anybody know the best way to paint a turnout. Want it to look good, but do i still need the points to touch “bare” metal. As in i cannot paint a small portion. Also how about using magnets under track, good and bad parts to it. I love the idea of not touching the trains, any tips on planign where the magnets go for optimum switching.
Thanks guys
The only time you have to worry about leaving a patch of bare metal for the points to touch is if your turnouts are power routing. None of mine are so I don’t worry about it. I use a small fine tipped brush for painting turnouts. That way I can get into all the little nooks and crannies. Using the small brush also insures that a bunch of paint won’t run down and lock up the mechanism. On the subject of using magnets under the tracks. I use three on my layout, two from Kadee and one from from Bachmann. I placed them at strategic locations on two spurs and a siding. If you want magnetic uncoupling on the main line I suggest you use Kadee electromagnets. The regular under track permanent magnets just slide in under the track.
place the magnets so cars will not foul the other track when cut off. try to avoid having them where the cars with metal wheels can not bridge the insulating gap in rails if that situaltion exists.
i only use magnets on yard classification tracks and industrial sidings. i have no problem using a rix tool or bamboo skewer to uncouple at other locations.
grizlump
On all layouts I’ve operated on, the owners have eschewed magnetic uncouplers. Only skewers were used. I imagine this is because magnets cost money, aren’t realistic if not disguised, can require unprototypical train movements, cause accidental uncoupling, result in inflexible uncoupling location, etc. Of course, the layouts were well designed by having track where switching took place to be in easy arm’s reach.
Rail can be painted by spray (from the sides) or hand. If one relies on the switch points to carry current, then care is taken to avoid leaving paint where they make contact. I paint very short sections at a time so the paint can be removed before it dries using a rag. You needn’t remove the paint from the top of guard rails. Their appearance is improved with the tops painted.
Mark
Are you going to use an airbrush, paint can (like Floquil), or paint by hand. There are marking pens used to paint the rails. I use an airbrush with Floquil rail brown paint. Immediately after painting an area, I use a “bright boy” or other track cleaning abrasive pads to clean the rail tops. I wait about 24 hours and then paint individual ties light gray. I use Kadee magnets under the tracks for uncoupling. I use electromagnets on the mainline and metal uncoupling magnets for the yard and industrial spurs. There is a book by Kalmbach Publishing about Freight Yard planning. In the book it has suggestions for placement of magnets. I place a magnet on both routes after a turnout. In other words, one magnet for the normal route (straight) and another for the diverging route (turn). Make certain that the uncoupling magnet is far enough away from the turnout that the cars will not interfer with the movement of trains on the other route. Also, suggest that the magnets be on a "straight " section of track and not on a curve. They operate more reliable that way.
I paint all my turnouts just as I do my track with an airbrush and after they are completely dry I will go back with some alcohol or thinner on a micro brush just where the switch rails make contact and in the frogs as well. When cleaned you can barely notice the original track color. I usually clean the tops of the rails with a brite boy or lately I have been using thinner on a Q-Tip
I use home made electro magnets for switching and have ad no issues what so ever. I have used n scale magnets in the past but you have a very small widow to switch in. for and HO car.I basically eyeball where I want them to be placed and before I glue the track down I mark the roadbed and then remove just enough to fit the magnet and also drill a small hole for the wires. After putting the magnet in place.I put a thin piece of styrene over it. I have even used a piece of card stock. then glue the track in place. Can’t speak for conventional magnets but when using a powered magnet they are strong enough that the card stock or styrene has no effect on them.
Hi,
I model in Nscale and following are my method which is easy and give good result so it’s suitable for HO.
For my turnout I usualy first paint them whith an airbrush but I protect the points whith a “Post It” paper which allow me to paint all the surrounding parts.
The points are handpainted whith a brush, but again I avoid to put paint on the inside of the switch point.
This could be not a problem if you use live frog whith live points like a good DCC friendly turnout because the point are electricaly connected to the adjacent rail but I prefer to protect the points.
You can also paint the rail a rust color and add some black around the moving parts of the turnouts to represent grease.
About the uncoupler I try to use permanent magnet only on industrial spurs.
On the mainline, for siding, or in the yard I use only electromagnet uncoupler to avoid false uncoupling.
I homemade them myself, following an small sketch published in MR years ago, you can believe how easy they are to do. See some pics below.
In a yard, all the ladder track have three, one in the east entry one in the middle of the track and one at the west entry of the ladder track. I left a two inch space between the turnout and the uncoupler.
This arrangement give more prototypical move of the trains which are put on the ladder track and left by the engines. This avoid movements before the ladder track to uncouple. The middle uncoupler is used for more cutting possibilities in the consist.
Here is the basis of the uncoupler, a steel tube whith a half quarter removed and the two plastic plate, lenght is 4cm for a Nscale. opening is an around 9 millimeters, tube is around 15mm diameter