Question on train track ballast and corners

[Badsneaker]

Question for the train buffs here:

I want to make my train tracks look more realistic.

1. 1x1 plates for track ballast? This is the impression I'm getting from pics.

2. Tracks raised 1 plate off of baseplates?

3. Corners: How to have them secured to the baseplate in a corner yet still have them at the same height as the straights.

Currently my tracks are snapped directly to the baseplates on the straights but the corners just sit there. I also want the tracks more realistic looking with the ballast.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

[SavaTheAggie]

2x2 turntables (in conjunction with tiles) work very well in attaching curved track to baseplates.

--Tony

[Hinckley]

2x2 turntables (in conjunction with tiles) work very well in attaching curved track to baseplates.

--Tony

Great tip and in retrospect it just seems so obvious. I helped SEALUG build their ballast for NW BrickCon and the corner just sat up one plate. We were rushed for time (I mean there was drinking to do) so we didn't brainstorm too many solutions, but that sounds like an excellent solution.

We did use 1x1 plates in black, frown, bley and dark bley. If I was to do it with my own collection, I think I would use tan and gray and mix in the 1x1 plates with 1x1 round plates...

That's how Train Tracks look in Illinois anyway...

[FreeBee]

Here's a great solution:

the Brickish way.

[legotrainfan]

Here's a great solution:

the Brickish way.

The idea of how to do it is good, but I don't particularly like the choice of colours. Anyway, I think it's a brilliant question that has been raised here. But if you raise the tracks one plate, how do you deal with this changed height when you want to integrate the big level crossing slopes 6x8?

[Hinckley]

Here's a great solution:

the Brickish way.

Awesome link FreeBee-DeeBee! Thanks!

[Badsneaker]

Awesome link FreeBee-DeeBee! Thanks!

Good link. I see what legotrainfan means with the 6x8 slopes though. I'll worry about that. My main concern is having the tracks look right and secured properly in the corners. I'm gonna experiment with 2x2 swivel plates and smooth tiles on the corners tonight.

[SeaKing61]

Some great links in this thread. I've been looking to secure my corners using the 2x2 turntables too but I'm having the same trouble with level crossings using the 6x8 slopes on my level crossings. The only solution I've found is to raise the whole track one brick and have 2 layers of slopes on each side. The problem with this is it requires twice as many slopes per crossing.

Cheers

Laurie