Large Scale Central

Just added two rail clamps

Track and Trestles
#1

The California and Nevada branch has had an issue at one spot, the turnout at the west end of Mehus Siding, for years.
I just added a 1/4" longer section with clamps at one end to keep it straight.
In the 14 years this branch has been in operation, I have had to add rail to this spot (only place in all 1400’+ of trackage).
This time it was shy 1/4" (joiners still holding).
The alignment hasn’t changed on the tangent approaching, there is a 4 or 5 foot radius 90° curve, and the alignment on the tangent there has not changed.
The curve is still holding the clearance to the buildings outside the curve.
All track is attached to posts or plates.
It has been a real head scratcher.

The new piece of track is 3-3/4" long.

That much in 14 years.

We are all wondering where the rail is disappearing to.

#2

Are you on a fault line? That is a puzzler.
JimC.

#3
Jim Carter said:
Are you on a fault line? That is a puzzler. JimC.
Jim,

No faults in Dave’s neighbourhood. :smiley:

Sheesh Dave, there goes your “No %$#*&^ rail clamps for me” statement. :wink: :slight_smile:

#4

Could all that moisture up there be shrinking your rails? ha ha…

Seriously, if everything is screwed to wood or whatever, it must be changing dimension…

Regards, Greg

#5

Don’t tell Dave, but I’m secretly stealing rail from his layout. I figure Ill have enough in about 25,000 years.

#6

Bob McCown said:
Don’t tell Dave, but I’m secretly stealing rail from his layout. I figure Ill have enough in about 25,000 years.

That’s hysterical!

-Brian

#7

Johnny Cash had a song about that once…

It WAS fine until our 5.5 qauke some years ago.

#8

I think TOC’s RR is on the pacific tectonic plate and ‘moving’ south compared to the north bound western U.S. tectonic plate which my RR is on. I estimate I’ll be able to hook up to his branchline in about 250,000 years! Just proves there is more than one way to expand a RR, and it’ll make a big improvement on my humble efforts.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

#9

Just stopped laughing - great to play with a deck that has > 2 jokers!

Seriously, assuming you kept watch on this track segment (and your post implies you did) the quarter-inch didn’t appear gradually - it happened suddenly.

Sudden movements like that indicate subsidence (or, less likely, upheaval) is the likely culprit.

#10

Blame it on Global Warming! It is making the track shorter.

…Makes about as much sense as anything else said about Global Warming.

:smiley:

Seriously, this is a puzzler. It does sound like the earth is moving.

I saw a fairly large plume of smoke coming from the top of Tahoma (MT Ranier) the other day. There are more rocks showing on Tahoma, suggesting that the mountain is getting warmer from magma close to the surface.

I’m glad I live in the dust bowl of the Inland Empire where we only have to worry about firestorms…

#11

Dave has the radius of the curve changed or a post far away from the spot moved?

#12

Radius same.
Building with set clearance on outside of curve.

This is 1/4" THIS YEAR!
Total of almost 4" in 14 years.

Tangents same on both ends, grade the same (imagine how much grade change would be required if I had a 4" gap!).

Turnouts at both end of curve (with section in question in between), are Llagas, spiked hard, one tie screwed to post.

#13

Perhaps someone is taking the rail and using it to make large scale plug/sockets? :wink:

#14

Long time ago, I heard a story of a “friend” who put a gallon of gas in a neighbors new VW every night. The new owner of the VW was overwhelmed about the gas mileage he was getting. When it got to where he couldn’t stand it any more, he started syphoning a gallon out every night. Drove the guy and his mechanic nuts.

Dave watch out for your real close friends, like maybe your brother?

#15
Steve Featherkile said:
Blame it on Global Warming! It is making the track shorter.

…Makes about as much sense as anything else said about Global Warming.

:smiley:

Seriously, this is a puzzler. It does sound like the earth is moving.

I saw a fairly large plume of smoke coming from the top of Tahoma (MT Ranier) the other day. There are more rocks showing on Tahoma, suggesting that the mountain is getting warmer from magma close to the surface.

I’m glad I live in the dust bowl of the Inland Empire where we only have to worry about firestorms…


Yeh, but if the wind is right, we’ll get another foot of ash!
But those poor beings down the west slope will be annihilated.
And Dave won’t have to worry about 1/4".

TOG

#16

Ah, sheilded as we are by a big hill and all of Bellevue, and above the lake several hundred feet, not much worry.
Unless Mt. Kirkland erupts.

Hell, maybe there is something under Mehus Dairy I need to worry about.

#17

Mrs tac, who is FAR more clever that I am, has the answer to this conundrum, and to many other conundra.

She subscribes to the opinion that the earth is actually expanding, which would neatly explain why your rail no longer fits where once it did.

Proof of this theory can be obtained quite simply by taking note that everything we want to find from an historical viewpoint seems to be buried, rather than simply lying on the surface.

Here in Huntingdon, the entrance to a medieval church is actually four feet below the present street level…and archeologists, examining three local building sites, have found not only Anglo-Saxon graves, but a Roman one as well.

By digging.

Even our little 7.25" gauge track is slowly being subsumed into the landscape, and we have to dig it out every year or two.

Theory proven.

QED.

tac

#18

I just releveled a bridge that was too low. Physics would tell you when raised up the track would be longer? After summer heat and now cooling weather the track was short!

#19

True.
But can you imagine the change in grade required to cause a 4" gap in the rails?

#20

Re: Mrs. TAC’s theory that the world is expanding…

The streets of Seattle are now one story above the original streets. If you go down one floor, you find the original main entrances of the buildings that are 100 or so years old.

QED