Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
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Congratulations on scratchbuilding your first turnout! Further examples will only become easier as you get more practice.
One thing to think about is that handlaying allows you to replicate the closer tie spacing under the frog that is typical at least in North American practice. Of the commerically available products, only Central Valley and Proto 87 Stores make any attampt to model this closer spacing. Once you know it's there, the absence of it on other turnouts becomes more obvious.
Rob Spangler
Graffen Hi
Turnout looks great. I also have a question, On a hand laid turnout is there any wheel drop as the car or loco moves through it? Most of the Atlas turnouts, HO, code 100 do have a wheel drop or rocking motion to the cars as they move through.
Have a good day.
Lee
That is way better than my first attempt. I've since built about twenty five turnouts but that one is super.
Thanx
Bob
Nice job, first attempt or not! As others have mentioned, each new turnout gets a little bit easier and quicker to do. You'll also find little tricks that you haven't thought of yet. I like to make small undercuts in the point and stock rails where they fit against each other over the PC ties so that any solder wicking under the rails does not interfere with the mating of the point rail to the stock rail. This inteference can be filed away but I find its quicker to make the undercuts and not worry about the solder. Since I use Caboose Industries ground throws to operate my turnouts, I also use PC ties for the long ties either side of the throw bar tie. That way I don't have to rely on glue to hold these ties in place. I originally cut my rail gaps using an Atlas razor saw but found that rail expansion during hot days can close these narrow gaps (it can get hot in SoCal). Thus, I started using a miniature hack saw from Harbor Freight Tools to cut these gaps on all successive turnouts.
Having purchased PC ties and a point filing tool from Fast Tracks, I also received their full catalog which includes printed templates for each number and turnout type. I made my own assembly jig by gluing the printout of the #6 turnouts to a piece of 1/2" plywood and carefully measuring and cutting shallow grooves across the PC tie locations. Now I simply place PC ties into the grooves and lay out the rails per the template printout. When all the soldering is complete, I flip the turnout over and tape it over the opposite direction turnout template to use while applying the wood or styrene ties.
One wierd trick I found was that I get better PC tie cutoffs when I use my Xuron rail cutter opposite to how its supposed to be used. If you cut a tie with the flush side of the cutters facing the portion of the tie you want to keep (the same way you would cut rail), the cutters cause pretty significant burrs in both the top and bottom copper foils of the tie which you have to file down smooth. But, if you cut the tie with the waste side of the cutters facing the portion of the tie you want to keep, you get just as clean a cut and no burrs!
Hornblower
Beautiful!
I remember my first hand-built turnout - it worked, but it sure wasn't pretty! I've built hundreds since, and still don't have many that look as good as yours.
Well done.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Nice job, Graffen. It is obvious to me that you are a craftsman.
Crandell
yankee flyer On a hand laid turnout is there any wheel drop as the car or loco moves through it? Most of the Atlas turnouts, HO, code 100 do have a wheel drop or rocking motion to the cars as they move through.
in tony koester's article, "Building a turnout from Scratch", he completely fills the gaps between the rails of the frog with solder and uses a hacksaw blade to recut the gaps. the depth of the gap can be made as deep/shallow as desired. as the wheel crosses the gap, it rides on the flange instead of the wheel
greg
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
That is exactly how I build mine. I took an old hack saw blade and broke off the last inch where it clamps onto the saw frame. They never wear out the teeth there. It's only and inch long but it really gets into where you need and only take it down enough to clear the NMRA gauge.
see ya
If the wheels are in gauge and the turnout is, then the flanges should never roll on the flangeways. The wheel tread should pick up the opposite side of the frog before it leaves the initial side. Code 88 wheels are a compromise, not Proto standard width but narrower than RP25 wheels. Proto width wheels won;t work reliably in trackwork gauged to RP25 standards, and the Code 88 wheels are a bit picky but usually work. Of course, RP25 wheels won;t work in Proto trackwork either.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I would like to try that. Were did you get the template from and how much did the rail cost?
Bill
For a first attempt, that is pretty darn good! Looks like you've already been doing this for awhile. I can't wait to see what your tracks will look like once you've put more laying under your belt. Are there specific guides/instructions you used? Because they seem to have served you well.
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GraffenThanks! :-)The joy of making them is priceless though.....
That's so true Graffen! I especially like to watch the faces of my modeling friends as they closely examine a finished turnout (or any of the various models I have scratch built or kitbashed for my layout) and just shake their heads in disbelief. Kind of makes you stand a little taller.