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Modern
Grade Crossing - Rubber Style
Our Modern Rubber Grade
Crossings are the FIRST EVER produced in N scale. We took a lot of time in designing
our grade crossings to ensure that all of our measurements were correct, they
looked right when mounted, AND (most importantly), they worked correctly with
99% of the rolling stock available.
Our rubber and concrete
grade crossings are made to simulate two-lane highway crossings. (expander packs
available!)
To Mount:
Remove all pieces from
the etched metal frame with a sharp hobby knife (be careful!).
The trick to mounting is
to remember that you want these to lay directly below the top of the rails, thus,
you need to figure out what code rail you have, and work your way down from there.
These etchings are .005"
thick, so if Code 55 rail is about .055" tall, you will need a shim (plastic
strip) that is about .045" tall.
Mount your shims down the
middle of the rails and on either sides of the ties where you want your grade
crossing to lay. Tip: Remove spike heads to aid you in laying the shims flat.
Glue shims in place with
glue
Glue the 3 long etchings
in place, but, bend the ramps down so they lay just on top of the ties (the ramps
are only on one end).
Next, you will notice that
you have three of the short pieces left over. The ramps are left off on one end
to allow you to expand your grade crossing to a 4 lane road using our expander
pack - BLMA #78
If you are not using the
expander, simply glue the ramps onto the end of the long etching at the same angle
downward as they are on the other end.
Painting:
The ramps on these models
are metal and the rest of the crossing is a high density rubber.
To simulate the rubber,
we have found that using thin washes of india ink or black paint works best. (if
you are handy with an air brush, have at it!)
Because the ramps are to
remain their natural color, we recommend weathering them (and the whole thing)
with dull coat and perhaps a hint of orange or brown chalk dust to represent faint
signs of rusting.
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