What do you use for hand laying turnouts?

[Repairman87]

What brand names do you use for hand laying turnouts? Think I am going to take a shot at laying some of my own track. They make switch parts that are DCC friendly to start with?

[Big_Boy_4005]

The only materials I've ever used to hand lay switches are ties, rail, and spikes, all commonly available. Tools required are an NMRA gauge, spiking pliers, and something for cutting and grinding the rail, usually a Dremel. A circuit board tie for a throwbar is often used, and a little solder is used to hold the points and the point of the frog toghther.

If your goal is to have energized frogs, then you'll need a set of electrical contacts to change the polarity when you throw the switch. Those are added when you done with the rail work of course.

[Don Gibson]

I can wholheartedly recommend the BK turnout kits from TROUT CREEK ENGINEERING. They are spiked in place using an NMRA guage, and vitually eliminate deraiments.

The kit's come assemled or not, and are laid on real wood ties.
#4's - #12's (Codes 100 - 82 - 50 - 40).-Specify DC or DCC (isolated frog.

http://www.troutcreekeng.com

[cmrproducts]

I use only the PC board ties and usually make special curved turnouts for my layout. Clover House is where I purchased the PC board ties and they also have the stained wood ties to put in between the PC ties.

BOB H Clarion, PA

[dinwitty]

I have built handlaid turnouts in place where the track is meant to be.

Spikes, Ties, needlenose pliers, (2) a good clampdown vise,
and a good metal file.

Never really used a dremal, it can heat up the metal and bend not the way you want and a bit dangerous with cutoff wheels.

Filing lets me get the rail exactly the way I want.

My process is...

lay down the 2 outer rails, main and turn, mark the point locations, and file in where the points will be allowing a slight notch in the rail where the points will meet.

Spike down the rail in base locations so you can easily slip the rails out to work them.

Using one rail to make the frog, I file an angle for the point.
The I edge file in where I will make another rail angle filed to meet with the original frog rail.
Using the frog-rail, and NMRA gauge, I can locate where the frog-point meets and spike it down.
The I lay in the angled rail for the curve and spike it in.

The switch points start from stock rail,
I file top rail in to inner rail width, then I file the backside smooth.
I spike one point in and gauge it to near the frog, then with the NMRA gauge, using the guardrail gauge, I find the point in the curve where the gauge hits the straight (on the curve)
I mark it and use 2 needlenose pliers and bend them to the curve.
I make the other points the same using the same strategy.
This makes the wingrails on the frog.
see next reply for more

[dinwitty]

bend a couple of short rails for guard rails and spike in place.

PC ties allow for building remotely and spike in place later.

just need soldering iron handy with solder and soldering paste.

I could write s full article how to do all this.