# HO Bridge guardrail track



## Stejones82 (Dec 22, 2020)

Greetings all, 

Bridge guardrail track. If I understand this correctly, guardrail track in the prototype world prevents trains from falling off the bridge in the event of a derail. Does HO scale guardrail have a similar practical effect? 

I am looking to prevent the 'plunge of death' from this curve: 









Will bridge guardrail track have any effect? 

Second, does anyone know of some rail or siding I could bend around this curve, again to prevent damage by falling. 

Thanks in advance! Steve J


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## vette-kid (May 2, 2020)

I’m planning to make my own with evergreen I beams and wire. Maybe not prototypical, but it should work. I’m N scale though, HO may need to be more substantial.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I think they are made just for something like a bridge. 
As a bridge is straight run and supposed to keep the derailment heading straight saving the bridge.
What is going to be there?
How close to the edge is the track going to be placed there?


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

In model train bridges, AFAIK no the guard rails are purely aesthetic and do not serve the purpose 1:1 scale guard rails do.

To prevent any catastrophe to that curve: add some mounting blocks along the curve, to the bottom of what appears to be masonite board. To these secure a sheet of acrylic. That will serve as a transparent fence.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Since your fascia appears to be made of tempered hardboard, just reuse the piece you cut out as the guardrail. Because of the arc, there will be a small gap at each end, but not enough for a train to fall through.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Stejones82 said:


> Greetings all,
> 
> Bridge guardrail track. If I understand this correctly, guardrail track in the prototype world prevents trains from falling off the bridge in the event of a derail. Does HO scale guardrail have a similar practical effect?
> 
> ...


Stejones82;

I wouldn't bet the traditional British "brass farthing", let alone a brass locomotive, or even a plastic one, on a bridge guard rail saving my trains from a trip to the floor. I like CTValley's idea of a masonite or MDF wall along the edge of that curve. Either of those materials (or the Luan plywood I use for fascia) will curve quite nicely if soaked in very hot water. Once warped to the desired shape, it can be screwed and glued into place.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

To be clear, railway bridge track can be, and is indeed, often curved, and includes the guard rail track….bridges are often not a “straight run”, as has been previously mentioned….


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

I would do with clear acrillic...you can use HO scale race track guard rail for the look of a guard rail but I wouldn't count on it to actually do the job!


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

SF Gal said:


> I would do with clear acrillic...you can use HO scale race track guard rail for the look of a guard rail but I wouldn't count on it to actually do the job!


SF Gal;

Very nice work  Some questions though. Is that HO-scale cyclist littering? Shame on him! Or maybe he's trying to peel a banana with one hand, while steering his bike with the other? I like realistic scenery up to a point. But I don't model litter, or graffiti. I prefer to model a cleaner world than the one we live in today. My layout is set in the 1920s so spray cans of paint didn't exist yet, and hopefully people didn't go around trashing their surroundings as much as today.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

The OPer is asking about *RR* guardrails in the track, not automobile roadway guard rails...

*Stejones82, *
If your original question is: "Do the HO model guardrails perform the same function as the 1:1 scale ?" the answer is, *yes*, they must.
The physics are the same...A model train derails on a bridge or curve and the guard rail is going to trap the wheels between it and the rail they left down in the channel same as the real thing, rolling and bouncing atop the ties until train is stopped....
But since it is a 'light' model, there is no promise it will always work out that way, not even for the 1:1 scale, for that matter..Train's speed would have allot to do with it, as well...


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Like you said, the model is light. The scale weight is nowhere near close, therefore the physics are definitely not the same.


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

traction fan said:


> SF Gal;
> 
> Very nice work  Some questions though. Is that HO-scale cyclist littering? Shame on him! Or maybe he's trying to peel a banana with one hand, while steering his bike with the other? I like realistic scenery up to a point. But I don't model litter, or graffiti. I prefer to model a cleaner world than the one we live in today. My layout is set in the 1920s so spray cans of paint didn't exist yet, and hopefully people didn't go around trashing their surroundings as much as today.
> 
> Traction Fan 🙂


I found the picture off of Google, not my scenery.


telltale said:


> The OPer is asking about *RR* guardrails in the track, not automobile roadway guard rails.


Curious if member telltale can provide a link for train specific guardrails?
I never seen them in the store or on-line. Just curious what you are refering to?
*Update:* AH, OMG...rail guards! Not Guard rails! Not what the title of the thread asks!
Got it with the link provided below.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

SF Gal said:


> Curious if member telltale can provide a link for train specific guardrails?
> I never seen them in the store or on-line. Just curious what you are refering to?


Take a look here…..pretty decent explanation of what is being talked about….

Rail Guard Rails


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

There are two types of safety rails. First, between the rails on a bridge are the steel rails that are often of a lighter weight rail. Outside them, often on wooden trestles, near the ends of the ties, are wooden rails spiked down onto the ties.

First, on the prototype (Whyte Pass & Yukon Route):










Next, on a long-gone layout of mine:










Micro Engineering sells the bridge rails and ties, with the ties a lot closer to each other on bridges typically, and the packages come with the outboard wooden safety rails. 

Anything that one would use to steady oneself or for safety from falls is called a *railing*.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

I always enjoy those layout photos. 
Yes, lighter rail for the inside guard rails. The code below the running rails seems right.


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

prrfan said:


> Like you said, the model is light. The scale weight is nowhere near close, therefore the physics are definitely not the same.


Therefore you believe there is zero probability the model g-rail serves any real use..Yes?
Just because the model is smaller/lighter than the 1:1 scale the physics of the wheels getting trapped between the g-rail and the running rail are the same. If the model is moving slow enough (and trains usually do and should move slower on bridges and certain curves) the g-rail can and usually will serve the same purpose, real or model..


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

telltale said:


> Therefore you believe there is zero probability the model g-rail serves any real use..Yes?
> Just because the model is smaller/lighter than the 1:1 scale the physics of the wheels getting trapped between the g-rail and the running rail are the same. If the model is moving slow enough (and trains usually do and should move slower on bridges and certain curves) the g-rail can and usually will serve the same purpose, real or model..


Therefore I believe…like I said…the physics is not the same. Or, more accurately, the physical forces aren’t the same. 
Our trains weigh ounces and the real ones weigh hundreds of tons. Thousands in freight train lengths. So we can accurately scale everything except weight. 
That’s all I was trying to say. Do I think the inside guard rail track actually will function like the prototype? I don’t see why it wouldn’t. 

But… which practice is usually followed in model railroading when we seek to prevent trains from leaving the layout (on regular terrain, not a bridge) ? Yea, the barrier wall or rail, not the inside track guard rail. 
You could, I suppose but it certainly wouldn’t be prototypical. And, more importantly, would you trust it?


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

I’m pretty sure a freight can could tip over on bridge track. I don’t have any readily available to test that presumption, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t. Things are scaled down from the prototype, but not everything functions in a scaled down way, many if not most become representations. HO scale water towers won’t serve a miniaturized real life purpose for example. They’re just cosmetic. Proto87 bridge track might be a little different.
Maybe someone will test bridge track. Now I don’t really care if my long held presumption is correct or false, I’m interested to know what happens.


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## Stejones82 (Dec 22, 2020)

Thanks all for the feedback. Great group-think and I appreciate y'all so much. I was at Hobbly Lobby and bought a thin sheet of clear plastic for $7. I will cut it to 2-1/2 inches wide so to have 1-1/2 inches above the surface. That should provide the safety and still allow good visibility. 

I still will keep an eye out for some model safety rails. Those race track rail are an idea, SFG. I might actually go to the O scale aisle and see if there is anything that might be functional and still visually attractive.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

OilValleyRy said:


> I’m pretty sure a freight can could tip over on bridge track. I don’t have any readily available to test that presumption, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t. Things are scaled down from the prototype, but not everything functions in a scaled down way, many if not most become representations. HO scale water towers won’t serve a miniaturized real life purpose for example. They’re just cosmetic. Proto87 bridge track might be a little different.
> Maybe someone will test bridge track. Now I don’t really care if my long held presumption is correct or false, I’m interested to know what happens.


I think one of the reasons behind prototype guard rails is to try and keep a derailed wheel from sending a car off the bridge. They tend to keep cars in the general center area, even if some wheels are "on the ground" (derailed) This also minimizes damage to the structure. Guard rails are also used at some tunnel entrances, again to try to keep any errant cars in check. Though different in structure and position, highway guard rails perform the same basic function.

I don't know if prototype guard rails can perform the same function as model railroad "re-railers", that is actually guide a derailed wheel back onto the rails. They sometimes do on model railroads. Perhaps someone with prototype experience can speak to that notion.
Guard "timbers" (the heavy wood beams bolted along the outer ends of the bridge's ties) are there as a last resort to stop a derailed car from going off the bridge, and falling onto the road, river, other rail track, or whatever else is below the bridge. 

Traction Fan 🙂


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Stejones82 said:


> Thanks all for the feedback. Great group-think and I appreciate y'all so much. I was at Hobbly Lobby and bought a thin sheet of clear plastic for $7. I will cut it to 2-1/2 inches wide so to have 1-1/2 inches above the surface. That should provide the safety and still allow good visibility.
> 
> I still will keep an eye out for some model safety rails. Those race track rail are an idea, SFG. I might actually go to the O scale aisle and see if there is anything that might be functional and still visually attractive.


Stejones;

Gold Metal Models sells photo-etched brass highway type guard rails.

Traction Fan


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