Templot Club forums powered for Martin Wynne by XenForo :

TEMPLOT 3D PLUG TRACK - To get up to speed with this experimental project click here.   To watch an introductory video click here.   See the User Guide at Bexhill West.

  • The Plug Track functions are experimental and still being developed. Some of the earlier pages of this topic are now out-of-date.

    For an updated overview of this project see this topic.   For some practical modelling aspects of using Plug Track see Building 3D Track.

    The assumption is that you have your own machines on which to experiment, or helpful friends with machines. Please do not send Templot files to commercial laser cutting or 3D printing firms while this project is still experimental, because the results are unpredictable and possibly wasteful.

    Some pages of this and other topics include contributions from members who are creating and posting their own CAD designs for 3D printing and laser-cutting. Do not confuse them with Templot's own exported CAD files. All files derived from Templot are © Martin Wynne.
  • The Plug Track functions are experimental and still being developed.

    For an updated overview of this project see this topic.   For some practical modelling aspects of using Plug Track see Building 3D Track.

    The assumption is that you have your own machines on which to experiment, or helpful friends with machines. Please do not send Templot files to commercial laser cutting or 3D printing firms while this project is still experimental, because the results are unpredictable and possibly wasteful.

    Some pages of this and other topics include contributions from members who are creating and posting their own CAD designs for 3D printing and laser-cutting. Do not confuse them with Templot's own exported CAD files. All files derived from Templot are © Martin Wynne.

Ballast Repose Angle

Quick reply >

richard_t

Member
Location
nr Spalding
Hi

I've been trying to find the angle of repose for the ballast shoulder, but BRT ed 3 and 5 although has diagrams, is slightly silent on the angle. I've quickly searched the here, but can't find it either. I'm sure it's been mentioned in the past (getting old :-(

I'm also guessing it's a "it depends" answer, but a rough guideline would be great.

TIA

Richard
 
_______________
message ref: 3715
@richard_t

Hi Richard,

The usual question is not so much about the angle, but about the depth -- I wrote a bit about that recently:

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/what-thickness-of-trackbed-do-you-use.314/post-2989

Most tracks are ballasted with sharp angular stones which will lie at quite a steep angle when clean and new, but not more than about 1:1 (45 degrees). There is a table of angles in BRT3 on page 10, and some diagrams of ballast shoulders on page 14.

The ballast shoulder doesn't remain well-defined for long after renewal, this is typical of well-maintained track:

no_weeds_1120x800.jpg



Here is some recently renewed ballast:

index.php


cheers,

Martin.
 
_______________
message ref: 3716
Hi Martin

Thanks - I did find a couple of images on google that suggest between 1:1 and 1.5:1. I thought the table on page 10 was more concerning cuttings and embankments.

Most of Central is on a viaduct with wall to wall ballasting, so there's no "slope" to speak of there - but if I have a bit of Cornbrook then that has a number of "main lines" so a slope would be appropriate there. I see Trend do 45 deg chamfer bits (and 60), so 1:1 it would be if I went the CNC route (yet to unpack, let alone assemble).

2nd meetings with Architects next week, should determine what I can and can't afford...

Again thanks.
 
_______________
message ref: 3717
When I was on the PW gang on the ESR, when we did relays we put down a base 150mm deep and relayed the track on that, followed by jacking and packing to get a line and top. This was followed by a general boxing up, the shoulders were left to their own devices, although we did ensure that around 75mm was level with the sleeper top. After a couple of months running we re- did the line and top, with additional ballast, as required.

The current relays have been over ballasted, as a tamper-liner is coming in at the end of next month.
 
_______________
message ref: 3718
Back
Top