I use a point & frog filing jig from fastracks to building my code 55 N-scale turnouts. Nobody mentioned de proto87 stores option. They have also great stuf to build and detail hand build turnouts.
MODELING IN N-SCALE
Knew one guy who used standard factotory turnouts of good quality like Shinohara when he could get them cheap, but he got rid of the plastic ties and hand laid the metal, also used some of the other rail only brands.
I you'd like to hand lay your turnouts and obtain good track detailing, Central Valley offers both turnout tie strips and turnout detailing kits. Check out Joe Fugate's web site for his turnout building technique using PC ties for a few structural ties and the Central Valley tie strips for all of the other ties in the turnout.
Personally, my near field vision is so poor that I can't appreciate such small details, especially after the track is painted and ballasted. Besides, I have yet to have a visitor to my layout comment on the lack of detail on my turnouts. They are generally more astounded that I built all of them in the first place and tend to focus more on the scenery details.
Hornblower
cmrproducts So how does the placement of Spikes in the ties every 7th tie relate to HIGH SCALE? Or have We adjusted the defination of HIGH SCALE again! At least the plastic flex track has simulated spike heads every tie! And where are the spike heads in a Fast Tracks Turnout? Again the plastic ties on the Atlas/Walthers/Peco/etc etc etc all have the spike head on every tie! YOU Can't have it both ways and call one HIGH SCALE without the spikes. BOB H - Clarion, PA
So how does the placement of Spikes in the ties every 7th tie relate to HIGH SCALE?
Or have We adjusted the defination of HIGH SCALE again!
At least the plastic flex track has simulated spike heads every tie!
And where are the spike heads in a Fast Tracks Turnout?
Again the plastic ties on the Atlas/Walthers/Peco/etc etc etc all have the spike head on every tie!
YOU Can't have it both ways and call one HIGH SCALE without the spikes.
BOB H - Clarion, PA
And let's not forget tie plates:
http://www.proto87.com/product1907.html
Ed
Very few MRs ever consider, much less, actually make hand built turnouts and that is a fact. However, for high scale-high detail and especially photogenic areas in a high scale layout, hand laying of both track and turnouts is often the way to go to compliment your super detailing efforts.
In general, hand made switches on a large, complex layout with large switch yards, etc., is just not done or really pracitcal. Narrow, around the wall layouts, short lines with no real yards, single track mains and few switches is where detail can really fluorish. This is where hand-made trackwork can really shine and is a practical reality.
Once committed to hand laying swicthes, Fast Tracks solution is a great option. Once your confidence is built using one of their # 4 or #6 jigs, you will be able to use its lessons to easily assemble your own # 7.58 turnout, if needed, in future.
In general, the cost of a quality hand made switch, if you allow for your time at a minimum wage of $10.00/hour, and executed to a high scale degree will always far exceed the most expensive similar factory turnout. For you, is it a matter of money or time or scale? Only you can weigh and balance these variables.
It is important to realize that all switches from the old Atlas snap track switches with the weak side mount, above board machine all the way to the most carefully crafted hand made custom trackwork switch and everything in between, are and will forever be in use by MRs. It is a matter for each MR to decide which among this vast array he will employ based on his purse, time available and final goal.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
Before Fast Tracks, many successfully handlaid their turnouts without much ado and fuss. With Jack Work's article Turnouts for the Better in the April 1963 Model Railroader as my guide (in 1976!), I managed to make working turnouts right off the bat. Wasn't hard to do, and my most complex project before that had been assembling a Silver Streak plastic reefer kit. Didn't use any PC board ties (except for throw bar), and still don't.
A few years ago, I watched a clinic by Steven Hatch of Railway Engineering (http://www.railwayeng.com/) on hand laying turnouts. He used the tracing paper over flex track technique to get the setup for custom turnouts (unknown frog angles and non-straight turnouts). He also folded the rails to build his frogs (described on his web site), which was also new to me.
Fast Tracks does an excellent job of leading you through the turnout building process if you don't have the confidence to jump right in on your own.
Truth is though - what's the worst that can happen by reading a couple of articles and giving it a go on your own? You waste a couple of hours and $3 worth of materials making a turnout that doesn't work on the first try? The upside is that chances are very good the 1st effort will work just fine, although it may not look as pretty as your later efforts will.
just my thoughts and experiences
Fred W
It's pretty tough to beat the build techniques, tools and jigs that have been developed by Fast Tracks. The up front tool and jig costs can be a little intimidating, especially if you want more than one frog angle. If you need to build a lot of turnouts, then its probably a good investment. I personally bought only the PC ties and a No. 6 frog/point rail filing jig and still managed to build over 50 turnouts. I made my own assembly jig by first gluing a copy of the Fast Tracks #6 turnout template to a piece of plywood. I then cut shallow grooves across the face of the plywood for the PC tie positions using a thin plywood blade in a table saw. I glued PC tie cut-off scraps into the grooves to create stops against which I can quickly position new PC ties. Next, I use pieces of Code 83 rail stripped out of lengths of flex track and assemble the turnout using the template as a guide and an NMRA gauge to keep the dimensions in check. I made a similar plywood jig to aid with frog rail soldering. Every turnout I have built operates far better than the Atlas brand turnouts I used on a previous layout. I also found that I could easily build other turnout configurations using nothing but paper templates. Once I had the turnout template drawn, I simply glued the PC ties to the template using rubber cement and built the turnout. So far, I have built numerous #6 Left and Right standard turnouts, 22" radius diverging route Left and Right turnouts, a 22" radius "wye" turnout, and one curved turnout (22" inner radius). With a little practice, building turnouts is definitely within your reach.
Here is my "what I did's":
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/retrack/
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/gangs/
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1905/code_55/
Thank you if you visit
Harold
EDIT: Tin the PCB ties before laying them. Soldering the rails to the PCB ties is then easier if they are tinned.
There are a ton of MR articles on how to do it. Here's a method that Chuck (tomikawaTT) gave me forever ago. It works well, although I'm terrible with things and generally scrap more than I make (yay loads of brass rail from trainsets!)
tomikawaTT The definitely not patented, jig free technique for building turnouts (or any other specialwork, up to and including multi-double slip switch puzzle palaces.) Dimensions, where given, are for HO and/or HOj. Establish the routes through the site by laying flex track, checking for minimum radius, S curve problems etc. Mark where the edges of the flex track ties are, for each route. Where the tie-edge lines overlay, you have the site of a turnout (crossing, gantlet?) Determine the location of the points, and which way you want the headblock ties to extend outside the normal tie line. Find the line where the distance between outer tie lines is the length of the tie plus 16.5mm. This is the approximate location of the frog point. Lay out switch ties of appropriate length. Ends must reach or overlap the outer tie lines. Position and spike down one stock rail. Shape the frog point rails (I personally use separate rails, but some modelers form both frog point rails end to end, then bend the point together.) and spike the one parallel to the stock rail. Use three point and NMRA flat track gauges! The frog point goes on the line previously determined. Shape the closure rail that parallels the stock rail and spike it into place. My method of pivoting points calls for a flathead wire nail placed in a drilled hole for a pivot, and PC board throw bar (made from 'experiment board' with pre-drilled holes and non-continuous circuit lines). The shaped point rail is soldered to the pivot nail, and the throw bar connections are formed from bent brass wire passed through holes in the PC board and soldered to the insides of the points (low down to clear flanges.) I do not notch stock rails. Instead, I shape my points like the prototype's, undercut to ride up on the stock rail base when closed. For the other side of the switch, gauge the stock rail from the frog point and the rails of the adjacent "ordinary" track. Position it temporarily with a few track nails between ties until the throw bar and points are installed. Then gauge and spike down the frog rail and closure rail parallel to the second stock rail. Solder the frog; point rails and closure rail wings. Placing short lengths of tinned #22 wire in the flangeways adds to the strength of the joint (one can be the frog feeder.) I do NOT flood the flangeways with solder. I DO clean them and check track gauge to both stock rails IMMEDIATELY - and rework as/if necessary. Especially at this point, "Good enough," isn't. Permanently install the points, along with the actuator of choice. Add guard rails where needed. I find the guard rail flangeways to be ideal locations for feeder wire connections. In addition to the three point and NMRA track gauges, I usually run my "designated derailment checker" train (stiff trucks, long-wheelbase 4 wheel cars with pizza cutter flanges, underweight cars...) through each newly-available route (under 0-5-0 power) as soon as the rails are in position. The same train, with D50380 on the point, is run through as soon as the rails are powered. Any issues discovered are dealt with IMMEDIATELY. The result? Absolutely reliable, smooth-flowing specialwork guaranteed to give years of trouble-free service. Two little tricks to improve reliability: Take the sharp corner off the gauge side of the railhead on both sides EVERY joint, including the ones between the ends of the closure rails and the butt ends of the points. Put a little kink in the stock rails just ahead of the sharp ends of the points. Happy turnout laying.
The definitely not patented, jig free technique for building turnouts (or any other specialwork, up to and including multi-double slip switch puzzle palaces.) Dimensions, where given, are for HO and/or HOj.
In addition to the three point and NMRA track gauges, I usually run my "designated derailment checker" train (stiff trucks, long-wheelbase 4 wheel cars with pizza cutter flanges, underweight cars...) through each newly-available route (under 0-5-0 power) as soon as the rails are in position. The same train, with D50380 on the point, is run through as soon as the rails are powered. Any issues discovered are dealt with IMMEDIATELY. The result? Absolutely reliable, smooth-flowing specialwork guaranteed to give years of trouble-free service.
Two little tricks to improve reliability:
Happy turnout laying.
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
don't recall the article you're looking for. But you can try the Magazine Index to search for it
I would suggest reading Tony Koester's article Building a turnout from scratch. It and many other articles you may be interested in are in Trackwork and Lineside Detail
good luck
my first turnout
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
I am learning about Hand Laid track and turnouts. I saw a recent MR showing How to.
Does anyone remember which issue they were in?