Trenching Kato Unitrackto get a better look.

[inobu]

A question was brought up concerning trenching unitrack to get a better look and control in adding ballast to it.

This is what the trenching looks like.

There are a few way of doing it, anywhere from hand cut to CNC but I'll post the most feasible approach for everyone.

Dremel  

1. Lay the foam down in sections or all out depending on whats manageable  
2. Lay the track down on the foam based on your layout plan
3. Tape the ends of the track down, pull the track taunt and tape where needed. (This creates straight lines and holds the track in place for marking)
4. Trace the outline of the track both sides with a sharpie.
5. Now use pieces of the same track to act as a guide to make perfect routing lines. See image below

Here's the tools you need

Dremel
Dremel base
Bit End Mill type.

They are bits that cut from the top as well as the sides. That's how you will achieve the level cuts.
That is a rotozip bit I think Dremel calls it a 561 MultiPurpose Cutting Bit

Drill bits won't work as they will not cut the bottom of the trench.
Sand stones or cutter of that sanding nature melt the foam. You need to cut the foam in larger chips or flakes.   

Remember you want the tip to have a flute that cuts top and side.

Its a mess without the vacuum going but the yield is worth the effort in my opinion. It takes minimal effort to glue the track in place afterwards.    

As they say a picture is worth a 1000 words. I did this example is a bout 15 minutes. the routing took about 1 minute. Its like coloring between the lines. The track taped on the outer edges of the lines keeps the bit within your sharpie lines. It acts like a template/guide.

 

The track is 58mm so you need the base to be about 125mm.  

Inobu

Edited April 14, 2022 by inobu
update images

[scott]

Nice idea--thanks! It may be too late for our current layout to try this, but I'll definitely keep this in mind. For now, I'll need to just build up the scenery on either sides of the tracks a bit.

[cteno4]

Inobu,

 

you are clever boy! nice work and great using the track as your router template! the track does look nice with the reduced roadbed height.

 

jeff

[inobu]

Thanks Scott and Jeff,

 

I like solving problem and coming up with solutions.

 

Inobu

 

 

 

 

[cteno4]

Inobu,

 

for a second there i thought this technique might work to cut road plates for ttrak standard spaced corners. but on second thought its not that easy...

 

oh well.

 

jeff

[KenS]

This is a really clever idea. I wish I'd known of it when I was building my subway.  I needed a recessed lip at the top of the trench for the styrene roof to lay flush with the foam. The trench itself went the full depth, so I could make it with a saw. Cutting that lip by hand, with knife and scraper, was a real pain, and the end result wasn't all that great.

 

You could use the same approach to recess track for an urban layout with just the track sticking up, and sheet styrene laid atop the foam flush with the railhead.

[Hobby Dreamer]

inobu 

 

Thanks for taking the time to explain this! 

 

Rick

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Very smart.

 

Too late to do this as the foam is level with the wood edge on the NTrak modules.

 

Just how deep does one apply the earth to bury some of the track?

[Bernard]

Inobu - Thanks for posting how you made the grooves. If you wanted to do this for a double track would the router be wide enough for the trench?

[inobu]

Webskipper

 

Actually you can vary the depth based on the look you are trying to achieve. I went down 4mm as I wanted the ties just above ground level.

 

 

Inobu - Thanks for posting how you made the grooves. If you wanted to do this for a double track would the router be wide enough for the trench?

 

I may not have answered your question correctly, if you are referring to still using the dremel method then you would have to make a plate to bridge the trench. The plate need to be 125mm in diameter and a whole in the center for the bit to pass through. The hard parts is attaching the plate to the dremel base. I think it would be worth the money to buy another base on and epoxy it into the disk. 

 

You can also uses............

 

A full size router with the plunge attachment can reach the breath of the track. They are about 5.5"  145mm which is enough.

The larger router has its pros and cons.

 

Pro :You can cut wider paths

Con : speed is a little over kill unless you have variable speed. You can then slow the

 

Pro: You can hand trace

Con: its a little heavy    

 

Inobu

 

Guys I'm more than happy to share what I know or find out, some times I'm not sure how its views so I just wait for any interest and post my findings then.

[inobu]

Inobu - Thanks for posting how you made the grooves. If you wanted to do this for a double track would the router be wide enough for the trench?

 

This is how you address the double track.

Drill a hole in the center

Center the base and epoxy it onto the disk.

 

[smg id=1421]

[DanMacK]

Cool idea!  Might come in handy for other roadbed based tracks as well