help with BK Enterprises point/frog assembly

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hey everyone. I’ve got a bunch of the BK Enterprises point/frog assemblies that I’m using to build a coal mine module/section for my layout. I’ve already begun to assemble one of them as a test/practice run.

What I did was take a piece of luan plywood (1/8" ?) and taped a Central Valley turnout template over it. I then layed my ME ties directly on top of the template. My issue, though, has been spiking down the point/frog assembly.

the BK Enterprise website suggests laying this first, before anything else. The problem, though, is that the points are connected at the throwbar. My question, then, is how I should go about spiking this down: Should I spike it as if the turnout is thrown for the straight route, the diverging route, or spike it so that the whole point area lies in between being thrown for either side?

I tried spiking it down as if it were starting out as being thrown for the straight route, and then tried doing it so that it laid between being thrown either way, and I wasn’t really happy with the results.

Is there anyone else here who has used these point/frog assemblies before?

2

The way I lay down a spiked turnout is this…

  1. After the ties are set, spike the straight rail where you want it. On the BKs note the notch (I believe) where the throwbar goes.

  2. After you have that rail securely in place, use your NMRA gauge and/or other track gauges to build out the rest.

Works every time and there’s no guess work as to where the points should go.

3

Yeah, I know what you’re saying. Their website, however, says you should spike down the whole point/closure rails/frog assembly before spiking any of the stock rails.

I know you need to use the NMRA guage to get correct point spacing, but I just don’t know how I should go about spiking the thing to begin with, as in I don’t know if I should spike it down as if it were thrown for the straight route, and then leave enough give to throw it for the diverging route, or spike it down as thrown for the diverging route, leaving enough give to throw it for the straight route, or spike it down in between being thrown each way, and leave enough give for the points to move in either direction.