At the BTS, John and I saw a product that has rails in plastic sheets that look like 1X6. We are looking at about a “human” crossing of about 5 feet wide at the top of some stairs. Those guys want $250 for 5 feet. Any thoughts or examples, previous postings, etc out there? Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
I’m sure Fred Mills, or maybe Paul Norton will chime in here, but what they use (and I’ll probably use when I need them) is tractor-trailer mud flaps. They’re 1/4" thick heavy rubber. Just the ticket, and cheaper. You can see one of them in the bottom left of this photo
The ones we use are “USED”…a truck service garage, near us replaces them on a regular basis, and most of the “Used” ones are not in bad shape. The other trick is to get the (I think, fiberglass) flat rods that they use for chain link fencing.They are used at the end of runs and are the rods that they clamp to the post in the verticle position. We lay a cut length of this on either side, against the inside of the rails, allowing the space for the flangeway. Also on the outside of the rails. This gets hit by anything rolling over the rails and takes the hit instead of the rails.
For us it is easy, because we use 2x Pressure treated roadbed; so we just use 2-3 inch common nails to secure the rods and the mud flaps. We predrill the fiberglass rods, so that the nails go between the ties. The rods we get are flat and about the same thickness as rail height (Code 332)
For those interested…that tree in the picture, is the one that was blown down, and has forced us to rebuild a lot of track work.
I’m getting a reputation around here as “Mr. Concrete”. A crossing was one of my first major concrete projects…
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Walk-02-640.jpg)
I’ve got others that are simply step-overs…
Jon,
How many years has that side walk on the leg of the “wye” been in? How is it holding up?
Good question Ric. This is being installed up in Lake Arrowhead, Ca. Mountains @ 5000ft. Snow, freezing rain and the likes.
Jon…your the only man I know that had balls to cut up rock on a dry bladed standard table saw! I HIGHLY respect you for that stupidity ya’ know!!! 
Ric Golding said:
Jon, How many years has that side walk on the leg of the “wye” been in? How is it holding up?
The sidewalk existed when we moved in here nearly 20 years ago. I had to do some research to come up with the answer to when the crossing went in. My photo database shows the first cut made in the walkway on June 10, 2005…
(http://photo.cvsry.com/cross2-640.jpg)
The pour was complete by July 17 that year…
(http://photo.cvsry.com/Cross-2-640.jpg)
So it’s been in and functioning for almost 6 years now including 6 harsh New England winters. It has held up very well. I must have done something right 
No cracks or degradation in the crossing at all.
That’s excellent work.
Jon, Is the crossing build documented on your site?
Mike, I’m sure my track crossing for humans is not what you had in mind. My GRR is in front of the house, so there is too much foot traffic for a walk through. Ralph
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/shed009CM.jpg)
Dave Marconi said:No. There was a build thread over on MLS at the time, but unfortunately Shad has dumped all of the history over there.
Jon, Is the crossing build documented on your site?
My Large Scale .Com said:I didn't realize that until now. All of the photos still exist on-line so I suppose I might be able to reconstruct the basics some day.
The archived forums are no longer available. Due to several security holes in the software used, it became necessary to pull them down.
I’m just curious as to how you set the track in the crossing and formed the flangeways ?
Dave Marconi said:
I’m just curious as to how you set the track in the crossing and formed the flangeways ?
OK - Tip #1 - Have a good solid concrete foundation and bring it up to where you want the bottoms of the ties. Then use mortar, not concrete to cover the track…
(http://photo.cvsry.com/cross12-640.jpg)
Tip #2 - You don’t need every tie. I used several 3-tie sections to hold the gauge. These were filled with patch cement so they could not be crushed and spaced to skip 3-5 ties then place 3 ties etc. I used less ties than in the test alignment photo above…
(http://photo.cvsry.com/Cross-4-640.jpg)
Tip #3 - For flangeways just make up a dummy truck with some expendable plastic wheels. When the mortar begins to set, keep running the truck down the track to make flangeways. Clean the truck after each pass or you will just be moving the mortar around…
(http://photo.cvsry.com/Cross-5-640.jpg)
(http://photo.cvsry.com/Cross-6-640.jpg)
If I were to do it again I would make sure the rail head protrudes both inside and outside the gauge. The way I built it the rail is flush with the mortar on the outside. Any locos with sliders will drag on the mortar outside the gauge. The other minor problem I have had is that the track crossing does not move the same as the track that is floating. I have had to correct a vertical curve problem where the concrete roadbed transitions to floating track…
Thank you much Jon. I’m thinking of some in street track and this may be the answer. It is saved
The crossing I need to build is four feet wide, and the while the Spilt Jaw crossing looks real neat, I would have to put the dog on Craigslist to afford it.
Jon, how is the expansion going?
Temporarily stalled. The good early spring weather was spent getting our boat back in shape. Then it went cold, then rainy for what seemed like a month. Better weather now, but lots of other things on the plate. I do plan to get the existing track back to fully operational this weekend. The heavy rains jammed up all of my switches with debris.
Jon and Dave,
How about a washer on the outside of the axle at the diameter of the wheel and as you said clean after each pass?
Seems like it would work. I was also thinking of the concrete on the outside of the rail being a bit too high. Might add a flange at outside rail width to scrape off a bit to get the clearance Jon mentioned.
Ric Golding said:
Jon and Dave,How about a washer on the outside of the axle at the diameter of the wheel and as you said clean after each pass?
Yes - just need to make the tread about .125 or so wider. The only issue is with locos that have sliders. They will pass but you can here it scraping on the cement.