ideas on railroad crossings

Any one have any extra ideas on what else could be added to this railroad crossing?:mconfused:

 

Thanks, The road will lead up to a grain mill. What can l do to make lane markings?

 

You could at a control shed for the crossing gates

 

Maybe turn the crossing gate on the long road to the left so its closer to the street markings...more of an "L" when trhe gates down. A sharp blind corner before a railroad crossing could spell trouble for motorist not seeing the gate down. The rollercoaster road over double mains always bothers me for some reason... I always fill mine in level. I think the scene needs some warning signs like Rick says. Otherwise...nice scene

:thumbs_up:

 

Like mtntrainman say I'd move the gate on the left, crossing gates are always lined up with the stop line on the road not the tracks. One or two relay boxes would about complete the scene.

 

Maybe an 18 wheeler going around the corner to the left and som dipsh#$ motorist drove straight instead of taking that right and ended up under his trailer.

Just a thought..............

 

I would have signs crosswise to the road where it ends with arrows poiunting the direction to do... where a motorist would run into the sign if he or she doesn't turn.

 

Don't turn the gates, please. The gates are only angled if it's an angled crossing, not because of a bend just before. If you have that, you just need to add side lights that point back up the road to let people know the gates are down. I also agree with adding the bungalow. I'd suggest that you put it in the bottom right corner of the photo. This is where it'd be in the real world to balance the length of the wires running to the gates (as the gates are powered by DC in real life, you want to try and keep all the wires as close to equal length as possible to ensure they run at the same speed).

Here's an example of what I'm talking about with the side lights -


And here's an example of a period "bungalow" -

Google Maps StreetView

 

How bout some of those BLMA concrete barriers at the end of that sharp turn to prevent...

Oh but wait, thats an older style of police car, and look, a caboose! Probably too early for a concrete barrier then.

How about a battery cellar next to the relay shed then?

The woodland scenics dry transfers work well for lane markings, if you are careful...

 

I don't see any kind of drainage colverts. Hard to tell from the photo's angle. but there should be some way to drain rain water from between the two tracks and the road. And from between the road and the tracks too. Go out and see if you can find a prototype situation and add those detilas.

Jim

 

l could maybe add drainage but thats means cutting into the plywood!?!? l'm not too picky but would the BLMA trackside electronics box too modern for a railroad set in the 70's give and take?

 

gold medal models offers etched roadkill. not just animals....you might consider glueing something on the track ties....

 

Buy 2 sets.. that way you get extra flattened lawyers.

Seriously you have a nice looking layout from what I see , its hard to critique something that is so pleasing to look at. The best way to detail a layout is to look at the real railroads and photo's. I suggest this as better method than asking for guidance here. You need to establish for yourself the level of detail you will build on on YOUR railroad. Otherwise you will get suggestions for near obsene details like 4 sets of orange insulating rail joints on all the crossing circuits, Power poles with electric meters on them, battery vaults, relay vaults, skid marks on the pavement.. It could go one like that forever. Decide for yourself based on what you see in photos and on the real railroads how far you want to go.

Randy