Andy Reichert's
PROTO:87 STORES

      and
ACCURATE TRACK EMPORIUM
www.proto87.com . . . (805) 481-4625

  • Awesome, New, HO Modeling Technologies for the 21st Century!
  • Breathtaking new Realism for Regular HO, N, Z and also Proto:87!
  • Track, Switches, Wheels, Trucks, Couplers and even Smooth Riding Suspension
  • DID YOU KNOW, A REALISTIC TEXTURED WOOD TIE WITH TIEPLATES COSTS LESS THAN EVEN DISCOUNTED PCB TIES?

"ELECTRIC AVENUE"

"THE" FAST AND EASY STREET TRACK SYSTEM FOR MODEL TROLLEYS AND TRAMS"

THE ONLY NEAR SCALE, ULTRA REALISTIC STREET, IN-PAVEMENT, YARD AND DOCKSIDE TRACK SYSTEM





Although virtually exact scale, ELECTRIC AVENUE can be used by most regular OO/HO RTR Trains, Streetcars,and Interurbans



Here a brand new and completely unmodified Bachmann Peter Witt Trolley sits on bare ELECTRIC AVENUE Easy Street Track, waiting to run a demo of the excellent trackholding possible, using the standard NMRA RP 25 wheel profile.

BELOW IS A SHORT MOVIE SHOWING HOW WELL TWO OFF THE SHELF BACHMANN TROLLEYS NEGOTIATE THE 8" AND 10" RADIUS ELECTRIC AVENUE EASY STREET TRACK SYSTEM

We must apologize for the overly fast speed used in the demonstration. The point of this movie is to show that there is still good trackholding, even when running beyond reasonable scale model speeds.



The ELECTRIC AVENUE Easy Street Track System is designed specifically for FINE QUALITY HO and 00 Layouts, where some street running and/or paved over yard or dockside situations exist. It can also be used in many situations for HOm, and even N.

It will operate with either 2-rail, or overhead, DC or DCC wiring.

The ELECTRIC AVENUE Easy Street Track System comprises a set of precision preformed straight and curved, solid Nickel Silver girder (tram) rail sections, of a very low, flat profile, simulating just the visible very top of the railhead. These are used in conjunction with a wide range of sheets of pre-textured street surfaces of matching height, to give the appearance of scale "girder rail" buried in the street.




The flat rails are merely glued to a convenient, flat street base in the track arrangement and gauge desired, then the chosen textured, street surface, cut and placed to match.





Absolutely no complicated or skilled rail bending required! Accurately preformed curved sections are available to fit single or double track working. However, they are sufficiently flexible to adjust for installation as standard, narrow or even dual gauge configurations.



A full range variety of Pre-formed street track switches and crossings for the ELECTRIC AVENUE Easy Street Track System are now available. And many more new parts, including the new "TRANSITION SECTIONS" 00/HO Track to ELECTRIC AVENUE TRACK ADAPTERS, are in the process of being added to these pages.





Using just a few simple modular parts, it is now possible to very easily and quickly create all common varieties of Street Track "Special Work" from simple turnouts and crossovers, through all typical double track junctions and crossings, right up to and including the impressive "Grand Union" configuration.



THE FREE DOWNLOADABLE TEMPLATE TABLE BELOW ALLOWS YOU TO SELECT TEMPLATES TO EASILY AND QUICKLY LAY ALMOST ANY COMMON STREET CAR TRACK CONFIGURATION.

. Click on the configuration of interest and you will see a .pdf template which you can print to full scale size on your own home printer. Just be sure to set your printer to print 1:1 or full size, and not "Fit to page". For the larger templates, just cut and overlap the sheets.

ELECTRIC AVENUE


TURNOUTS
AND DOUBLE JUNCTIONS

CROSSOVERS

3 WAY JUNCTION
AND GRAND UNION

OO/HO LH

THL


XH

3WH

OO/HO RH

THR


XH

3WH

P:87 LH

TPL


XP

3WP

P:87 RH

TPR


XP

3WP



Specifications and other data:

The ELECTRIC AVENUE Easy Street Track System Rail has a precision chemically milled grooved simulated rail head and flangeway approximately 0.7 mm high and 2mm wide. (See the picture of the rail profile ). The simulated rail can be placed directly on a street subsurface, so that the rail web and base appear to be buried in the street. While the rail can fully operate, even if placed alone on a finished street surface, the greatest realism is achieved by building up the surrounding street surface by 0.5 mm. (0.020"). This is also the thickness of the textured sheet surface material we provide. We do not recommend a greater thickness, as the slight height difference (0.2 mm) allows for more reliable running and easy cleaning of the rail without damaging the finished street surface.

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For ease of assembly and installation, the rail head is also grooved on the underside. This groove fits short alignment pins (cut from wire) which act as precision rail joiners and also as as location guides, if pre-glued to the street subsurface. As the rail is solid NS, it may be easily soldered. However it is possible to make all solder joints invisibly underneath the rail by using the alignment pins and/or flat wiring strips

ELECTRIC AVENUE Easy Street Track may be used with Regular OO, HO or HOm Cars which have consistently gauged fine metal wheels to US NMRA RP 25 spec or better. This is because the prototypically shallow floored flangeway of ELECTRIC AVENUE Rail allows the tips of finer wheels such as RP 25 to run on their flanges, without fouling the Proto:scale width flangeway.

While wheel guidance is reduced under these circumstances, completely satisfactory operation is usually obtained at up to scale speeds, provided the wheelsets have a consistent back to back setting and the track gauge is set using an example wheelset when laying. Operation with the track gauged in this manner is referred to as "HO compatible mode"

Another new item available in September 2009, is the Street Car "HANDY RAILER" Track Section.



THE HANDY RAILER makes it easy to place trolleys and other track vehicles ontothe fine grooved ELECTRIC AVENUE trackwork



Here is a closer shot showing the wide allowance for putting cars onto the track, so they can then automatically drive safely onto the scale areas of your layout.

It is of course also possible to use Proto:Scale wheels instead (e.g. P4, P:87) on ALL your vehicles, and set the track gauge accordingly.

TEXTURED MODEL STREET SURFACES



Traditional Setts shown alongside a plain (matte) concrete strip



Modern Round Decorative stones



Modern concrete square tiled



Traditional worn rectangular Cobblestones



Red brick Bond (2 brick sizes)



Red Brick Bond inside the track mixed with Concrete Paving Slabs outside the track



Plain Red Brick (one size) custom cut and fitted to parallel the rails

As well as the surfaces above, there is a matte near black asphalt version of the plain concrete finish. The available street surfaces are also accurately scaled for HO with fine fine stone or brick detail and minor natural random blemishes.

Except as otherwise noted, these highly durable plastic surfaces are supplied as nominal approx. 8" by 12" sheets in a neutral beige/grey stone color which can be painted and weathered for an extremely realistic final finish.
br>Note that these fine surfaces are intended for use as needed for ultra track realism within the narrow confines of the loading gauge of the street trackage and median. The remainder of the street area can be finished traditionally and economically with painted wood, card or plaster as appropriate.

Further varieties of street surface may be introduced later.

Flat Wiring System
0.001" thick, 3" by 6" Sheet Brass Shim, plus 6" of thin PTFE insulating tape, that you can cut with scissors into 6" by 1/4" strips to enable easy and invisible power distribution under the road surfaces and across (under) intervening rails.
$9.95
Quantity:
Girder Rail Alignment Pin Wire
0.013" (0.3mm) dia. Nickel Silver wire. Makes approx 50 x 0.025" long, rail end alignment pins.
$1.95
Quantity:
Overhead Wire - NS 0.013"
0.013" dia. solid Nickel Silver Overhead Wire - 30 ft Coil
$3.95
Quantity:
Overhead Wiring - Set of fittings
Standard hangers multi-angle crossings, pull overs, insulators and joiners.
$19.95
Please select HO or O scale
O scale version has less but larger scale parts on the same size fret.


Quantity:
ELECTRIC AVENUE STREET TRACK - Nickel Silver
Supplied as Sets of short rail lengths to make multiple, approximately 4" long, easy street track sections. Can also be easily cut to custom length. With care, can be bent to slightly different radii and gauge.

Available sets include:
Set of enough Straights sections for a total of 32" straight track
Sets of enough curved sections of either 6.25", 8" or 10" radii to form a semi-circle.
Sets of either 12", 14", 16" or 18" radii to form a curve approximately 24" long.
A discounted combination set for a full 8" and 10" radius double track oval. (Can fit on a 24" by 36" space)

$12.95
Select set(s) required

Quantity:
Street Surfaces
Heavily embossed plastic street surfces ina
$7.95
Pick the surface texture desired

Quantity:
Trolley Pole Kit - Generic - Working

$9.95
Quantity:
Trolley Wheel Pole conversion kit

$2.95
Quantity:
ELECTRIC AVENUE STREET TRACK TURNOUTS, ETC.
Supplied as Module Sets of parts to be used in conjunction with our appropriate (straight and curved) easy street rail sections.

Please note the Multi-function Turnouts Modules include the extra parts needed to form a Double Junction, or a Crossover, with one optional trailing only point.

The standard turnout style is the traditional inner single point, fixed guard rail. An upgrade module is available to convert those two turnouts to double point, fixed guard rail types for European Prototype systems that used that style.

We also now offer a alternative modern usage inner single point turnout style Multi-function Turnouts Module, with integral moving (double) guard rail, suitable for more contemporary streetcar and light rail systems.

For the different application of regular railroad paved industrial trackage, we have separate sets of double straight points, with integral moving guard rails, and also RR frogs suitable for #4, #5 or #6 standard RR geometry in-street/paved turnouts

Available modules, upgrades and separate part sets include:

Pair of Standard LH Turnouts, etc., Multi-function Module
Pair of Standard RH Turnouts, etc., Multi-function Module
For Two Std. LH Turnouts, Double Point Upgrade Module
For Two Std. RH Turnouts, Double Point Upgrade Module
Pair of Modern LH Turnouts, etc., Multi-function Module
Pair of Modern RH Turnouts, etc., Multi-function Module
3-way Single/Double Junction upgrade Module
Scissors Crossover/Wye frogs upgrade Module
Single 90 degree crossing Module

Set of Straight 11 ft RR Points for Short RR Industrial Turnouts

$14.95
Select set(s) required

Quantity:
ELECTRIC AVENUE STREET TRANSITION RAIL SECTIONS

Short (nominal 2") transition rail sections that help adapt regular 00/HO standard trackwork to join to "ELECTRIC AVENUE" paved industrial or street trackage

Precision Milled from SOLID NICKEL SILVER, these transition sections are sold in frets with enough to parts to make FOUR 2-rail track connections. Price per four pack:

$9.95


Quantity:
"HANDY RAILER"

A "how did I ever manage without it" tool for fast response to "Operations" car addition/removal needs, locomotive placement and DCC Loco Programming. Overcomes the need for fiddly placement of vehicles with lots of extra loose pony trucks.

CAN BE USED IN ALL SCALES including :
O, On30, HO, HOn3, HOm and N.

Precision Milled, SOLID NICKEL SILVER, Widened Flangeway Rail Sections allow speedy and simple placement of cars and locomotives onto track, without the need of accurate positioning.

Priced from:

$19.95
EASY RAILER KITS come in 12", 16", 20" and 24" END TO END standard length versions, and can even be extended more or later with extension sections if desired.

COMPLETE KIT VERSIONS include optional "EASY STREET" LINK sections


Quantity: