Free-moN Staging Yard - 16"x10'

[davefoxx]

I apologize if this has already been discussed, but I believe that the problem of the point rail opposite the turnout throw sticking up is caused, for the most part, by cutting off the small bracket-looking piece of plastic that connects the head ties and is parallel to the stock rails.  It holds the throw bar down.  If you cut it off with the extended throwbar, there's nothing left to hold the throwbar down properly.

DFF

[M.C. Fujiwara]

That's what I initially thought, too.

But, for this yard I had to cut off the plastic cross-beam over the throwbar (wouldn't fit in the ladder).
Also, I left the crossbeam clip on the opposite side (where I had been using a temp Caboose groundthrow) and, when I popped the Caboose ground throw off to install the Bullfrog, the point rail would still rise up.

Not as much as without, but enough to bump.

As it takes a minute total to install a shim on each side of the turnout... why not?

The Bullfrogs work great so far on the shimmed turnouts.

The only drawback I can see is that they're white and I should have painted them before installing, given they're around the "no spray" zone.
But then I should have painted under the turnouts before I installed them, too.
But that's what I get for being in a hurry to finish for a show at the time.
Just means more time with a microbrush later 

[Coxy]

Plastruct styrene is dark grey. It could solve the cosmetic problem. Do they make the thickness you need?

[davefoxx]

That's what I initially thought, too.

But, for this yard I had to cut off the plastic cross-beam over the throwbar (wouldn't fit in the ladder).
Also, I left the crossbeam clip on the opposite side (where I had been using a temp Caboose groundthrow) and, when I popped the Caboose ground throw off to install the Bullfrog, the point rail would still rise up.

Not as much as without, but enough to bump.

I think removing the one plastic cross-beam over the throwbar is actually allowing both point rails to rise up.  The far one just not as much, because the cross-beam that still exists on that side and/or the ground throw.  But, if you can fix it with a shim, like you wrote, "Why not?"

DFF

[Zox]

Plastruct styrene is dark grey. It could solve the cosmetic problem. Do they make the thickness you need?

Technically, Plastruct styrene is white. Plastruct ABS is dark gray. Plastruct does have ABS strips available in the necessary 0.020" thickness, but nothing narrower than 1/8" (0.125"), so some additional cutting would be needed.

It's probably easier just to paint the styrene...

[DKS]

Evergreen sells black styrene. It would be a better starting point than white, as normal wear and tear will reveal the white under the paint.

http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/Sheets.htm#Black Sheets

You'd have to cut strips by hand, but I think that's worth the effort.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Thanks for the styrene suggestions!
Will look into it all.

Finished installing all 4 shelves and most of the Bullfrogs on one section of the yard:
 




The mainline turnouts are centered between bottom of shelf and bottom of module.
 Yard turnouts knobs are raised or lowered 1/4" depending if throwing a near or far turnout.
 I might notch the knob to indicate direction of diverging route, but I'll wait to see if it's necessary when we use the yard at a show next month.
 
One of the knobs is not under the shelves:
 


But still protected.
 
I've been playing around with the control rod supports on the Bullfrogs.
 If the Bullfrog is in the middle of the module, then no Tadpole or other support is needed.
 But some are on one side or the other, so I built some with the control tube support mounted on the Bullfrog.
 Seems to work fine unless very very close to the side, then the threaded z-bend tends to scrape a bit as the motion carries it down as it goes around.
 Here you can see some distances:
 


Overall, the red tube is enough for good operations.
 
I really like the Bullfrogs, except for the 1 1/8" travel distance.
 The only other issue I can see that might come up is the lateral movement of throwing the turnouts rocks the module a little side to side, but I'm guessing when both yard sections are joined with the smaller curved insert, and connected to other modules the movement won't be too bad.
 
Time to build more Bullfrogs!
 Thanks for looking.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Finished most of the Bullfrogs on one staging yard section, so started in on the other (the one with the cans on it):
 


I've left the shelves off the UTP side as I've found it's a whole lot easier to install spacers and Bullfrogs when it's tipped up on the workbench, rather than trying to screw up (done enough of that)(and probably will again).
 
Speaking of which, for some reason I could not get the screw to hold one spacer flush while the woodglue dried, so in the end I just ended up taping it in place:
 


Worked like a charm.
 A sticky blue charm.
 
In that photo you can also see my sophisticated and hi-tech method of bundling & securing the wires up & out of the way from the Bullfrogs.
 Same sticky blue charm.
 
The reason I had the partially-finished Bullfrog section up is because I laid the track and turnouts for the diesel engine service area (under the cans) and, since I had the chop saw out while making a pair of detachable extensions, I went ahead and cut slots to make this section's legs slip-on-able:
 


I just cut straight from the top of the panel down to the holes I'd already drilled for the bolts.
 If anyone is making a module, I strongly recommend making your legs slip on.
 It's, like, totally 20 KABILLION times easier and faster to put the legs on (can even do it one handed).
 
Also had to cut out more of the wire channel because flipping the legs around to the other side of the cross-support threw off my aim.
 When I first made the legs, I used a router to smooth the edges of the channel, but this time was too lazy to get the router out and went with the more direct route of a curved file.
 If anyone is making a module, I strongly recommend rounded and smoothing any areas on which wires will rub, as a sharp edge with tear the wires to shreds over time.
 
So here's the overview of the second section of the staging yard module (though technically both are modules with standardized endplates on both ends):
 


The two long tracks at the upper right are the diesel engine service.
 The one on the far left will double as a programming track (will hook up a DPDT in the fascia that will flip it between the main bus and a short section of bus-ish wire with powerpole connectors that can hook up with the portable PowerCab Panel / Booster I'm building in a toolbox).
 The short track between the engine service and the main is the fuel / sand supply track.
 
I used two ME #6 turnouts for the diesel service.
 Why?
 LHS was out of Atlas #7s, and I wanted to try ME (first time).
 Free-moN standards allow down to #6, so it's all good.
 I popped out the spring underneath to allow easier movement for the Bullfrogs.
 And, like Adam (Steamdonkey74) said earlier (or maybe on a different thread), it's a PITA to solder the green wire to that little disc under the frog.
 Hope it holds.
 
The grey rectanglish shape on the far left is the Machine Shop base, whose track might also double as a programming track so there can be one on each side.
 Both programming tracks will be long enough for at least 2 Big Long Locos for consisting.
 
Tasks this week:
 --Fix / replace 1 turnout I butchered while experimenting on ways to improve it
 --Finish installing all Bullfrogs
 --Finish wireing up all Bullfrogs
 --Hook up some juice and run some trains to find out the bumps before the group run on June 10th
 --Start to figure out how to build the 8" pit turntable
 
But things are moving again.
 Thanks for looking.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Turnout Trials & Tribulations!
 
But first, I wired up the outer diesel engine service track to this nifty DPDT On-Off-On toggle (rated at 20amps):
 


that will allow that track to become a programming track when hooked up to the portable Powercab panel toolbox I hope to build this weekend at our group build party.
 
So I totally butchered a turnout experimenting with different ways to "fix" it.
 ('Nam flashback: "We had to destroy the village in order to save it.")
 So I needed to install a new one.
 (No, really, it was ugly)
 
As I had already soldered everything together, I just used the Dedeco thin disc in the Dremel and cut it close to the original joint:
 


After filing & fitting & filing to get a close fit, I slipped some HO PC board ties under the new joints, laid down some caulk and then slipped the new turnout into place & soldered:
 




Turned out rather well!
 And now I know what NOT to do to an Atlas C55 turnout: namely, don't try to cut the point rail throwbar clips as the point rails twist as soon as you breath close to them, and soldering doesn't work very well.
 Must be the kryptonite in the rails.
 
So a key Atlas C55 is back in business & works great with the Bullfrog.
 Think the turnout troubles are over?
 Heck no.
 
[cont.]

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Soooooo, after fixing one turnout, I tried installing Bullfrogs on the two ME C55 #6 turnouts I used for the diesel service (and which, if you remember, I installed yesterday).
 
Well, the hole in the throwbar is a bit smaller than the Bullfrog wire (which fits the Atlas just fine), and so I thought I'd just ream it out a little.
 
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAHA
 
Snap:
 


No matter how careful I was, either in reaming or in inserting the rod, the throwbar snapped off.
 
Luckily, the ME turnouts are much sturdier (in general) than the Atlas one and the point rails don't have those clips.
 So I popped the throw bar off and slipped an HO PC board tie under there:
 


There are tiny bumps under the ME point rails, so, after soldering, in order to keep the points down below the stock rails, I had to slip a small strip of styrene on top of both sides of the PC board throw bar and under the stockrails.
 Turns out 0.02" styrene is a smidge thick, so I filed it with a couple of passes and it fit real purdy.
 
For the other ME C55 turnout, I took the point rails out of their seats (which look remarkably like rail joiners) and filed off the little bumps. The PC board tie then sat too far below, so I propped it with slightly filed 0.02" styrene:
 


Turns out that this actually makes the throwing action a little stiff, so I might drop it a little tomorrow (put the throwbar on the ground) or trim the plastic ties next to it, as I think that might be pinching a bit.
 
So lots of frustration and swearing today, mostly aimed at myself.
 But in the end, it all turned out:
 


Tomorrow: wiring up the underworld.
 
Thanks for looking.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Though sometimes I find all this yard work pointless:
 

[S Class]

Turned out rather well!
 And now I know what NOT to do to an Atlas C55 turnout: namely, don't try to cut the point rail throwbar clips as the point rails twist as soon as you breath close to them, and soldering doesn't work very well.
 Must be the kryptonite in the rails.

I was planning on replacing the crappy stock throw bar with some PC board, do you recommend against this given the twistability of the stock turnout?

[M.C. Fujiwara]

I think the less you touch the Atlas C55 point rails and throwbar the better.
They twist all over and are very difficult to solder (though if you do, leave the clips uncut to create more surface area for the solder)
The "floppiness" actually helps with some flexible give while using the Bullfrog, though you still need to slip those slivers of styrene in the throwbar channels to keep the points down.

The ME C55 turnouts were much easier to solder & fix (after I accidentally snapped the throwbar off), and the "railjoiner" hinges work much better than the Atlas pin hinges.

So if the Atlas turnout ain't broke, then don't "fix" it

(Though I'm sure some others with madder modeling skillz than I can do it)

[M.C. Fujiwara]

So I think I'm getting closer to figuring out these manufacturers' turnouts (and definitely going back to handlaying after this project).

For the Altas C55, just slipping in the shims helps keep the point rails from popping up, no matter what method of turnout control you use.
 For the ME C55 #6s, my "fixes" are to repair my own bungling in snapping off the throwbars by accident.
 The holes in the ME throwbars are smaller than the Atlas, but I've found a slight filing / grinding of the wire takes it down enough to slide through just fine.
 
Easily distracted, I tend to make a lot of "D'oh!" mistakes, like installing one Bullfrog close the cross-support before inserting the z-bend connector:
 


No biggie, as I just unscrewed the Bullfrog, inserted the z-bend, then re-attached the Bullfrog.
 But I tend to do a lot of forehead-slapping moves like that.
 And if you can't laugh at yourself...
 
By the way, you can see the support for the red control rod sheath still attached to the Bullfrog on the left.
 Those are totally unnecessary on this module: just having the red sheath can work fine for the 11" max on this module, and the structure gets in the way when using the z-bend and using both sides, so I just chop it off.
 
After a lovely day yesterday with a Silicon Valley Free-moN group work session, I got one yard section totally wired up and ready to roll.
 Came back home, hooked up the small sceniced extension and the DCC, and ran some trains:
 




Except for the rear "2" on my 2-10-2 slipping off the point rails when backing up over ONE turnout coming from the diverging route (need to check the gauge & inspect the rails), all the trains ran fine over all the trackwork.
 
Today will be installing the shelves and control rods on the on the opposite side (now that everything underneath works fine, don't need to prop it up on the workbench), and then hooking up all the wiring on the other yard section.
 
Should have a fine & operational staging yard with powered frogs and turnout control for the setup at the Coast Division meet June 10th.
 Thanks for looking.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Finally got all the track wired up, as well as all the Bullfrog turnout controls installed and wired, which means it's time to run some trains!
 
While the yard sections and insert make a 10' double-ended yard module, since I made each section with Free-moN standard endplates, I can split the yard and create two stub-ended yards:
 




So I sandwiched my Sonoma Shoo-fly, added some detachable extensions to the stubs to create some runarounds, and so was able to run some long(er)(ish) trains through.
 Enjoy the (short) video, featuring my new 2-10-2 (which will shortly have sound installed, I hope):
 

Thanks for looking.