Another way to look at is 0.010" is 10% of 0.100". Would you mind if your 40' car was 36' or 44'? I would hope so, but again a 10% difference (based on 40'), albeit much more visible.
Please note I was just being a devil's advocate with the above and not saying we need more rail sizes. I'm content working with the sizes available. Our model rail cross-section is also in general different than the prototype, which have various cross sections at different points in time. Technically, this should be included in the weight calculation, but we normally only measure the rail height. IMHO, using different rail heights for different track functions, will make more visible difference than the absolute height. Many of my favorite railroads did not use tie plates and certainly didn't need any bonding joints for signals, so in some cases they shouldn't be included. I do view track as a model as important as a locomotive, if not more so, so I should do my best with what is available. Model railroading is a series of compromises, and as much as I'd like to model a logging branch with rickety undulating track, I know I can't and expect to run trains on it. I met someone who tried this in On3 once and said it was the worst mistake he ever made. Dave Heine Easton, PA -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Pieter Roos Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 12:14 PM To: [email protected] Subject: {S-Scale List} Re: Rail height Guys; Really? I'm all for realism and getting as close as possible to the prototype, but are we going to obsess over .010 in the height of our rail? Better have tie plates with the correct number of spikes, rail clips, "bondings" on rail joints in signaled territory, etc. if you plan to worry about this discrepancy. I would suggest someone insert a strip of .010 styrene under the rail in a section of track and see if you really notice the difference. I'd rather worry that there is no 40' steel 10'6" boxcar with IDE and diagonal panel roof, nor a plastic PS-1 boxcar which existed in the tens of thousands post-war. Yet, we endure... Pieter E. Roos ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
