Handlaid Turnout Update

[bdennis]

OK so here is my first go at building one using the fastracks jig. The point area / throw bar needs more work on the next one.. But all up im happy with it.


BTW.. Can we add this thread to the "Best of Railwire" folder.. As it holds lots of great info.

[jdcolombo]

Looking very good!  Is that a #8?

John C.

[bdennis]

John,
Thanks for that. The turnout is a #6 built on the fastracks jig.

[robert3985]

OK so here is my first go at building one using the fastracks jig. The point area / throw bar needs more work on the next one.. But all up im happy with it.

Congratulations on taking the plunge!!  Like most of us find out who roll our own, when we first start out, it takes a couple or four turnouts to get 'em both functional and cosmetically like we want 'em.  The Fast Tracks jigs makes it easier.

You're correct about your closure points and headblock area...the toes of the closure points need to ride on both headblock PCB ties on either side of your throwbar.  Make sure you dress the corners of your PCB ties with a file as they often have burrs where they've been cut.  Where the closure points slide on these as the throwbar goes back and forth should be smooth and burr-free.

I don't know where Fast Tracks tells you to add PCB ties, but usually a few more is good insurance and areas of precision and/or stress should have a few more than Fast Tracks calls for, which means in the frog/guardrail area and two headblock PCB ties and shorter ties on either side of the headblock ties.  I also pre-plan where my gaps are going to be and make sure I've got at least two PCB ties on either side of my gaps. Nowadays the gaps are cut to make the frog as small as I can...where on the prototype there'd be rail joiners bolted to it. Okay, I over-build my turnouts, but I'd rather make 'em so they don't break...especially after they're installed, painted, ballasted and weathered.

Anyways, welcome to the club!

[bdennis]

Bob,
Thanks for the tips. Im about to make #2...
So will see how I go..

[C855B]

Bob,
Thanks for the tips. Im about to make #2...
So will see how I go..

A #2? They have a template for that? Are you doing trolley trackage or something?

[bdennis]

Mike,
Oopps.. Typo.. A #6 that should read..  (I cant edit it now)
Thanks for pointing that out.


Here is my second attempt.. This one is much better.
Im much happier with the frog points and also the points against the closure rails..

[jdcolombo]

You seem to be on the same road I took.  With the jig, my first turnout was passable and worked, but not as finely done as I'd like.  The second was much better, and by the third, I had the groove.  Plus now that you can see how the overall construction works, you'll be able to work off a template, too.

John C.

[jagged ben]

Here is my second attempt.. This one is much better.
Im much happier with the frog points and also the points against the closure rails..

Maybe it's just the camera lens, but the stock rail on the straight route looks at little bent in towards the middle.  This is what happens when you don't adequately pre-bend a good curve in the the stock rail for the diverging route.  An unbent diverging-route stock rail tries to straighten itself out and pulls the whole turnout in that direction.    The turnout may still function fine this way (and I believe I've seen some prototype turnouts that for whatever reasons look similar after a lot of use), but if you want the normal route to be nice and straight it's something you must pay attention to.  The problem is more severe with the smaller number turnouts.

This step is included in the Fast Tracks tutorials but it's easy to overlook.  If you don't know what I mean just look carefully through the videos for the stock rail installation.

If it's just the camera lens, then sorry.   

[Kisatchie]

....the stock rail on the straight route looks at little bent in towards the middle.  This is what happens when you don't adequately pre-bend a good curve in the the stock rail for the diverging route.

Aww Lawdy, I know I'm never gonna build my own turnouts now!


Hmm... Kiz is a drama
queen...

[bdennis]

Maybe it's just the camera lens, but the stock rail on the straight route looks at little bent in towards the middle.  This is what happens when you don't adequately pre-bend a good curve in the the stock rail for the diverging route.  An unbent diverging-route stock rail tries to straighten itself out and pulls the whole turnout in that direction.    The turnout may still function fine this way (and I believe I've seen some prototype turnouts that for whatever reasons look similar after a lot of use), but if you want the normal route to be nice and straight it's something you must pay attention to.  The problem is more severe with the smaller number turnouts.
This step is included in the Fast Tracks tutorials but it's easy to overlook.  If you don't know what I mean just look carefully through the videos for the stock rail installation.
If it's just the camera lens, then sorry.   

Jagged Ben,
Thanks for that.
Im sitting here with the turnout in my hand with a file just tinkering with it and had also found / seen the slight bend in the turnout on the straight route.. Yes there is a slight bend and no is it not the camera. I am aware of the info in the instruction video's. For test build number 3 I will make sure I add more of a bend on the diverge route stock rail to stop this from happening. It is definately a good issue to point out for new commers to rolling your own..

I have also since take a bit more meat off the bottom part / webing of the switch point rails up to the point where they are soldered to the tie near the frog to reduce the pressure needed to bend the rail when the turnout is thrown..

Next tme before I build I will reduce both sides of the switch point rail down to just the rail head width to enable bening more easily when the turnout is thrown.

Thanks again for the tip..

Regards
Brendan

[Gen]

For anyone interested, I'll post this one last time.



It's a better way.  But until someone else tries it, that's doesn't matter much.

Jason

This thread is interesting reading. My layout includes only one #8 and the rest #6's. Admittedly, the webbing on the frog point for the #8 comes almost to the point. It is a curved #8, and it appears I got lucky when I had to file the curve into the frog point, and the webbing ended up sitting directly beneath it. Not so on the switch points. The webbing is only reinforced by solder. I will definitely be trying this on my next #6+. Seems to me it's a better mouse trap.

[robert3985]

This thread is interesting reading. My layout includes only one #8 and the rest #6's. Admittedly, the webbing on the frog point for the #8 comes almost to the point. It is a curved #8, and it appears I got lucky when I had to file the curve into the frog point, and the webbing ended up sitting directly beneath it. Not so on the switch points. The webbing is only reinforced by solder. I will definitely be trying this on my next #6+. Seems to me it's a better mouse trap.

I think it is.  Even better (but harder) is to make your closure point rails like the prototype, with the rail foot planed so it fits on the top of the stock rail's foot.  Although functionally I can't tell a difference between doing it the "hard" way, or cutting away the stock rail's foot on the inside, doing it with a prototypically planed closure rail toe sure looks better from directly above.

If you don't want to, or are not able to do this yourself, you can buy tri-planed closure points from Proto87 stores in both code 55 and code 40 for N-scale work for around ten bucks a pair.

Here's a photo of the Proto87Stores tri-planed closure points on my #6 Wye:


The extra hole you see is because they come pre-drilled for the Proto87Stores "throwbars" in HO.  I fill the holes with solder and dress 'em with a flat file.  Also visible are the heelblock hinges, which I also really like.  They're about 2 bucks a fret, but include the "throwbars" which I discard.

I haven't done it yet, but I think the tri-planed closure points can be hand filed.  That's next on my list for the last #8 for my Emory trailing point siding I need to make and install this week.

[S Class]

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.

F'ing saved.

This thread needs to be in best of.

Also do you gents use a motor tool or just hand files to do your frogs and point rails?

[nkalanaga]

Gen:  That diagram is also how I make my points, and have for years.  The tip needs all the help it can get, not only to stay soldered, but to resist bending if it gets snagged while cleaning the track.