Handlaid Turnout Update

[mmagliaro]

...

Speaking of filing the guard rails...

I saw this and tried it on two #5's near my roundhouse.   Long steam HATES trying to go through the
curved diverging route of a #5 (which is why I only used #7's or larger... except for this one spot).

Filing that chamfer on the guard rail is wonderful.  The pilot wheels and front driver get gently nudged over and some
troublesome ones stopped trying to climb over the guard rail.  (And this was just on a stock Atlas c55 #5).

Thank you for a terrific idea.

[jdcolombo]

Interesting reading! I always love to see how other people build their turnouts. Many different ways to accomplish the same outcome. I guess I'm old school, I still use wood ties and spikes and lay the turnouts to however the track flows. Here's a pic of a curved #12 on my layout  http://www.owensvalleysub.com/Maypics/layout%20(391).JPG

Mike

That is one very nice looking turnout!

John C.

[timgill]

3.  One thing that would be helpful is some kind of jig to solder a frog point at the correct angle.

Here's what I built:



It's a piece of MDF board with the appropriate frog angles drawn on, and fender washers and wingnuts to hold the rail in place for soldering.



You can make a pretty accurate frog. That is a #6, also drew lines on for a #4. As long as you line up the rail on the lines, it's pretty much a no-brainer for soldering a perfect frog.

[robert3985]

Hmmmmm....I'm attempting to see a difference between what you're doing and simply laying out the turnouts on printable templates...like these:


When I first started out making turnouts almost three decades ago, I made a #6 jig that positioned the rails exactly in place using a precisely cut and notched wedge, guide blocks, screws, washers etc., etc., but found after a few turnouts, that simply laying them out on paper templates was just as accurate, using progressively soldered rails-to-PCB-ties as my "clamps" and the template's rails as references.

Now, my precisely made jig sits unused and unwanted in my drawer full-O-stuff that I don't/won't use any more.

[engineshop]

... Now, my precisely made jig sits unused and unwanted in my drawer full-O-stuff that I don't/won't use any more.

I think those jig are very important to get somebody into self-made switches. I would never thought of building my own until I found Fast Tracks. I look at those jigs like the big brother that shows you all the tricks. And now I have made my first curved crossing track using just the print on paper method.

[DKS]

Jigs are great for beginners to get their feet wet, and for veterans who need to crank them out by the dozen. And templates are good guides for precise turnouts laid in place. However... I found after a while that jigs and templates can be restrictive at times. So I got to the point where I didn't bother with anything but two lines on the roadbed showing the (approximate) track centers. After securing the ties to the roadbed, I'd position the stock rails so that the routes flowed naturally, solder them in place, then use a track gauge to determine where the rest of the rails would go, allowing the turnout to grow organically in situ. Did a few curved HO turnouts that way at a club many moons ago, and enjoyed watching the jaws drop.

[davefoxx]

Did a few curved HO turnouts that way at a club many moons ago, and enjoyed watching the jaws drop.

DKS,

Just curious.  Do you ever grow tired of making people's jaws drop? 

DFF

[unittrain]

Man I want to replace my turnouts now! these are awesome and make me want to try some handlaid track.

[havingfuntoo]

I am enjoying this subject, lots of good conversation and interesting ideas, great photos and feed back from the participants, well done to all involved. It is very inspirational.

[jdcolombo]

I probably would never have tried handlaying turnouts but for the Fast Tracks jig and tools.  I would never have tried building a #4 on just a template if it hadn't been for the experience gained with the jig.  Perhaps someday I'll do what David does, which is just lay one in place as needed.  But I don't think I would have gotten this far without the initial jigs/tools.   So I agree that this is a great way for a beginner to "break in" to doing this, and if you get to the point you don't need them at all any more, I'm sure there would be a market for resale.

It IS too bad that there isn't a "lending library" system, because I think that you could borrow the jigs and tools for 30 days, learn the techniques, and then either decide to buy them or decide it's doable without.  I'd have paid $50 to borrow the tools for a month (amount creditable to a purchase); I probably would have bought at least some of the tools anyway, and I suspect that this would generate more sales in the long run.

John C.

[engineshop]

John
Go to the Fast Tracks Forum page. Maybe somebody will "rent out" his jig in your scale and switch size.

[Philip H]

There is a fairly regular resale market for these jigs on eBay. Sadly for me, they seem to be selling for close to original retail.

[robert3985]

Jigs are great for beginners to get their feet wet, and for veterans who need to crank them out by the dozen. And templates are good guides for precise turnouts laid in place. However... I found after a while that jigs and templates can be restrictive at times. So I got to the point where I didn't bother with anything but two lines on the roadbed showing the (approximate) track centers. After securing the ties to the roadbed, I'd position the stock rails so that the routes flowed naturally, solder them in place, then use a track gauge to determine where the rest of the rails would go, allowing the turnout to grow organically in situ. Did a few curved HO turnouts that way at a club many moons ago, and enjoyed watching the jaws drop.

Yup.  Goes to show that when you know the principles of a smooth-running turnout, you can build 'em just about any way you choose.  It's not rocket science, but there are certain rules that must be adhered to for your engines and rolling stock to get through reliably every time.

I also enjoy watching the light bulbs go on over the heads of those who attend my turnout building clinics...and watching the anxiety go away at the same time.

I have only one thing against jigs and fixtures...their price, and the object of my posts is to show that they are not necessary.   However, it's pretty obvious that in many cases, the availability of Fast Tracks jigs and fixtures has encouraged neophyte turnout builders to give it a try...and discover it's not all that difficult...which is a good thing.

However, if I had to rely on jigs and fixtures for making all of my turnouts, I would need them for #4 Wyes, #6 Wyes, #6's, #7's, #8's, #9's, #10's, #12's, several large radius curved turnouts and one 3-way along with #6's, #8's and #10's in code 40.  This doesn't count all the code 70 N-scale turnouts I made for three Ntrak modules way back when.  That's around $4,000 worth of jigs and fixtures...which is ridiculous. Get jigs and fixtures for the one (1) most common turnout on your layout...learn to make 'em, then use paper templates for the rest...or grow 'em organically like DKS.

Even though growing turnouts organically (haha) is okay, those of us who are also interested in building turnouts as models of our chosen road's turnouts in miniature will want to have some restrictions, such as tie placement and spacing, tie lengths, guardrail types and lengths, headblock placement, closure point lengths, etc., so precision templates (kind of like jigs and fixtures except the templates are FREE) which show us some of these things, are invaluable...even though they are are restrictive if followed precisely...which is what we want as modelers desiring prototypical configurations and details in our turnouts.

Before precise printable templates were available, I scanned and printed out the centerfold of the 1994 September/October edition of N-Scale magazine, which had #6, #7, #8, #10, #11 and #20 "curved split switches" reproduced in 1/160th scale from the Engineering and Maintenance of Way Cyclopedia, with all the prototype measurements specifically shown both graphically and on a table for me to look at and build my turnouts as closely to as was practical.

What these diagrams showed me was that the templates I'd been using that were NMRA standards were way off as far as prototype configurations were concerned, especially in the frog/guardrail/wingrail area and the length of the closure points.  N-scale NMRA standard turnouts look a lot like narrow gauge HO scale turnouts because of these out-of-proportion (too big) elements.  That was the last thing I wanted them to look like on my N-scale Union Pacific mainlines.  I found I could make mine look a lot bigger (more prototypical) by shrinking down the length of those NMRA Standard elements, without influencing reliability in the least, since all my clearances were still NMRA Standards, although "tight".

That's the beauty of making your own.  You can make 'em basic, prototypically correct, or somewhere in-between.  You're not limited to what some manufacturer thinks you should want.

I find this thread extremely interesting and an invaluable resource for somebody thinking about getting started building their own turnouts.  The postings illustrate extremely well by word, drawing and photo different philosophies and methods so that the newbie can pick and choose...and get started.

It would have been nice thirty years ago to have had the same resource available.

[SebastianLee]

It IS too bad that there isn't a "lending library" system, because I think that you could borrow the jigs and tools for 30 days, learn the techniques, and then either decide to buy them or decide it's doable without.  I'd have paid $50 to borrow the tools for a month (amount creditable to a purchase); I probably would have bought at least some of the tools anyway, and I suspect that this would generate more sales in the long run.

John C.

 I've thought about doing something like this, but unfortunately with the level of fraud over the internet it seems too risky for me.  I'm not sure enough people would be willing to provide a  copy of their drivers license &  deposit to make it worthwhile.   I  could see it possibly working in a large metro area if a local shop would be willing to try it,  and offer  raw components  and classes.

[Bruce Bird]

Jigs are great for beginners to get their feet wet, and for veterans who need to crank them out by the dozen. And templates are good guides for precise turnouts laid in place. However... I found after a while that jigs and templates can be restrictive at times. So I got to the point where I didn't bother with anything but two lines on the roadbed showing the (approximate) track centers. After securing the ties to the roadbed, I'd position the stock rails so that the routes flowed naturally, solder them in place, then use a track gauge to determine where the rest of the rails would go, allowing the turnout to grow organically in situ. Did a few curved HO turnouts that way at a club many moons ago, and enjoyed watching the jaws drop.

Ditto to what David said.  I started out that way and it didn't take long to pick up.