That is on increadable...

...piece of track work. It looks like you are right about the jigs making it easy to get things right. BUT, how long did it take to get the whole thing done?

Jim

A Double Slipover

Looks like a great project!  Can't wait to see the results.

Believe it or not, we have made fixtures for that piece of trackwork, we call them a Double Slipover.

The one above is for a #6, four #6 slip switches and a crossover, typically used for a passenger yard. 

This one, a #9 is massive.  A fixture for this was commissioned by a customer in India, based on a German prototype in HO scale, and the far end can disappear out of sight on a foggy day...

Both of these are built in multiple fixtures, the #9 using 3 fixtures.

We don't have these on out site, mainly because we don't have the proper documentation for them, but we do make them for those that request them.  Actually, we have a pretty large library of weird things like this that have been commissioned by modelers over the years.

double slipover

WoW! Very impressive. You use #6 for a passenger yard, I am building mine in a #8. 

Questions;

Have you tried putting four of those together??  How do you fasten your points to the throw bars. Do you have moveable points in the center of the slip switch?

Another question; centerline for your ties. The slip jigs I am using square the ties off a center line from frog to frog. The crossover centerline is with the main line tracks.  The photo I posted looks like they were done this way also.  My preference would be for the slip switches to square the ties on the main line also.  This would mean having a left and right hand slip switch.  Can you make sense of that?  I confuse myself sometimes.

I am just starting to put wood ties under mine.  Slow work, some might say tedious, but I enjoy it.  I do not have your skills, my ties just don't look as neat.

My next blog entry will be going into using the jigs to start making the slip switchs and finishing them in the crossover jig.  I hope there are some who want to combine switches and might learn something or have an idea.

incredible

Hey Jim,

Not finished yet.  Half of the center portion of the track is done.  Need to repeat for the other half, then put the two together, and then make the turnout/slip switch pair for each end.  After each of those sections are finished I will be putting them on the roadbed, drilling holes for control rods and wiring.  Then the servos go underneath and some serious wiring.  Thinking of using an Arduino Mega to control the servos.  Still doing research on that.  If I can control the Arduino from JMRI it will work.

All of this has been a learning process for me.  I've never hand laid track before.  My test track was done in code 100, the old (Ancient) switches I used at first were on card stock, The first turnout and slip switch were so much better working and nicer looking, I hate seeing the code 100 up next to the 83 now.

As for time, my workshop is a board on a pair of saw horses on the front deck, yesterday there was ice on the board so I didn't work.  I can do a slip switch or two in a day but I don't push myself.  Just sit here and piddle and enjoy.

Center Slip-over

I got to thinking.  As cool as the center slip is in the cross-over, It really isn't necessary. Especially, with those 4 other slip switches around it.

Center Slip?

Ronmsal78, I'm not sure what you mean, the middle of the "slip-over" is a standard diamond.

mega-slips

That's a lot of slip switches.  I'm intrigued about single-slip switches as well, as they, like double-slips, were pretty common in European trackwork.  I think that will be non-trivial to build, even with Fast Tracks jigs to help you along.

@ Tim Warris

Tim,

would it be an idea to have at least a section/page on your website which shows which jigs and templates you made?

I'm not sure whether or not I would buy the jig for a crossover made out of four slips, but even the template would be useful. It being more accurate then fitting them together from single templates.

Probably with a nice disclaimer like: On viewing this page, leave ALL hope behind, your on your own

@ Jurgen Kleylein

Jurgen,

you can use FT double slip jigs to build half slips. Been there done that, got the T-shirt. It will save you the costs of buying two different jigs (sorry Tim). Best thing you can do is spend that money on another jigs you might consider as well, but did not consider previously.

Building double slips in N-scale code 40 can be quit a challenge, so to get a bit of experience under my belt I did some half slips first.

The double slips is something which I still need to master

Track Work or Special Works

Tim Warris, a MRH Advertiser, has probably the most complete website dealing with what the rails of North America call "Special Works" with outstanding full scale plans for constructing most any "Special Works" you might need for your layout.  He also has great jigs that make it almost impossible not to build the "Special Works" for your layout.  By the way, when his videos recommend cleaning off all the surfaces to be be soldered, DO IT.  (From experience)

The other great thing about Tim, if you ask him a question, he answers it, but look at all the videos he has produced before you waste his time.  His videos are very well produced, informative and in almost all cases provides the answers to "How To Be Successful"

@ Tom van Wormer

Tom,

Rest assured, I know TIm's ( & Fast Track) capabilities, products and way of working and responding

PS don't forget you Dutch ancestry: It was/is "Tom van Wormer" and not "Tom VanWormer", although you passport might say otherwise 

Real world example: <311

Real world example: < 311 Townsend St San Francisco, CA 94107 United States

(Look under the overpass)

#8 Double slip

These have moving center points, and are quite long. I hope to build a few more to create a nice depot throat track for our FreeMo group. Fast Tracks makes all this possible. 

Thomas Gasior

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