Does anyone here have current contact info for E&D models? http://www.edmodels.com/ I have tried to E-mail them through this forum, but got no reply. I'd like to buy a few turnouts from them. Thanks
I had contact with Eric when things went well. He promised me to build a switch with my given specifications and I bought some others he had in stock. When I paid him he send me another email saying the switch would be done soon and then he stopped communicating and I never talked to him again. I lost $65 dollar
Hemi, Are those what you ended up using for your layout? I thought about it, but there aren't many photos at his site. Are the frogs powered?
Lazy bum, build your own. The code 40 only takes a few swipes from the file as it is! And isn't someone making Cd 35 rail? That would be nice to work with. PS: Your work is in the upcoming issue of RMJ. (March '06). So despite your best efforts to not get published, you did...
After E&D models I decided to buy a Z Scale, #8 and #10 Turnout Assembly Kit Can't wait to build these on my own!
Aspen has code 40 turnouts as well as code 55's. I have not used them myself. Not sure what numbers they are. If you look back through the threads here, no one has heard from E&D models since about September of last year. Randy
I contacted Aspenmodel before about the Code 55 US Turnout, I can't remember the exact price but I do remember they were waaay to expensive!
I have on loan a Fast Tracks #8 code 55 jig. The code 40 rail is too narrow and sits in the jig loose, plus #8 turnouts look too big on my small layout. Even so I have problems soldering in the Fast Track jig, it's like the jig is a big heat sink or something. I tried laying code 40 #6's right on top of a printout: http://www.handlaidtrack.com/tie-templates.php http://www.handlaidtrack.com/cd/templates/z-6-turnout-tie-template.pdf But was not successful yet after 3 tries : ( My layout will only need 5 turnouts so buying the correct jig doesn't make sense.
I bought the code 40 #6 and #8 jigs, and they gave me soldering grief too. To try and fix them I had my friend mill some soldering areas in mine: Steve milled me some areas so the soldering iron would not loose all it's heat touching the iron tip and the jig at the same time: Now the soldering iron has room to do it's job: And this is what my jigs look like now: So at first I reported my trouble soldering these turnouts and i was quickly replied that I just did not know how to solder, and my iron was bad. But after I had my jigs fixed myself, Fast tracks quickly recognised that maybe I was not a lamer, and they modified their jigs to look like this, copying my idea: But, alas, there is still a problem. After i made a bunch of turnouts, some of my locomotives would stall at the frog. It turns out that the slot you fit the point rails in at the frog is too tight, not leaving enough room for fat flanges. I gave up on using the jig, and started just gluing my PC ties to a photocopy tie template, and hand soldering the rails down over the template. The work went 2 times as fast because i did not have to fuss with fitting each rail exactly in the slot, and cut each tie to precise lenght to fit those slots. My conclusion is the Fast Tracks jigs are not as fast as making the turnout by hand. And not as easy! Just ask someone who has doen it both ways! -Robert $300 in the hole for jigs Ray!
I'm trying number 4 right now over top of a printout. The problems with this is the printout might be to scale, but it doesn't match the gauge on the MT height tool. So I start out at the throwbar and by the time I get to the frog one rail is almost 1/8" off. It seems to be working (so far), but you can't use the printout for much of anything other than a ballpark idea. The jig has been routed out, but still you need small fingers to get in there I'm starting to think I should have made turnouts first before buying any Z equipment. I assumed I could just buy the E&D turnouts if I failed at handlaying I could always make dummy turnouts Back to the bench.
Yeah, after all my work making turnouts, i took my modules and setup in a backyard at a garden party. It was not very hot outside, but one of my friends said "Look at your turnouts" and I seen that they were all bent up and distorted. I touched the rails and they felt like they were 150 degrees! They were hot from the sun, and I noticed all the PC ties had lifted out of the roadbed, and all my trackwork was laid waste! That was the end of my year long handlaid track project. I did not have expansion joints, and I paid the ultimate price. After admitting defeat, I decided I would just bow down, and use Marklin turnouts and Peco track. Ugly for sure, but life is too short to waste on messing with trackwork, when I need to be worrying about scenery, structures, rolling stock, and motive power. Maybe in a few years I might re-visit hand laid track, but for the next couple years, I will suffer with code 55 uglyness. -Robert
I have to look through my stuff, but I'm sure I've got some Z/Nn3 PCB ties, and enough Cd 40 rail for a handful of turnouts. If so I can find time to build 5 turnouts. It might cost you an Erie N scale caboose though! -Mike
Chris has my jig, and it was modified in a similar manner and at the same time Robert's was. Robert and his friend did their modification themselves and FastTracks did it for me. However I too sort of quit using it as I don't have all that much soldering background. The results I did get were "O.K.", but not ready for prime time. ...don
