Marc_MagnusHi Mister Wolfgang, Yes I agree with You, the Fastrack Jigs are a little bit expensive, but I am sure when You are working in a very small scale like Nscale they are very helpful to build handlay turnout with a few or say no adjustements. I lay a few turnouts some time ago directly on the table ( a ladder of 4) and had a lot of problems to adjust the points and the wing rails even with a NMRA gauge and a few ME gauge. Beleive me in Nscale if you want bulletproof track, what I am especialy looking for, your track need to be lay with very hight precision. An half milimeter in Nscale is a great gap, and because I have build a lot of turnouts now using the Fastrack jig, I must admit that the results are great even in a first try. So they are the pro and cons of this system, but as you see in the other post they seems all conclude about good results and I am a strong beleiver for this system for Nscale, even with a quite expensive price. But now with more than 52 turnouts I have to build just for my future yard the price by turnout is going low. Hope to see you at the American convention in september at Frankfurt. Marc
Hi Mister Wolfgang,
Yes I agree with You, the Fastrack Jigs are a little bit expensive, but I am sure when You are working in a very small scale like Nscale they are very helpful to build handlay turnout with a few or say no adjustements.
I lay a few turnouts some time ago directly on the table ( a ladder of 4) and had a lot of problems to adjust the points and the wing rails even with a NMRA gauge and a few ME gauge.
Beleive me in Nscale if you want bulletproof track, what I am especialy looking for, your track need to be lay with very hight precision.
An half milimeter in Nscale is a great gap, and because I have build a lot of turnouts now using the Fastrack jig, I must admit that the results are great even in a first try.
So they are the pro and cons of this system, but as you see in the other post they seems all conclude about good results and I am a strong beleiver for this system for Nscale, even with a quite expensive price.
But now with more than 52 turnouts I have to build just for my future yard the price by turnout is going low.
Hope to see you at the American convention in september at Frankfurt.
Marc
Marc,
you're right. The Fast Tracks jig are great. And if you build a few turnouts with the same dimensions the cost are not so important. And you can work fast!
For me, most turnouts are curved with different radius. And different rail size. Until now I've built much more than 100 turnouts for my layouts. But for my last crossing it took me quite some hours.
I think the difference between H0n3 code 55 and N scale is not much. 10.5 mm or 9 mm
I hope to go Saturday to the Convention in Rodgau. At the first Convention we participated with a FREMO layout. This time it will be the NL group.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
E-L man tom Marc, I am just getting ready to make my own turnouts. These are truly inspiring. With alittle help from several of my local friends (as well as MR's Andy Sperandeo) I am going to place several of these home-grown turnouts on my layout where a commercial turnout simply won't fill the bill. Mine will not use the Fast Tracks jigs, as they're a bit odd angled and shaped. Thanks for the inspriation!
I am just getting ready to make my own turnouts. These are truly inspiring. With alittle help from several of my local friends (as well as MR's Andy Sperandeo) I am going to place several of these home-grown turnouts on my layout where a commercial turnout simply won't fill the bill. Mine will not use the Fast Tracks jigs, as they're a bit odd angled and shaped.
Thanks for the inspriation!
By the time you've assembled your tenth switch you'll be a pro! I've built so many N-Scale Code 55 switches over the past twenty-five years or so that I can put one together in an hour -- two at the most.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
I like your track work alot,and I admire those who handlay well. One thing I haven't seen though,or understand very well, is how to accurately grind the point rails. When you do not use a fast tracks jig,how do you measure and cut those angles? BILL
Amen on the Fast Tracks price thing, Wolfgang.
Wow! that's very nice trackwork! I sure hope my work turns out half as good as that. Again, inspiring. When I get up-and-going with this maybe can post some pictures on this forum.
Thanks
E-L man tom . Mine will not use the Fast Tracks jigs, as they're a bit odd angled and shaped.
. Mine will not use the Fast Tracks jigs, as they're a bit odd angled and shaped.
Yes, those Fast Tracks jigs are great. But they're expensive.
I need only the NMRA gauge and soldering tools. This is a H0n3 code 55 curved crossing.
Without jig it takes more time. But no problem.
Hi again,
Thank you very much Ulrich, it will be a pleasure to help you if you need.
your turnouts are sure good looking - that´s a pro´s job you have done there! Should I decide to hand lay my track, I will certainly ask for your counseling!
Hi from Belgium,
I posted them in the "general discusion forum" but here again a few pics of the turnouts I build in Nscalefor the east end of my future yard.
It's a fifteen days working process, all done outside under a good sun.
I put a few pieces of track and a "plate" for the future small turntable on a table in my garden, to see if all goes togheter well.
They are handlaid with n°6 and curved n°8 Fastrack jigs.