Great Column!

A great column Charlie and the accompanying video is fantastic!

It seems as though your method of building the frogs and closure rails works really well and the simple jig, ingenious!  It looks like your FT Point Filing Tool has become a paper/track weight?

Do you think your build method would work using Central Valley Switch ties, (obviously removing the plastic ties where the PC ties have been soldered in) to finish the soldered turnout?

I also wondered, when you were hand laying the turnout at the crossover, you traced a template from the track and built the turnout on the template.  Is there any reason why you could not have taken that template to your work bench to build the turnout there, rather than on the layout?

Thanks in advance.

Reply to Kevin

I'll use anything at hand for a track weight. The FT point filing tool was handy.

Joe Fugate hand builds turnouts and has mounted them on Central Valley tie strips with good results. But if you're building full custom turnouts (unequal angle wyes or custom radii curved turnouts) you may not have an "integer" frog number using my trace-the-rails method of laying out the turnout. A way to avoid that problem would be to lay out the CV tie strips and temporarily install the stock rails, trace the temporary rails, then build the turnout at the bench.

I've tried tracing the turnout routes and building the turnout on a piece of clear pine. This method works. However, it's not precisely precise. Building the turnouts in place on the layout avoids the issues that may arise because the railheads are "skinnier" than the traced pencil lines. But if the turnout is going into a hard-to-reach location, building it at the workbench might be better. YMMV, try it both ways and see how it works.

The biggest impediment to custom trackwork is being willing to attempt it. You may screw up a couple but with reasonable attention to detail, you should soon be cranking 'em out. If you want a more highly detailed turnout, you might tray using frogs and other parts from the proto87 store (they don't sell only proto87 bits and pieces).

Charlie

@ Charlie

Thanks for the quick and detailed reply!

I am building turnouts using Joe's method with the CV ties and I will have to build some custom curved turnouts very soon as well.  For those I'll be using your trace-the-rails method to get a template and building to that.

My standard turnouts are all #5's.  I thought it would improve and speed up my builds, to construct the frog and closure rails in a jig like you were doing rather than building them on the CV ties, but I wondered if they would then fit the CV ties as well or not.  I may have to experiment with that?

BTW, the way you prepare your switch points, by bending first then filing and sanding, seems to be an improvement over filing with the point filing tool.  I've got to go over the material again, but can you expand at all on that aspect of the build?

Thanks again for the great video and article.

What video

Where is the link to the video I can't find it.

Video

On page 4 of the Up the Creek column in the figure 9 caption is a reference (URL) to the companion video for the June 2012 Up the Creek column which shows how I scratch build "standard" (straight leg turnouts using homemade jigs). Much of the material in that video also applies to building full custom turnouts.

Here's a direct link to the June 2012 UTC video...

Cheers,

Charlie

Thanks

Thanks . I thought there was a video of the train coming up the hill and through South Jackson. That would be cool.

Great follow up and photos.

Rollee Holders...

...are not "new". I have had code 83 and code 70 sets for for 20 years and probably more like 30.

MF&ST Rwy.

I'm all for the Messy Flats & Stuff Everywhere moniker LOL. Sometimes I think the only reason I like building scenery so much is that when I'm done I have one less place to clutter up the layout with junk!!

Loved this article, pretty

Loved this article, pretty soon I'm going to be starting on my "dream" layout and I most certainly know there will be odd switches that a Fast Tracks jig will not be able to handle.

BCSJ Progress!

Great step on a long trail! Anxiously awaiting  the DVD release! Cheers and Godspeed! John

Lots of smart tips

Things like trimming turnout ties AFTER building the turnout. Great job, Charlie.

It's good that you only experienced a short from that booster phase mismatch. Voltage summing can put 30+ volts across that boundary, potentially damaging equipment. I always test booster boundaries first with a multimeter set to AC volts.  You should see 0 volts across the gap if they're in phase.

Nice to see...

the soup can consist still working hard on the BC&SJ!