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Special Switch (Turnout) needed?
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<p>I would like to interject an opinion about building your own turnouts. At first glance the cost of a handlaid turnout is cheaper than that of a pre-made one. But if you remember to pay yourself for your work and there is a commercial offering for the item needed, it seems to me that the cost in time exceeds the monetary cost saved. For instance, I need a #6 turnout. I would expect to spend 1-2 hrs building the turnout in place, plus an additional half hour testing it to make sure it works properly. Material cost: $15 give or take, time cost 2.5hr. Assuming that my time is what my day job pays me (we'll use $20/hr for simplicity of math), that single turnout now costs $65. Or I could have purchased a Peco code 83 #6 for $29. If I found that the enjoyment received from making my own turnout from scratch was worth that sort of time and effort, or if I thought it would take less time, then I would likely have a different opinion. </p> <p>That having been said, I plan to hand lay track on the remainder of my home layout, with the exception of turnouts, because I have found handlaying to be enjoyable. </p> <p>The flip side is if there is not a commercial product available, building in place is the only way. </p>
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