I have a FastTracks N scale fixture for making #6 turnouts and have also made some turnouts using their printable templates. I wanted a curved turnout with an outside radius of 14 inches and an inside of 12 inches and couldn't find one. I was able to draw a full size template using those two radiuses using the free CAD program SketchUp Make which has been replaced with SketchUp Free (looks like you can still download Make). I then built a turnout from the template and it seems good to go. Here are a few pictures of the process with a link to the whole story as it is too much to post here (Bottom of the Menu Page) ... http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/Trackwork/Trackwork-Index.html Link to full description of doing this at the bottom of this menu page... http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/Trackwork/Trackwork-Index.html Sumner
Quickest way to make on of those templates is to lay flextrack along one route using thumbtacks. Put a large piece of paper over it tacking down one side. Use a pencil to trace the rails and the tie ends through the switch. fold back the paper, leaving the tacks on one side. Remove the thumbtacks from the flextrack from the frog end back to where you want the points to be, the headblocks (those long ties at the points). Bend the flextrack along the other route and secure it with thumbtacks. Fold the paper over the track. Verify that the tracing lines up with the rails near the points. Trace the rails of the other route on the paper. You can also trace the tie ends if you want. Remove the paper. You now have a template for any configuration of turnout with little or no calculations or measurements. I would suggest using only one of the tie tracings to space the ties, not both.
