Does anyone know how to handlay turnouts with short points? The kind I mean have points about 4-5 ties long, so the rails have to be hinged somehow, they cant just bend. It’s not mandentory that I have this kind, but they would add to the effect. There is a prototype photo on proto:87’s site.
There have been various hinge arrangements used in handlaid track over the years. Wires extending from the closure rail pressing against the web of the point, a couple of spikes, shim brass pads, “faux” hinges where the rail is partially cut at the joint, and so forth. In my handlaid turnouts, I did not deliberately hinge the points, but I did cut the electrical gaps a good distance from the frog. The gap with the extra-long “point” spiked at the butt end provided a sort of hinge that relieved some of the stress at the soldered PC board throwbar. The point could slide ever so slightly longitudinally through the spikes at the gap, which proved to be a good stress reliever.
But seriously, if you are going to build turnouts with hinged points, Andrew (Proto87 Stores proprietor) is one of the best at duplicating all the details of the prototype. Buy one of his kits and see how he does it. Or ask him. I do know the Proto87 guys are very careful to use scale length points to go with the hinges - shortening them would likely cause problems.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
A friend of mine scratchbuilt a turnout with extremely short points and rather than try to “bend the iron” he used ordinary rail joiners for the pivots. They were just sloppy enough that it worked well although I have to admit that it was a turnout on a siding that he did not use all that often. With lots of use those rail joiners would probably become too loose to do the job.
I think he was following an old article in MR but I could not begin to guess which one - probably from the 1950s.
Dave Nelson
| would always worry about the points flopping around when wheels contacted either end. So, if I were to attempt such a construction (and why not, really…) my aim would be to have firmly controlled pivoting points. So, I would solder L-shaped pins to the pivot end’s nether surface of the foot, inverted of course, and then use an inset brass or metal, plastic if it would be strong enough, sleeve to control the pivoting…a bearing. The sleeves would have to be inserted and glued into the roadbed (otherwise I would have to figure out how to affix them to the appliance itself…no thanks), the appliance minus points placed atop that spot and aligned, and then the points’ pins inserted. Next, the points would have to be soldered to their own throwbar. The rest would be normal fiddling, powering, etc.
I have seen images of brass shimstock tabs, predrilled, soldered to the base of the points at the fat end, and a pin driven through the tab hole and into the ties. Tabs of a size would add some stability to the rails, but it would be difficult to hide them.
Crandell
Short points?
Dead simple, really. Just cut the point long enough to allow the base of the closure rail to clear the stock rail, drill a vertical hole one drill size larger than the brass nail you’ll be using as a point pivot, insert the nail (with pre-tinned head,) pre-tin the butt end of the point and solder, holding the point in alignment with long-nose pliers. Done right, you won’t even scorch the wood ties.
[Edit] To clarify, the nail goes under the butt end of the point, which is soldered on top of it.
I have been using this technique for a LONG time. Switches that I hand-laid in 1980 - 81 are still operating on my, `End of the railroad,’ module, and have yet to give me any problems.
One unusual item - the open point is electrically DEAD if the throwbar is insulated (I use PC board without the plating.) That’s actually an advantage. You will NEVER have a short caused by a passing flange rubbing the point.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with all hand-laid specialwork)
Here is a nice video showing Tim Warris from Fast Tracks building a hinged point turnout:
There are also many other interesting videos on this website that you might find helpful.
Wayne
Hi,
You can also find how Tim build extremely short turnouts whith hinged points for his Bronx Terminal layout on his blog; the link is proposed on the home page of the fastrack site www.handlaidtrack.com.
There is, as mentionned by sfcouple, a lot of lessons to learn from the fastrack site about handlaying track and turnouts.
Marc.
I weaken the point rails at the “hinge”.
You see the nick at the base of the rail and the cut at the top. Here’s my HowTo.
Wolfgang