SILVER CREEK project

[Wolfgang Dudler]

Making of SILVER CREEK

I like track work. With my finished station Diamond Valley I was looking for ideas.
At our FREMO group it happens to establish a group of H0n3-fans. So I’ve made a H0n3 stub turnout



and a module with transition track.



I decided to participate with a small station. This station should have dual gauge track as well as narrow gauge track. This way I can build different turnouts. Scratch build of course.
This station could be a connection between the standard gauge part and the narrow gauge part of FREMO arrangements. So I decided to build a wye-type station with three segments.
This was my first idea:



Wolfgang

[COverton]

You do really good work, Wolfgang. Very nice results.
-Crandell

[Geep_fan]

OOOOOOOOOOOOO this looks like its gunna be cool!

[DSP&P fan]

I like the plan to reduce the footprint. Very clever!

[BoxcabE50]

The "wye" is quite unique. I look forward to some photos of that track.

Boxcab E50

[Wolfgang Dudler]

Yes, I will also report how to build this wye. But my first step will be a soldered turnout.

The problem with the wye, you have to connect the segment to the two other segments. If the wye is more in the middle, you will have a connection with three segments. This can be sometimes a problem. And with this angled segments for sure!

But my first question was "what is the smalles radius?"
I wanted to know an answer. So I build a test track. I made the drawing with different radii and glued to my templates the ties. Track is soldered according to the centerline.



I’ve tested with my friend Friedhelm different H0n3 engines. They will run down to 400 mm radius, and the Blackstone K27 should make 18’’, but rumor says it will make 17’’ too.

Well, the radius will not be a problem.
At first I wanted the segments like my other curved modules, 22,5°, 2m radius. This are 785mm long trapezoidal segments.
Now I planned bigger segments, 22.5° but 1000mm at the long side. Just like I had with my Diamond Valley. This way I get more room for the scenery.



And I've added another creek, Silver Creek, following a suggestion from my son Benjamin. He said "you like to build bridges, This way you have two!" .

What do you think about this plan? Does it looks realistic?

Wolfgang

[Wolfgang Dudler]

I’m eager for the first turnout. Still with the design process busy I've started with the first turnout:

The first turnout is a right dual gauge turnout # 8 with diverging narrow gauge. I’ve glued pieces of templates to 5mm plywood. And I had made a pile of PC board ties.
All you need for building a turnout is the center line. But with a template for the ties it is a faster work gluing the ties



I cut the ties following the length of the template. For this I’ve made a pencil line for the end of the standard ties. Then I glued the ties with carpenters white glue.





Wolfgang

[BoxcabE50]

Wolfgang-

My mind isn't wanting to cooperate this morning. The entire module, as I am calculating it, is just a little more than five feet long?

Boxcab E50

[Wolfgang Dudler]

Originally Posted by BoxcabE50

Wolfgang-
The entire module, as I am calculating it, is just a little more than five feet long?
Boxcab E50

Yes, the standard main line will be about 1,3 m = 4.5' between the turnouts. But for narrow gauge I think this is long enough.

Wolfgang

[Wolfgang Dudler]

Next day when all ties are glued I soldered the first rail, the straight standard gauge rail. I soldered at first only three points and then the ties between.



Next rail was the curved rail. I sanded the base of the rail where it would coincide with the point rail. Then I soldered it like the first one. At the start of the turnout I used the NMRA gauge to get the correct distance.



The following pictures shows the point area. You can see the missing base of the rail.