Hi
I was wondering how many use the cast points and plastic frogs? Do you buy or build your frogs? Do you make your own points? Have you filed the stock rails where the points fit? Final question. Has anyone used code 55 rail and is it doable with the cast points?
I have built 2 #5 turnouts and used the cast points with a scratch built frog in code 70 to try them out. I am very pleased with how they operate and look fantastic. So far on a small diorama they are working great.
Thanks
Pete
Usually I build my turnouts from rail and PC board ties. With the last ones I’ve used code 55 rail, those were H0n3 turnouts. You see pics in my blog.
I’ve also used Central Valley tie strips for turnouts. All turnouts at my Diamond Valley are made this way. But I’ve exchanged the frogs with cast ones and with my own and the throw bars also.
Wolfgang
Thank you Wolfgang
Your turnouts look great. I see you used some cast points and on others rail. You like the P87 throwbars? I do not like the CV throwbars. Do you solder the points to the throwbars?
Pete
Pete, my thinking is if I’m going to go through the work of handlaying, or semi-handlaying, etc., I’m going to get the smoothest possible turnouts I can out of the process.
To me, at this point, this means making my own frogs and point rails out of the same rail as the rest of the turnout.
For my recent experimentation, I’ve been spiking into lauan plywood. I had not been aware that spiking works with the CV tie strips until seeing Tony Koester’s article in the Realistic Reliable Track issue from a few months ago. I was excited to no end to discover that!
He’s using details west cast frogs, but it appears from his photos that the frogs aren’t the exact same height as the rails. If I remember correctly, they are actually described as not the exact same height in their specs. And I think those frogs cost $8 or so! Ouch.
I also like the idea of not beeing too manufacturer-dependent. So my current approach is to make them using as few manufacturer-dependent components as possible. Namely, I’ll use the CV tie strips, and the rest is just micro-engineering rail.
Case in point: I’ve been searching for some micro engineering Micro Spikes to use instead of the Small Spikes I have on hand, but they seem to be unavailable at the moment. So I think I’m going to buy some brass wire and do the making-my-own spikes thing. I know that sounds crazy for spikes, but if you can’t find the ones you want, what are you going to do?
The topic of handlaying turnouts fascinates me, and I’ve ordered many of the MR back issues on the subject. Every approach has its own set of pro’s & con’s. If I was building a large layout, the fast-tracks system would win me over for sure. But I’m making a small layout, and will only need a handful of #6’s and #8’s.
Regarding filing the stock rails where the points fit: I am only filing the base of the rail, not the rail head itself (I don’t like the way that looks).
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I like the P87 throwbars. They’re great, they look good and they work!
But it was simpler to remove the CV throwbars by PC board ties than later with P87.
With PC board ties for throw bars I solder the points to the throw bar. But I’ve also used another way, like in this HowTo.
Wolfgang