Checkrail Brace

[dricketts]

Could someone tell me where a checkrail brace is places or found on track in the US and what it's used for?

Edit: Couple more proto questions. Do turnout frogs usually set higher than the rail? I noticed Norfolk37 has some really nice frogs on the DLS. I'm assuming he made them with his great looking track on Jointed Rail. The outer rail of the frog sets a little higher than the main rail. Just curious.

What an appropriate distance for joints in rail for the US? I'm sure it varied but I really have no idea if it's 50 ft or 400 ft.

Thanks~

 

[JCitron]

Could someone tell me where a checkrail brace is places or found on track in the US and what it's used for?

Edit: Couple more proto questions. Do turnout frogs usually set higher than the rail? I noticed Norfolk37 has some really nice frogs on the DLS. I'm assuming he made them with his great looking track on Jointed Rail. The outer rail of the frog sets a little higher than the main rail. Just curious.

What an appropriate distance for joints in rail for the US? I sure it varied but I really have no idea if it's 50 ft or 400 ft.

Thanks~

I think the frogs are a bit "thicker" than the rail since they have a groove for the wheels to stay in to keep them on the track.

The distance for track joints used to about 39 ft, or the length of the old rail. Today with jointed rail, it's much longer than that.

John

 

[dricketts]

I think the frogs are a bit "thicker" than the rail since they have a groove for the wheels to stay in to keep them on the track.

The distance for track joints used to about 39 ft, or the length of the old rail. Today with jointed rail, it's much longer than that.

John

Thanks John. I ask because I wanted to makes sure I was using the frogs that went with the JR track.

When you say the length of the old rail? I'm modeling a old Frisco route from the 50's through the 70's. I'm sure it was jointed because this was not one of their highest revenue generating lines at the time.

 

[rrfoose]

Yeah, with the 39' joints for the "jointed rail" (vs today's CWR or continuous welded rail, which can be a quarter mile or more long), I have a consist of 40' boxcars that I put down on the tracks and just put the joint between them. It might be a tad longer than 39' then, but close enough.
I've noticed what you said about the check rails being higher than the railhead. At first I thought it was the new JR track being low, but after experimenting with other track types and getting the same results, I realized it's a camera illusion. Based on the camera's position and elevation, the checkrails can also look level with the rail height (granted they more often than not look higher). I decided it's one of those things I'm not going to fret about, because I'm not usually zoomed in enough to see it, and the overall effect of the checkrails being on the turnouts look much better!

 

[JCitron]

Thanks John. I ask because I wanted to makes sure I was using the frogs that went with the JR track.

When you say the length of the old rail? I'm modeling a old Frisco route from the 50's through the 70's. I'm sure it was jointed because this was not one of their highest revenue generating lines at the time.

The 39' is about the length of the old flat cars or gondolas that carried the rail. I think that's why the made it that length.

What line is this? Does it still exist? I was in Missouri this spring and saw a lot of active and abandoned lines.

John

 

[dricketts]

It's for my Frisco High Line Route. Most of it is abandoned now.

You can read a little history about the line in the very 1st post on my thread. I also have quite a few screenshots.

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=78007

 

[BobCass]

drickketts: I use the 17ft. Checkrail Diamonds to make my frogs, quite versatile..:wave: :wave:

 

[BobCass]

Checkrail 17ft. Diamond..

 

[JCitron]

It's for my Frisco High Line Route. Most of it is abandoned now.

You can read a little history about the line in the very 1st post on my thread. I also have quite a few screenshots.

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=78007

Isn't this now a bike path through Springfield? I saw it when I was down there. It was quite a route in its day.

That is a really nice route you're working on. I've seen your screenshots before.


John