hand made turnouts

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hello I wanting some info. I am looking to make all my own turnouts. But I want to do it with out the use of pcb ties.I want to do it with all wood ties and just a timplate if any one has done this or has info on this please let me know thanks

2

Mike.

Does it have to be wood ties? Check these links out. The first is all wood the second is plastic.

http://www.proto87.com/accurate-track.html

http://www.cvmw.com/cvtswitch/index.htm

Pete

3

The only thing I use PC board for in my handlaid turnouts is the throwbar. Keep in mind the following qualifiers:

  • I build my turnouts directly on the layout, not at the bench

  • I don’t use a template, and I don’t care what my frog number is. I draw where the rails will go directly on the Homasote using a spline, a French curve, and/or cardboard radius templates to get smooth curves. Where the rails cross is where the frog goes; where the paths meet is where the points start.

  • I spike the rail to wood ties.

  • I do not use point hinges - the rail is continuous. I spike 3 ties in a row where I want the rail to flex when the points are thrown

  • I use only slow motion switch motors or throws, and ensure there is minimal spring pressure holding the points against the stock rail. I’m not sure how much jarring and side pressure my spiked bending points in the point/closure rails can take without giving, and I’m not going to find out. They hold up just fine with slow motion throws and minimal spring pressure.

  • The point/closure rails are jumpered to the stock rails for continuous electrical conductivity. Because the points are the same polarity as the adjacent stock rails, I can use less than NMRA spec for the throw distance for the points. In fact, I only need enough space for the flange to go through, but I typically twist the wheels of a truck and test to ensure it can’t get on the wrong side of the open point.

  • Frogs are isolated and powered through an electrical contact on the turnout throw.

If you insist on building at the bench, some sort of metal keepers are usually soldered across the rail tops in lieu of PC board ties to hold the turnout together during transport. Or build it on a piece of roadbed and use that to support the turnout during transport.

my thoughts, your choices

Fred W

4

thanks thats what I am looking for if you any pic I would like to see them thanks

5

I’ve built a few turnouts at the layout, but now I prefer the work table.

Here’s myHow To with a lot of pictures. I prefer PC board ties. This is more exactly and durable with modules.

With my Diamond Valley I’ve used Central Valley strips with a few PC board ties. And PROTO:87 throw bars.

Wolfgang

6

Sounds cool-- do you have any trackwork pictures you could show? I’d like to see how it turns out.

EDIT: Disregard this-- replied before I saw your next post with the links.

7

Wolfgang–

Thanks much for the links! I’ve seen your CVT how-to before (also very nice) but had not seen your in-place how-to…

I have a question and a suggestion

Question – What is “Pertinax”? When I looked it up it seems to be a dead Roman Emperor… which, while interesting, I don’t think he’s interested in holding my rails for all eternity… [:P] (I understand what it is actually-- where can you get it? Other trade names if you know?) Also do you know what its thickness is?

Suggestion-- I liked your in-place how-to but noticed the scratch marks on the ties (from sanding) which were parallel with the rails. Do you think if you made one final pass along the ties prior to installing the rails that it would make them look more like wooden ties with the grain going sideways??

John

8

Pertinax ist some type of PC board. [:)]

Yes, you can scratch the PC board to get wooden look. You can even do more like Joe Fugate and remove the copper. Only let the copper where there would be tie plates. I did it with one turnout.

Wolfgang

9

I hand lay O scale turnouts. I use the jigs from Fast Tracks with the PC boards. After the rails have been glued and spiked to the woods ties, I go back and remove the PC board ties and insert wood ones. This keeps everything aligned. It is actually quite easy this way and I don’t even have to have the switch glued down if I don’t want to. I am very careful to keep the amount of solder to a minimum when I build them. It’s easy to remove them and clean up afterwards.