# Groovy track - part 2



## deWintonDave (Jan 5, 2008)

Dear All,

We have finally got our running loop finished. We started the groovy track project in 2007, here's the first - MLS posting. 

We laid the golden sleeper on Sunday. We've got 21 yards of LGB type brass track and 43 yards of home made aluminium groovy track. The treated pine sleepers have held up well since 2007 with only a bit of greening in areas that don't get much direct sunlight.

Curves do need securing as they will de-curve over time. I've been going over the whole track leveling some of the sections, it's surprising what a difference taking 1" off the height of a post 2 yards apart makes for a train on a curve. I've also been adding some smooth transitions into the rail joins on the curved sections.

The track is ground level in a few places, mainly level, except for the long straight 1:80 incline so that we can have a nice decline for the tight 180 degree curve at the end.


Close up of joined rails on curve to get smooth transition.












Aerial shot of same











A large section of our layout












Yellow nearing the end of the 9 yard 1:80 Rosebank












Rosebank ending in the 3' 3" radius 1:32 decline of Curve minore - slipping into the yards.











Yellow approaching the woodland curves











Almost cleared them, approaching rose curve 











Yellow back on Rosebank.










All the best,

Dave.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks like it's working out nicely.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Looks terrific. Very innovative. Convincing too


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

BTW, did you get your groovy track idea from the April 1915 issue of Popular Mechanics? 

Dave Vergun


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

That is indeed "groovey" !! 

"it's surprising what a difference taking 1" off the height of a post 2 yards apart makes" 

well, that a 1 in 72 grade or about 1.4 percent grade, hefty grade on the prototype. Put it on a curve and it makes even more difference. 

In our scale, stuff is big enough that it relates very well to the prototype world. 

Regards, Greg


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## deWintonDave (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By SE18 on 25 Feb 2010 06:18 AM 
BTW, did you get your groovy track idea from the April 1915 issue of Popular Mechanics? 

Dave Vergun 

I got the idea off the web, I think it was this site

Dave.


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## deWintonDave (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 25 Feb 2010 01:53 PM 

well, that a 1 in 72 grade or about 1.4 percent grade, hefty grade on the prototype. Put it on a curve and it makes even more difference. 

In our scale, stuff is big enough that it relates very well to the prototype world. 

Regards, Greg 
I agree. Even though I was careful positioning the height of each post during the build when it was all up and running it became apparent that two posts were 1" too high. Even though we've got curves, the hardest section (where our manually controlled steamers are most likely to stall) is the long 9 yard 1 in 80 straight now. The above large curve plus the grade right at the end was the previous bad spot, now it's sweet seeing a slow train round it without stopping.

Best wishes,

Dave.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Dave: Good to see you again. That track looks great and I bet it works perfect. You going to try some switches?

Bob


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## deWintonDave (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By xo18thfa on 25 Feb 2010 09:36 PM 
Hi Dave: Good to see you again. That track looks great and I bet it works perfect. You going to try some switches?


Bob

Hi Bob, Thank you. I must have a go at switches, I might attempt a crossing first.

Dave.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Well it sure looks great. I will have to admit I've never seen any thing like this before. Thanks for sharing. Later RJD


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

That's how I was going to build my 1/6 scale track out in the country. I was looking for something to do with the boys outside that they'd think was cool.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Torby, 

Look for old bed frames and use those for rails with the groovy track


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