpenters Wood Glue along what will be the outer rail, then set the styrene strip on the glue, pinning it in place with T-pins. When gluing the track, I run a wiggling S-curve (SIN wave) bead of glue where the track is flat. As I get to the super-elevated area, I begin two straight beads of glue, one on the top of the styrene, one under the inner rail. I then T-pin the track to the roadbed. I do not put any T-pins at the transition areas from flat to styrene, as it tends to pull the track into a "step" shape that causes derailments. I let the track assume its natural shape over the transition.
After the glue is dry, I come back and check the vertical contour of the track with a steel rule laying on-edge on the outer rail at the transition points to make sure there isn't a large sag in the track. If there is, I shim the sag and re-glue that spot. The poor SD-9 in the background "went on the ground" coming off one of the curves because the sag dropped out from under it!
I have begun to put 1/2 a length of .030 x .030 styrene strip as the first piece of the styrene strips, then continue with the .060 x .060 through the rest of the curve, ending with the other half piece of the .030 x .030. This gives a smoother transition from flat, but I still have to be careful not to pin the track down at each step. I like the effect!!!
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