I have heard this term used many times but I am not totally sure what people mean by fine tuning turnouts. Other then making sure your connecting tot he track is nice and smooth and the throwbar moves smoothly and points make good contact which most of the better quality turnouts all do what else can one do to improve the way a turnout works?
Some things to check and fix
Check it with an NMRA gauge - track gauge, guard rails, etc…
Make sure it is all in the same plane - i.e. flat if not on a grade.
Sight along it to make sure nothing sticks up somewhere that shouldn’t.
I’m sure others will have more ideas.
Enjoy
Paul.
a couple of examples.
i find that peco code 100’s need a .010" shim laminated to the guard rails. this keeps wheels from picking the point of the frog when shoving cars through the switch.
shinohara code 100’s often need a 19 ga. nail into the roadbed at the pivot point for reliable electrical continuity through the points to the frog.
if you laying a lot of track, you will find little glitches here and there and eventually learn what pre-emptive action to take to assure good operation with the particular materials you are using.
you would think that with the prices we are paying for this stuff the manufacturers could get it right but i don’t believe they really care. still, we have come a long way since the days of snap switches and brass rail on fibre ties.
grizlump
Thanks for the replies, Grizlump you have a good point that what were paying for these things they should be flawless. I used to think the hadlaying track/turnout crowd were a little on the strange side with way too much time on their hands but the more I read about handlaying your own turnouts and the benifits of smooth operation and being able to make any turnout you could ever wish for hhas gotten a lot more appealing. Problem is I would probably have to make a couple of hundred of them before I got good at it…lol
I know guys who do both of these modifications, interestingly enough, I use much less expenisve Atlas code 83 turnouts and the only “tune up” item is to sometimes gently file the top of the frog level with the ajoining rails. Sometimes more expensive is not better.
Sheldon
Sometimes you will also have Loco’s and/or rollign stock shorting out at the Frogs requiring adjusting the spacing with a file or dremel. Some get around it by using fingernail polish.
hi, sheldon. i have no experience with the code 83 atlas products. they must be pretty decent since so many people are using them.
most of my trackwork is stuff i salvaged from previous layouts although i did buy a bunch of peco switches when they were a bargain and a couple boxes of atlas code 100 flex track.
one thing i noticed about atlas code 100 flex is that now they are getting it from China and the sliding rail appears to be smaller that the other one when viewed from the top. i haven’t taken a micrometer to it to see for sure how much and it is not causing any problems but i makes me wonder especially since those guys have had trouble with dog food and baby formula.
grizlump
Has anyone had the feeling it would have been easier in the long run to handlay the turnouts rather than mess around with mass-produced, factory-made turnouts? Beyond fine-tuning, why is it that some experienced and nationally-recognized modelers are replacing or wanting to replace factory turnouts with handlaid?
Mark
Mark, I have had just the oposite experiance myself. I handlayed track and turnouts for years, long before stuff like code 100 Shinohara (same maker as Walthers code 83) was even available. True Scale was about the only decent commercial track back then, offered RTR and in kit form.
Now, except for custom pieces, I use Atlas code 83 Custom line turnouts with no problems and am very happy with performance, cost and time. And I use mostly Atlas code 83 flex as well, bought by the case from Standard Hobby, things have never been so good.
I will build custom pieces if I need to, but I try to avoid that if possible. Actually, i have built several custom curved turnouts by disassembling an Altas #8 and using the points and frog for the hand layed turnout. I do this because I prefer the isolated points and isolated powered frog.
Sheldon
Another thing is making sure they’re wired for dependable operations.
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm
Easy wiring for dependable operation is one of my main reasons for using Atlas and NOT hand laying any more.
Sheldon
What does Handlaying turnouts have to do with easy wiring? All my switches are handlaid and only require one wire from the frog for perfect electrical performance…and easy to achieve at that.
David B
I just installed my first MicroEngineering code 83 turnout, thinking it would be better than Atlas or even Walthers/shinohara; What a surprise. My new Rivarossi Mallet kept jumping off the track when it went through. I checked the flange clearances with the NMRA gage and they are way off, too close to the main rails. I had to file the guard rails to get enough space for the flanges to clear. This is not what you should get for a $20 plus turnout. The Rivarossi engine has the RP-25 flanges BTW. Lesson learned: check turnout with gages before installation!
There is NOT a commercially available turnout that is 100% NMRA compliant. They ALL require adjustment.
The understanding is, if you are going to use commercial turnouts, then you should gauge them BEFORE you install them.
Following that, you need to gauge all your locomotives.
David B
Some turnouts need filing on the points to remove rough edges that can snag a car and derail it. Run your fingers over the rails and file off any rough spots. You always need to check that the switch machine is properly aligned so that it forces the points hard against the stock rails in both positions of the turnout. Then you need to use the NMRA gauge to check the turnout gage and the depth and width of the flangeways. The flange ways pull the wheel close to the stock rail and prevent the opposite wheel flange from riding up on the frog, or worse, taking the frog on the wrong side. A too wide flangeway causes derailments.
If the turnout is causing derailments, you have to watch it like a hawk to see what is going wrong. Strong light helps.
I’ve handlaid my turnouts. But I’ve used a few Peco turnouts. They’re modified with additional wires to have good contact.
This I did with all my commercial turnouts. Scratch build turnouts doesn’t need it, they have PC board ties. 
Also, I’ve sharpened the points!
Wolfgang
Wolfgang, it was suggested to me to sharpen the points from the back side that locks against the stock rail. Is this what you do?
Also, are your Peco turnouts effected by the hot weather? Mine seem to squeeze the gage in a bit and occasionally cause problems.
John, notching the stock rail is sometimes a solution, but rarely. The Fast Tracks turnout method tells us to notch the foot so that the point rail can snug up to the stock rail properly. Other than that, their points filing jig makes superior points…no other work needs to be done there.
When I found myself filing points, no matter on what turnout available, commercial or hand-made, I always place a tie between the stock rail and the point rail to prevent twisting or bending the point, plus it keeps you from filing the head of the stock rail inadvertentl. Then I file the side of the point rail closest to the centerline of the main axis. I have had very good results when I determined that I needed to open the gauge a bit at the points or if the points kept picking the flange for some reason.
-Crandell
No, I’ve not realized this gauge problem. I have had this with a few scratch build turnouts. I had too less PC board ties and too much wooden ties. The module had its place in sunlight and the rail bend. [:(!]
Here’s my latest HowTo turnout.
Wolfgang