Thanks Joe, since I started using handmade turnouts, the one tool that has been on the work bench all along has been an electronic tester. Out of about 25 turnouts built so far, I have caught 3 where I missed a gap in a PC tie. Would hate to have it installed and then find out! I also add jumper wires from the stock rails to the inside rails beyond the frog.  This is an added assurance to ensure there is power beyond the frog, especially on a spur line. I made a couple of mistakes here too where I jumped to the wrong rail! Without the tester as a final step, I don't like to think about it. Hopefully I don't get cocky either, but the tester sits right there next to all the other tools for turnout building.  

Steve   

You're welcome, Steve.

This project was one of those where I got cocky and it ended up costing me. However, it does have a happy ending. The PC tie-built turnouts took a ton of abuse because of how I ripped them up with the putty knife and yet came out fine.

This unexpectedly showed me how bullet-proof PC tie turnout construction really is! I doubt a barge-cement based turnout (Central Valley's recommendation for fastening down the rails) would have lasted like this ... it's PC ties for me all the way!

I've been preparing to install seven turnouts on my layout this week and I knew I should check them to ensure the gaps are cut properly but I had forgotten until I read this article.  Thankfully.  I checked them this afternoon and four of them need a little extra filing or they would have caused me grief when I put them on the layout.  I'm not sure why I kept missing the one gap ahead of the gapped frog, or perhaps when I pre-gapped them, I didn't get them lined up and the gaps are under the rail.  In any case, they are good to go now.  Thanks for the incredibly timely refresher.