hand layed track

[Anonymous]

i posed a question regarding turnouts in the general forum, and got a pretty good answer, and leads me to this question, how difficult is it to build a turnout, is it true that the frog is made from solder, or more specifically, a big puddle of solder that you file down until it resembles a frog. can you buy just the frog part of the turnout and handlay the rest? speaking of frogs, do you prefer insulated or hot frogs?
thanks

[Big_Boy_4005]

Frogs aren't that difficult, points take more work. The first thing you will need if you plan to try hand laying a turnout is an NMRA guage. It has all the critical dimensions that you will need. You will also need a good pair of needle nose pliers for spiking, and a good file. A Dremel, and a small vise would also be helpful.

To make the frog is rather simple. As the two rails come together, grind the rails at an angle, so that they come to a point. You want this to be quite sharp and crisp. Apply a little solder to the two rails after they are spiked in place.

That is half of the frog, the other half is formed by the closure and wing rails. The closure is the part that the wheels ride, and the wing is like a small guide next to the point of the frog. The key to a good turnout is smooth operation. The purpose of a frog is to allow two flangeways to cross. Some people like to fill in the opening with solder, and then file away the excess to create the flangeways, but it isn't necessary if your alignment is correct.

Electrically, its more difficult to insulate the frog, even if it isn't soldered, as the spikes holding all of the pieces togrther will close the circuit. Its easiest to cut gaps beyond the frog, and use contacrs to route power when the switch is thrown.

The first one is the hardest, but after a while they go pretty quickly. One other useful item to have when hand laying track is a plexiglass flat car. If you do have a problem, you can actually see what's happening. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

You may want to buy one first for a pattern. BK Enterprises makes them. For the price, I don't mind buying just the frog and spiking the rest down myself.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Templates are OK, but once you get the hang of it, you won't use them anymore. It is nice to be able to make the turnout any angle that you want or need, and not be limited to certain sizes.