Making a simple track level 3. 4.
3 & 4. After drawing the first line across the clear face of the lev- el, the 90-degree angle at the side and end of a scale rule was used as an aid in drawing a perpendicular centerline. 5. A sec- ond line was then drawn parallel to the first line and perpendicu-
5.
lar through the centerline. 6. The underside of the level had a slightly raised center, so the middle of the styrene base needed to be carved out a bit to accommodate it. Here, the base piece is ready to be flipped over and cemented in place.
6.
With a permanent marker make the first line across the face. Then, using something square (I used a scale ruler), make the 90-degree line. Use the dot in the center to help make this a centerline. This will be the centerline of the track.
Again using something square the parallel line can be made. Don’t be too upset if your lines are not totally accu- rate. They just serve as a guide.
7.
The top of the level is now completed. The base is a piece of Evergreen
plastic ³₈″ wide and ¹₃₂″ thick. Again, the dimensions are not really that im- portant. This was a piece in my scrap box that had been cut for something else. Don’t get the base too wide, how- ever, because you will not see track ir- regularities. Using a track gauge, mark the base for the placement of cross pieces that
8.
are spaced the same distance apart as wheel flanges. The cross pieces should be close to the width and depth of a wheel flange. I used some HO scale 2″×2″ pieces. Once these are added, the track level is ready for use. By carefully moving the level along the track, uneven spots can be detected and, although it is not a track gauge, it will also find spikes and ballast that are too high.
7. An NMRA track gauge was used to mark where the two styrene cross pieces, made from scale 2″×2″’s, need to be placed. 8. Here is a look at the undersides of the two finished levels. The
48
first level the author modified is on the right, and well used. It still has the trimmed-down outside collar attached. The second level (on the left), made for a friend, does not have the plastic collar.
JUNE 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100