Actually, it was to anyone. I am wondering how you lay out an easement from a turnout with flex track....Do you just make your curve at a gentler radius than the one you are going for? And how do you produce that broader curve.....eyeball it?
Mike
Is that how you create a correct easement? I was wondering how many inches of straight track must continue past either side of the V of a turn-out to create a proper easement......
oktrainguy wrote: If I am reading you correctly the tighter radii curve is due to the length of straight rail on the end of your turnout? Two thoughts : (1) With a cut-off blade in a dremel or rail nippers shorten the straight track on the end your turnout. (2) Carefully solder your flex track and turnout joint before tacking it down. If you need to insulate two electrical sections use the dremel cut off blade or a razor saw. Jim
If I am reading you correctly the tighter radii curve is due to the length of straight rail on the end of your turnout? Two thoughts : (1) With a cut-off blade in a dremel or rail nippers shorten the straight track on the end your turnout. (2) Carefully solder your flex track and turnout joint before tacking it down. If you need to insulate two electrical sections use the dremel cut off blade or a razor saw.
Jim
NOTE! Don't take away from the straight through the common crossing... unless you want to encourage derailments...
The common crossing on a good switch is straight rail on both sides of the V as in the prototype. You want the wheel sets and at least 4 wheel trucks to pass clear through the V before staring to diverge from the stright line. This applies the other way round... you want at least a 4 wheel truck to be headed one way before it crosses the crossing.
If you spike efficiently you will not need to solder. Why solder and then cut?
Here is what I do...not elegant, and I'm sure there is a better way, but this is foolproof. First I place the turnout where I know it will stay/must be. Then, I join it to the piece of flex to be curved. Before doing anything else, I drill a small hole in the ties in both items closest to the join that are still holding the rails with their spike heads. I firmly press a track nail to keep the joint in place, and I have found adding another nail two ties away helps somewhat. Then, I begin to flex the track, keeping in mind that the slip rail is to be on the inside of the curve. I cut and join it to the next connection, and then I press the curve to the point where it is of the radius that I want.
If it is still too tight, especially with an important easement, you will have to do some rethinking of that part of the trackplan, perhaps of the entire thing!