# bridge track



## pat_smith1969 (Aug 21, 2016)

I noticed on pre-built bridges that come with track, there is a frog type thing that doesn't move and seems to serve the same purpose as a re-railer. The ones on the bridges that I have seen are metal however and not the plastic re-railer. 

I am building a bridge from scratch and thought I would include this feature.. but I cannot find any track that has the metal turnout-frog style re-railer thing-a-ma-bob. 

Do most of you, when doing scratch built bridges simply skip this piece.. or is there a name for it that I am not googling?


----------



## wingnut163 (Jan 3, 2013)

it is to keep the train on the bridge if it derails. when i built mine i used rail and bent it.


----------



## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Their guard or safety rails. Frogs are usually crossing a rail. google "bridge track safety rail" and you'll get some pictures. Some times the guard rail is a smaller gauge so its not there to re-rail a car but rather give the wheel a channel it can't get out of in case of a derailment. In some old city elevated rails wood timber was use instead of rail.


----------



## pat_smith1969 (Aug 21, 2016)

for our model tracks.. is this strictly cosmetic or do our guard rails serve a purpose?

Thanks for the verbiage.. i found a bunch of references and am looking at them now. You have to know the right words to enter into Google to get the right results.

I am kinda of suprised you cannot buy pre-built track like this.. they sell just about everything else for this hobby. Maybe I will make one myself and become a millionaire!!!


----------



## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

You can strip rails from a length of flex track and bend the ends to fashion a guard rail for your bridge. Adhere them in place with CA adhesive.

The only way you should see a 'frog' near a bridge where there is no turnout is if there is a "gauntlet" track where two rights-of-way share the same bridge.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/70243633


----------



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

pat_smith1969 said:


> I am kinda of suprised you cannot buy pre-built track like this.. they sell just about everything else for this hobby. Maybe I will make one myself and become a millionaire!!!


You mean something like this?
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Shinohara-HO-Flex-Track-with-Double-Guard-Rail-70-p/shn-317.htm


----------



## pat_smith1969 (Aug 21, 2016)

that is awesome.. it didn't show up in a google search.. but I might pick some up for my bridges.


----------



## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

pat_smith1969 said:


> I am kinda of suprised you cannot buy pre-built track like this..


You can. 

One example:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Shinohara-HO-Flex-Track-with-Double-Guard-Rail-70-p/shn-317.htm

Frederick


----------



## AmtrackJim (May 28, 2015)

*Bridge Track*

Look at Walthers bridge track #948-899


----------



## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

I ordered the Micro Engineering bridge flex track.
Right now it's $9.69 here...
(this one's code 83)

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Micro-Engineering-HO-83-Non-Weath-Bridge-Flex-Trak-p/mec-11-101.htm


----------



## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

Gonna have to get some of that - I never knew it was available.


----------



## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

If you're thinking of a plate girder bridge of 72-feet in length or less, ExactRail has nice ones.
Not all that expensive, and highly detailed.

https://exactrail.com/products/72-deck-plate-girder-bridge-cable-handrails-black-silver-green


----------



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

LateStarter -- I hate to say it, but I don't think that's the same thing. From all the picture I could find of the ME product, it just comes with two extra rails that you have to lay down yourself, while the Shinohara product appears to have slots molded in for the guard rails.

Can anyone point to an ME product where the guard rails are molded in? I happen to like the ME rails as well and planned on using them for my layout.


----------



## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

I don't think that ME makes bridge track with the guard rails already "molded in". It is fairly easy to add the guard rails to the ME bridge track. The bridge track will come with the guard rails included. You just need to bend it inward at the appropriate measurements and do a little fitting work. There are dimples in the ME bridge ties that make it easy to locate the guard rails at the correct spacing. I used ME bridge track on my bridge and I really like the way it turned out. Here's what it looks like on my layout.










My bridge curves, so it was a little bit more challenging than a straight bridge would be.

Mark


----------



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Very cool! So the ME bridge track also has the extra-wide ties under it? And I thought I saw something about some water barrels being included?


----------



## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

Yes, the ME bridge track has much closer spacing of the ties and the ties are longer so they extend out farther from the track than regular track. Water barrels and the platform for them is also included. Also included are the ties that go along the very outside edge of the bridge parallel to the rails.

Mark


----------



## pat_smith1969 (Aug 21, 2016)

Mark
THat is some VERY nice rock ledge you have there. What method did you use for it.. did you do the cut up foam method or did you use plaster rock molds? That really looks nice.. the water looks good too.


----------



## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

I built my own. My track is all code 70. For this bridge, I used Shinohara flex track and I had some left over code 70 rail which I super glued inside the ties.


----------



## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Chet said:


> I built my own.


Wow!
Outstanding!


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

As noted above, MicroEngineering, Walthers, and Central Valley Gems all sell separate bridge track with guard rails.

If you want to make your own, you can strip rail from flextrack and bend the ends yourself. Peco, Walthers, and MicroEngineering all sell individual rail pieces for handlaying track, which would work as well (avoid the bulk packs of 100-ish pieces, though; look for individual pieces for sale).


----------



## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

pat_smith1969 said:


> Mark
> THat is some VERY nice rock ledge you have there. What method did you use for it.. did you do the cut up foam method or did you use plaster rock molds? That really looks nice.. the water looks good too.


You can find the details of how I built my canyon scene in the "My Layout" section of the forum at http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=53721. Scroll down towards the bottom of the first page of the thread and into the second page.

Mark


----------



## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

pat_smith1969 said:


> You have to know the right words to enter into Google to get the right results.


Yeah, I can imagine that "metal turnout-frog style re-railer thing-a-ma-bob" wasn't a very productive search.


----------



## pat_smith1969 (Aug 21, 2016)

So on a lark I just googled "metal turnout-frog style re-railer thing-a-ma-bob" .. this thread is the top result!!! woot I am trending !!!

I just thought that was a little funny.


----------



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

You wouldn't believe how often I search google images for a subject, only to find several of my own images from threads I started. It's funny, but rather annoying... "Hey that looks exactly like what I'm doing, let's get a closer look... oh..."


----------



## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

pat_smith1969 said:


> So on a lark I just googled "metal turnout-frog style re-railer thing-a-ma-bob" .. this thread is the top result!!! woot I am trending !!!
> 
> I just thought that was a little funny.


That shows you how quickly and thoroughly (or shall I say "invasively") Google indexes the web.

That is why you should never post anything that you would not want your friends, family or coworkers to see.


----------



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

You know, one little detail I keep coming back to on Mark's pic above... It looks like he 'rusted' the guard rails. That makes perfect sense because in theory they should never be touched by the train, yet it's a detail I've never seen applied before.


----------



## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Shdwdrgn said:


> You know, one little detail I keep coming back to on Mark's pic above... It looks like he 'rusted' the guard rails. That makes perfect sense because in theory they should never be touched by the train, yet it's a detail I've never seen applied before.


Look at Chet's layout (post #18). He rusted his guard rails, too. I think they look odd if they are as shiny as the main rails. But to each his own.


----------

