Researching & Creating Train Tracks

This week it was my task to start creating a train track for the group project.

First of all I researched some pictures of train tracks so that I had a reference for how to make the train track look a bit more realistic.Once I had some good pictures that I could use as references I started creating the tracks, firstly I created a long box, once it was a length that I was happy with I started to "chamfer" both edges of the top of the box. I did this to create a curve at the top of the box.Once I had created the first chamfered edge I selected the new chamfered edges and moved them once more to create a bigger curve around the edge of the box. This created a curve that looked like the top of a train rail.
Now that I had a suitable curve at the top of the train rail I had to make it a full solid shape so that it looks more like a train rail. To do this I cloned the box I had edited and flipped it upside down so that it was curved at both the top and the bottom of it.
Now that the rail was completed it was time to start creating the main body of the rail to do this I created a new box and made it the same length as the top rail so that it would fit together properly.

The next step was to start extruding sections of the box out so that it looked like it looks like a steel block, I select the edge tool and then selected parts of the box and extruded some out and some inward.
The image below shows one side extruded and one not.
The next step was to repeat the same to the side that hadnt been extruded to make a whole object that was the same each side and this created the bottom of the rail.
This is the image of the whole rail put together.
The next step is to create the wooden blocks and the supports that join them to the rail.
I started by creating the supports that join the wood to the rail, to create this I created a shape using the line tool with the options selected as smooth and smooth.

I created the shape I wanted to then created a circle that was small enough to create the effect of bent metal. After I had the two shapes created I selected the "Compound Objects" drop down on the "Geometry" option and then selected "Loft" and then clicked on the line I had created and selected under creation method "Get Shape" and selected the circle I had created and this made the shape below.
I then cloned the object I had created and placed it next to it and edited both there angles with the select and rotate tool, once I had them in a suitable position I created a box that they would merge into making it look like they were attached to it.
Now that this was created I had to create the wooden blocks that support the rails and joinings.
To do this I created a simple box and placed it under the created supports and it looked like this.
The next step was to put them all together by placing the rails onto the wooden blocks and supports and then moved them with the select and move tool so that it was in a suitable place and looked realistic.
Once I had moved it into a place I was happy with I decided to clone the blocks of wood and supports so that I had multiple blocks of wood under the rails so it looked like a train track.
Here are a few images of what it looks like with the multiple blocks underneath.
Once I was happy with the layout of the tracks I decided to place the model of the wheels and undercarriage onto it to see how well the wheels would fit onto the rails. They seemed to fit quite well and I was very happy with the results.