Is there an easy way to create HO 70 deg. crossings?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I need to create (wish I could buy) HO crossings at different angles than those sold by most, if not all manufacturers. I prefer code 83. I altered my track plan slightly to accomodate the ready-made crossings available, but there are places where this is not possible. Is making my own crossing from scratch the only way to go here?

Mike

2

The only thing I can think of is to download a template from http://www.handlaidtrack.com and make your own. Shouldnt be too difficult, just take your time.

David

3

Mike;

You are going to have to make your own. See the Iain Rice articles a year or so ago in Model Railroader for techniques.

4

[image]http://www.rolleiman.com/trains/P1060047.JPG[/image]

Not difficult at all… Just take your time. It helps to have a premanufactured one handy to see how things go together. I couldn’t tell you what the angle of this one is, but I can tell you that both tracks are curves. Find THAT one in a store. [8D]

5

This topic caught my interest because I have thought about building a section of a layout with a scene in the neighborhood where I grew up. Busy railroad neighborhood. One branch line about 100 feet from my bed, heavy belt line a block away, Houston to Galveston mainline of combined MoPac and MKT three blocks south. And the two east-west lines crossed the north-south East Belt at 72 degree angle as measured on city street maps, Sanford’s insurance maps, etc.

90 degree angles just wouldn’t be right, neither would 60. So none of the prefab readymade track would work if I want to build this scene.
If I built the scene, I would probably use the East Belt as my main track-- I want a double track mainline through my city scene anyway- and the track(s) that cross could be dummy so I could probably build a dummy crossing and cheat to make doggone sure the working track worked…

6

Thanks all. I’m not so worried about making thesse crossings now. I will use a template (thanks david), reread my MR (nigel) and I will take my time…I’m well known for that around here.
Jeff, your crossing looks good. Mr. Leighant, it sounds like we are both trying to accompli***he same type of thing. I want to model a specific region where I grew up, and compromising on the crossings would just be wrong. Good luck on you endeavors.

Mike

7

Mike, (and others), here’s a little wiring tip for you… When trying to figure out what to isolate, make a drawing similar to this one…

[image]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/jjmel/Model%20Trains/double.jpg[/image]

Where you see red and blue cross, needs to be isolated. I usually use a dremel with a thin cuttoff wheel and fill with plastic (stryrene) and epoxy (do all soldering first)…

Good luck.

8

Thanks for the tip, Jeff.

Mike

9

You will make life easier for yourself if you can arrange for all the common crossings (frogs) to have as much straight rail as possible. Both sides of the common crossing in a switch are straight through the common crossing whenever possible even in Y points.

10

m sharp

No “easy” way. Time consuming or money.

For the latter: http://www.railwayeng.com/turnouts.htm

11

Thanks for the links, guys.

Mike