TRACKWORK ON THE GULF HARBOR TERMINAL RY.

   The track on the Gulf Harbor Terminal Railway is all hand laid.  I use Code 100 rail, which represents medium weight prototype rail in S Scale.  I guess the HO equivalent would be Code 83.  For roadbed I use white pine, which takes spikes well.

 

The ties are 1/8" x 1/8" balsa and are stained with acrylic burnt umber, then fixed to the roadbed with white glue.  The balsa shows grain well and takes stain unevenly, which gives a weathered appearance.  I was spiking the rail to every tie, but found that wasn't necessary, so in later construction I spiked every fourth tie.  The rail sides are painted a combination of rust and brown.

 

 

All turnouts are No. 6 which will accommodate any length car.  I'd have preferred to use No. 8s but they require too much space to use on an 8' x 12' layout.  The very minimum radius is 25", though most curves are in the 32" to 45" range.  Track is ballasted using a white glue/water 50/50 mix.

 

 

On a couple of the tighter curves I use guard rails on the inside rail, per prototype practice.  Above is a track approaching a turnout leading to a wharf.

 

 

The GHT, as its name implies, is a port-area industrial switching line, which means track in streets.  The streets are created using patching plaster, which I sand when dry and then paint a light gray color, with a little black added.  I then rub the surface with light-colored dirt (found in our area) and, for "oil drippings" I rub a little graphite obtained from pencil lead.  It's not apparent in this photo, but the flangeways are protected by L-shaped styrene strips, just as prototype flangeways use metal guards.  The street track is laid directly on the white pine roadbed and flangeway guards are attached with white glue, then the plaster is added.  The pavement must be a fraction lower than the top of the rail.

 

 

To accurately model turnouts in streets, I studied photos of New York's Bush Terminal trackage.  I think the website is entitled "New York's Crosstown Railroad" or something like that.  Anyway, the photos on that site were very helpful.  By the way, the camera's flash made this pavement appear lighter in color in the photos than it actually is.

 

 

A turnout completely in the street means, of course, switch points in pavement, along with special guards for the points, for which I used Code 70 rail.  To throw the switch, the prototype often uses a lever that's covered by a metal plate between the points.  I depicted the metal plate by using a styrene strip appropriately painted;  hidden under this "plate" is a brass strip connecting the switch points.  The brass strip is lined with spikes which keep the points from rising.  The stock rails have metal tabs that the points must ride over and this arrangement makes the points fit snugly and securely against the stock rails.  It also ensures positive electrical contact.  To throw the turnout, I simply push the points over with a small screwdriver;  I got the idea for that when I read about a street turnout being thrown using a crowbar!

 

 

The Texas Gulf Cotton Co.'s sidings have lighter rail, represented by Code 83.

 

I enjoy laying track, though since my layout is complete and this is our retirement home, it's not likely I'll be constructing any more trackwork.  I plan to concentrate on adding rolling stock and maybe a few more structures...and also to get that old 0-6-0 back into running shape!