# Roller Coaster Effect adds variety to live steam experience



## SailorDon (Jan 6, 2008)

On my live steam run into the sunset, I noticed that the roller coaster effect of my uneven trackwork added some interest to the video.



I'm not too happy about the side-to-side rolling. I will be working on my track to solve that, but I will leave some of the roller coaster ups and downs.

The attentive viewer might notice that I missed the sunset in the filming of this video. I had everything lined up and timed perfectly. Cue the sunset. Of course as the locomotive came around the approach to the the bridge with the sunset in the background, my locomotive ran out of butane. Bummer! By the time I got it refueled and steaming again, the sun had set.

Oh well, there's always next time.


----------



## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Wow, that is great scenery for just letting'er run. 

The rollercoster effect is a little odd but hey, gives ya character. 

I cant remember what you used for a base.


----------



## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice looking engine and the setting is great. 
I think your problem is the blocks. You can see where the highs and lows are when the track lifts up in front of the engine. 
I have a section that is sitting on 2 tiers of blocks like yours and it is very difficult to get them perfectly level. In some spots I gave up and removed the blocks thus creating another spot of interest to be bridged. I can make a bridge be perfectly smoothe. In your trouble spots you could use bits of wood or plastic placed under the track to lift and level the bad areas. 
I think side to side sway is fine and prototypical but the ups and downs on a main line is not good but then again I'm sure someone will point out some crazy roller coaster of a main line located somewhere in real life but those don't count towards your goal of smoothe running. 
Short of pulling the blocks out and starting over to get them more level I think you need to buildup under the track to make it smoothe. 
Good luck and Happy RRing


----------



## SailorDon (Jan 6, 2008)

Posted By cape cod Todd on 07 Sep 2012 10:19 AM 
Nice looking engine and the setting is great. 

I have a section that is sitting on 2 tiers of blocks like yours and it is very difficult to get them perfectly level. In some spots I gave up and removed the blocks thus creating another spot of interest to be bridged. 

Thanks for the compliment on engine and setting!








At my previous location in Houston, TX, the ground was level, and I did the 2 tiers of embankment blocks with good results. I ran it that way for about 5 years. At my new Lake Livingston location, the leveling of embankment blocks is a much more challenging project. The natural slope of the land at it's maximum is 18 inches in 20 feet. My goal is to keep the track level for live steam runs. On one side of the loop, there are no embankment stones and on the other side they are stacked 5 high. The ground is a heavy clay that when dry is hard like a brick. Trying to dig into that to establish a foundation is difficult. I have faith that after a year, the expansion and contraction (with moisture) of the clay based soil will settle down and my right of way maintenance will become minimum. If not, I may have to investigate your solution of "bridging the gaps".


----------



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

So long as you're not having derailments, I say a little rocking and the roller coastering is great.


Modelers are always attempting to make the railroad look perfectly prototypical, yet they typically want the track to be perfect.


But, most railroad's trackage is not perfect.


Rock and Roll is here to stay!


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I saw track lifting and going back down under the loco. That's not good, time to shim the low spots. Leave some, but fewer and farther apart. 
Branch line right of ways followed the terain rather than wasting money trying to level it. 

John


----------



## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

Don, 
The good news is it is good enough to stay on the rails. 
Better than having it derail.. 
But you may want to level it out a bit. 
Thanks for posting.


----------



## Brandon (Jul 6, 2011)

Looking real good, such an amazing backdrop with the waterfront...


----------

