I decided to write-up my build of this turnout after posting a few pics in this week's WPF. "Easy-to-make" is reletive, of course, but this is only my second scratch-built turnout and it seemed easier than the first. I can only encourage you to give it a try.
Why is it "hybrid"? It uses both wood ties and a hacked section of flex-track tgo simplify construction. I don't think I've seen this before, but if there's prior art around about that, please give us details. I just looked at what I had and decided this could not just work with what I had on hand, but make it easier, too.
Why is it scratchbuilt? Except for the bit of flex, it's a lot like any handlaid turnout. You build the points and frog to suit what's needed, so easy to customize.
Why is it scrapbox? Because that's where most of it came from. Silver-bearing solder is the most exotic material you may have to buy if you don't have it on hand. You can get that at any Radio Shack and it comes highly recommended for strength.
I'm going to post it a little differently, too, by putting up all the pics in rough order first, then going back to write the captions as I get the chance. Things may seem a little mysterious at first, but bear with me for the next day or so and I'll explain it all.
This is what I started with. I added an interchange track, then decided to make it double-ended. There was no commerical trackwork solution, but I found that one side of a Shinohara HOn3 wye provided a suitable curve to fit the mainline side, even if the diverging route was brutal. After some adjusting, it worked, although certain locos never found it popular. The Silverton switcher could get across and move cars over it; road engines could always back in from the other end, as that worked well on arrival to Silverton.
Watch out for the left turn The saving grace of this was that the hack was hidden behind some structures, screening its ugliness from casual glares. It worked, so what?
So I cleared the deck for improvements and laid out my demolition tools...
I use matte medium to bond my ballast and scenery. Some light mistig with 91% alcohol and the putty knife peels things right up. I was careful to save the ballast, which was a good idea, since it turned out I didn't have any new in that color.
Make sure your roadbed is level and smooth where the track will go, even if for a short distance.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
The secret ingredient?
It's a piece of flextrack just longer than the turnout needs to be. Determine where the point bridle will be and cut the ties in half up to there. I left some of the half-ties on the rails that diverge as this seemed to help support them temporarily.
Note the ease in forming smooth curves. I didn't calculate anything here, just examined it for a good flow from point to point.
Besides making smooth curved turnouts easy, there are other advantages. The flex holds the rails upright, firmly in position to easily spike and work on. You also know at least one end of your new turnout is in gauge. Those vital few ties next to the bridle can be good and strong. There's also a good place to solder feeders below track level. While I can see reasons to avoid the flex, it's a nice thing to have as you ease into building turnouts.
Note tie recycling from old Fast Tracks builds a gfriend slavaged for me. They are just a smidge higher than ME ties and can be leveled with a little sanding if need be. They are standard gauge so need some sizing for Hon3, but are easily clipped to size/
more
Start setting outer rail curvature to match ends
Finish staining the ties
Form and set points and frog assembly
Yeah, I hate instructions like that, too. They sound simple but cover lots of ground. Here that's building up the points and frog, the X-shaped part in the middle of the turnout that moves it's end enough to switch from one track to another. It's not quite as intuitive as the way the split flex track fell into place, but if you keep in mind a smooth flow between fixed points you'll do OK.
Getting the frog angle right is the tricky part here. I did OK on that, but then muffed the lead out of it on the diverging route; it needed more curve and less straightness. Since it was the diverging, low speed route, I went with it once I got things smoothed out. It's just the slightest of jogs as the wheels pass over it.
Locating the frog
The whole assembly is intended to drop in between the split rails of the flex track. The gauge helps locate it against the flex rails for initial spiking, with a goal of making the whole assembly in gauge and equidistant in relation to those outer rails.
Don't forget to tack a drop for your frog power as you finish this step
Install bridle
Actually, this is part of building the points and frog, so can be done anywhere in the step as you feel works best. I like to get the whole thing located well first in order to drill the hole for the throw wire accurately and arrange the ties that surround it. If you do it differently, you may have more flexibility in locating this hole in the roadbed. Just don't forget to do it with plenty of room for the throw wire if that method of throwing the points works for you.
Smooth the roadbed and ties directly under the points so they swing freely.
Spike the rails down using the gauge to keep that in check.
Roughly right
Looks good, but if something catches your eye recheck it. The ties are longish here , buit the turnout will once again be hidden from the most direct view by buildings so I didn't worry about it much here
First test roll through -- Yeah! It basically works
Note the guardrails, which help with sorting out the flow of wheels through the curved trackwork. Keep checking the flangeways as well as the gauge.
Once your locate spiking proves good, then go back and do the full spiking needed to hold things in place solidly.
A bigger test is operating motive power across. Especially with steam, try all of them in testing, as they differ enough to make it worth the extra effort to ensure reliable operation.
The small, springy piece of phosporbronze metal is used to clear debris from under the points
The ballast recycled from earlier goes back in place.
Once everything is tidied up, things look much better.
I'm still testing, because there are lots of different combinations of power and rolling stock to run through it, but things work well. The points are controlled by a converted household 3-way power switch that mounts underneath the points,which allows the polarity of the frog to change as the points are thrown via a control rod and knob on the fascia.
Much more pleasing "flow" to the track through that area now - Nicely done,Mike!
Thanks, Michael.
Mike:
Very interesting and educational tutorial! Well done.
I do have one question (I may have missed this in your tutorial). Were did the point rails/frog assembly come from? Did you make that too?
Thanks,
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterWere did the point rails/frog assembly come from? Did you make that too? Thanks,
Dave,
Yes I did. If someone's eye is not quite up to freehanding it, a pencil rubbing of the outside rails could serve as an outline to mock it up on. Then you drop it in and adjust until satisfactory, then start spiking oit down while checking the gauge and for rolling stock to run through it cleanly.
I think the point rail/frog assembly is quite impressive (actually the whole project is). I take it then that the point rails are flexing from side to side and there are no hinges like there are in a commercial turnout?
I'd be really curious to know exactly how you built the point/frog assembly.
hon30critterI'd be really curious to know exactly how you built the point/frog assembly.
I would've taken more pics, but I was busy building.
Roughly, this is what I did.
Made frog point and soldered it together from underneath by filing two rails and forming them to curve.
Shaped, filed, and formed the two points. Each has a heel that forms the guardrail for one side of the frog.
The points are soldered to the frog quick and carefully so it doesn't desolder. Again, this is done upside down on the bottom of assembly to conceal the work. The spacing provided by the bottom of the rails butting against each other make a suitable flangeway between the guardrail and the frog.
I also notched or ground off the base of the rail on the inside of it where the points contacted the stock rails so they would provide a smoother path for the wheels.
Other than where things are soldered, I use spikes to hold things together. I prefer the Walthers/Shinohara code 70 spikes. The points have a few spikes near the frog, but the code 70 nickel-silver rail flexes easily when the bridle moves their tips.
I make my bridles from the PCB material used as ties in building up presoldered turnout assemblies. The copper on top of it needs ground off where it will contact the underside of the rail and cause a short. There needs to be a hole drilled in the bridle for the turnout throw wire if you use that. The points are soldered to the copper on top of the PCB material with silver solder.
There are a few tricks to lining things up, but I think the basics of trackwork are mystified more than necessary. It's basically coming up with a pair of parallel lines. That's why I found the flex track to be so useful because it makes getting the parallel rails set-up easy and then you can proceed to the rest of the turnout.
My layout is still under construction,but I imagine the time will come when a fix like this will be needed - this looks like a great option.
What type of solder do you use on this? If/when you build another,please take some photo's(or even a video)of the points/frog assembly - I'm one of those blockheads who definitely needs visual aids.
Mike
middlemanWhat type of solder do you use on this?
Mike,
I used Radio Shack # 64-101, which is 62/36/2 Rosin-Core, .022" diameter silver-bearing solder. Almost any silver-bearing solder should work well for track, as the silver provides an alloy that makes a joint with more strength than typical solders without it. It's not expensive, so I tend to use it on everything around here, but it works well for track and any application that might require more than simply reliable electric contact.
I'll try to get some detail pics later and post here. I do have one more turnout that may get this upgrade, so may get a chance to take pics then, too.
Great work...now about those narrow gauge signals....
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
mlehmanMade frog point and soldered it together from underneath by filing two rails and forming them to curve. Shaped, filed, and formed the two points. Each has a heel that forms the guardrail for one side of the frog.
The simplicity of your design is amazing. I was imagining all sorts of bits having to be soldered together but in reality it is only four pieces of track. Very creative.
Thanks.
I agree the flow is so much better! A fun read, and nice pics.
-E-C-Mills I agree the flow is so much better! A fun read, and nice pics.
Eric,
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Here are some detail pics. An overhead view.
The frog - note how I made the diverging route straight for a short section, when I should've curved it. Would do better if redone, but since it works, why mess with success?
The points - Normal position
The points -- Reverse/Thrown
There's some tidying up regarding appearance I can do, but the turnout works well at this point.
trainnut1250 Mike, Great work...now about those narrow gauge signals.... Guy
Guy,
All about the signals...
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/253256.aspx
hon30critterThe simplicity of your design is amazing. I was imagining all sorts of bits having to be soldered together but in reality it is only four pieces of track. Very creative.
Simple is strong and easy to replicate.
Really awesome job.