Handlaying a turnout the old fashioned way

Any progress on this lately? I'm anxious to see how the curved turnout is done.

 

Mark, you have impeccable timing! I looked for this thread last night to bookmark it. I finished the curved turnout yesterday and was going to post the rest of the pics this weekend. Just need to resize and upload to railimages.

-Mike

 

Ok, sorry for the delay, I was busy doing other things to the layout, and was pretty burnt out on laying track. But now I'm back in the track laying mood and have finished up this curved turnout.
There are alot of things the same with this turnout as with the straight turnout, so for those parts, I will brush over them and refer you back to the previous posts in this thread.
Since last time, we had the ties glued down and were ready for rail. Before putting down the rail, drill the hole for the switch machine actuating wire (if applicable). Now we'll find where the rail will go. The distance from the edge of the ties to the rail comes out to about 1/8".




Using your preferred measuring device, find the pencil line that was drawn on the homasote for the "diverging" route and measure in 1/8" and put a mark on the ties. This is where the rail will sit. For the "straight" route, you can measure over from the edge of the ties and put a mark. You don't need to put a mark on every tie, just a few, but put marks along the whole turnout.




Now we'll take some rail and put some bends in them. Refer to the previous posts in this thread on how to make the bends.
As you bend, keep checking the rails so they line up pretty close to the marks on the ties. They don't have to be perfect, but get them as close as you can.
Once you have the bends where you want them, cut the rail so you have about a 3/16" overhang from the tie ends. We'll be needing to slip some rail joiners on and don't want them interfering with the ties.
Now that both stock rails are cut out and bent, do as explained before and mark where to file the rails for the points to sit in at, as well as filing and feathering out the stock rails.

This next part is optional but I feel necessary. With the stock rails filed and bent, put some rail joiners on the throwbar ends and solder them to a piece of flex track. This will assure us that the rails will curve smooth through the point end.





Now we'll glue down the piece of flex track, making sure the parts of the rails that were filed down line up over the throwbar area. Once this is in place, we can put some spikes in the stock rails. Line up the rails over the pencil marks and put in a few spikes.




Continued in next post...
-Mike

 

Now we'll put in the frog rails.
Measure over from the stock rail and put some marks on the ties. Do this on both sides, until the marks come together. This is where the point of the frog will end up at.




Now take a piece of rail, and file one side of the frog in the Fast Tracks point former tool, just as before. Then clean up the filed area, and put a bend in the rail. Match it up to the same curve as the stock rail, and then cut it to length.




Then put just a few spikes in it.




Now we'll do the same thing with the other side. File it to a point, bend it to match, cut it to fit, put in a few spikes and then solder them together. (just like the straight turnout)




continued in next post...

-Mike

 

With the frog soldered, check to see that the point of the frog is centered between both the stock rails.




Now we can make the closure rails. Just as before, use the FT point former tool and file the ends to make the closure rail points. Now bend the rail so it matches the same curve as the stock rail.



Just as before (straight turnout), mark were to cut the end at, where to bend it at and where to put the wing rail part at. Then put in a few temp spikes.




another view




Now run a car back and fourth over it and check to see that it rolls smooth. When doing the outside leg of a curved turnout, you should have no problems with picking of the frog point, since the car is being forced to the outside, away from the frog.

continued in next post...

Mike

 

Now we can put in the other closure rail. Do as before, file, bend, mark, cut ect.




another view




Now test this side of the turnout with a car. This side will be a bit harder to get a car to roll through smoothly, since the wheels will want to straighten out while going through the frog. So while this closure rail is temporarily spiked down, I put in the guard rail so I can make sure the car will roll through the frog correctly. Install the guard rail just like before.

Once everything is rolling smooth, finish up the spiking of the closure rails, stock rails, frog and guard rails. Put in the PC throwbar and cut the ends of the ties off.


Now you'll have a nice smooth curved turnout! =)







Now you can put in a turnout pretty much anywhere you want. All it takes is a little patience and some practice and you'll have smooth, flowing trackwork. =)


-Mike

 

You make it all look so easy. Excellent work!

 

Standing Ovation! Thank you very much for this very informative and well-written thread. I'm excited to see your continuing progress on the OVS...

-Ryebot

 

I have reread this thread from beginning to end....OUTSTANDING! I am the process of doing my benchwork since I recently received it from Tim Foley at Mianne Benchwork. Have to paint a wall and finished up where I left off. Never laid track before so I am seriously considering giiving this a try. Defiinitely going with Fast Tracks Turnouts. Congratulations on a well written and well documented thread!

 

Certainly is outstanding , thanks for the time and effort on this thread pastoolio .

 

Mike,

I just read through this thread. All I can say is WOW! thank you so much for sharing. I have built about 5 #8 n scale turnouts using the fast tracks jig and was pondering either buying a 4.5 or 5 point tool to make some smaller turnouts as well. After reading how you use your # 8 point tool to built #10's, I see I could possibly also build 10's, and depending on which other point tool I purchase, 6#'s and 7#'s. While I may not spike my rail as you do, I must say you have inspired me, taught me and raised the bar. Thanks again.
Steve

 

Mike,

My sentiments exactly. Bravo. I started building my own turnouts this year with a jig from Proto:87 Stores and want to step away from that crutch and try something more traditional. Your process is a great illustration of what to do and why it's worth doing it.

Greg

 

I've been building N-scale turnouts since the late 70's first for use on Ntrak modules, then for my own sectional/modular layout. I use the PCB method, but I've laid plenty of HO turnouts using spikes, and a couple of HO turnouts for my own edification laid to Proto87 standards.

Interestingly, there are spikes now available that you may be interested in from Proto87 Stores which Andy touts and titles as "True HO Scale Spikes". The "working" ones are etched in stainless steel and have a .010" square spike section and come in three lengths, .075", .120" and .150", all with the same .010"X.010" shaft and the same size heads.

Cost is okay at $7.95 for 600 of the longer spikes.

He also has cosmetic nickel silver ones in HO scale which are smaller than the previous smallest spikes by Micro Engineering, but are designed to look very realistic, but are for "strewing about" by the side of the track. These might be okay for N-scale also as they're pretty small and would certainly look better than anything else that's available.

Here's a photo taken from the Proto87 Stores site at: http://www.proto87.com/product1908.html



Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

 

Where do you buy the PC Board?

 

Where do you buy the PC Board?

http://cloverhouse.com/Store/product_info.php?products_id=67
http://www.handlaidtrack.com/CopperHead-N-Scale-PC-Board-Pre-Gapped-Crossties-p/ch-n-x.htm
Or you can buy the whole board from radio shack and cut your own. (not recommended unless you have the proper equipment)

 

What kind of saw do you use?