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Workin' on the layout - the saga continues
I've been building "poor man's jig" turnouts all summer and now I'm going to replace all the commercial turnouts on the "Eugene end" of staging tomorrow.
My poor man's jig turnouts use Central Valley turnout (CVT) ties and some Fast Track filing jigs to make quick work out of building a turnout. I like the CVT ties because they're inexpensive ($6 each) and they have slots for the rails - so you just drop the rails in place and you get a properly gauged turnout.
I also replace a few of the plastic ties with printed circuit ties, giving me a sort of poor-man's jig ala Fast Tracks. I like the CVT ties because they have equisite tie plate and spike head detail to match the Micro Engineering flex track I use.
You can see the entire process, step-by-step, on my Siskiyou Line web site here.
Using the CVT ties allows for a lot of flexibility. For instance, I built a curved #7 code 83 turnout using this method ...
And here's another view of the finished turnout ...
Another trick I use when building these turnouts on CVT ties is I'll build them two at a time. Here's some #5 code 83 left-hand turnouts that I built two-up:
(Click on the image above to see an enlarged view)
Building two turnouts at a time makes for faster overall construction. At any rate, I've now got a stack of CVT turnouts and I'll be replacing the turnouts in the Eugene-end of my Siskiyou Line main staging tomorrow.
These jig-built turnouts are spot on the NMRA RP spec for turnouts, which makes for ultra-reliable turnout performance - better than any commercial turnout in my experience. You can tune commercial turnouts to have more reliable performance, but it's hard to beat having turnouts with reliable performance built in from the start!
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Standard Gauge seems to get all the perks! It would really make my life of Model Railroading so much more simple if I could use the "CVT" turnout Ties, as it is now I use the "Fast Tracks" Duel gauge Jig and it does give me 3 types of turnouts but the "CVT" with its slide the rail in option and proper gauge set would be quicker. As it is the "Fast Tracks" system is pretty damn good and with their Duel Gauge fixture I get 3 for one.
#1 I get the Duel gauge #6 turnouts
#2 I get Standard gauge #6turnouts
#3 I get the Narrow Gauge #6 turnouts
All these from one fixture and they are all DCC ready when I'm finished cutting the proper gaps. But still, I do wish that "CVT" would come out with Narrow and Duel Gauge Turnout tie sets. If "CVT" does come out with the Duel and Narrow I would as well as a number of others I know would help make them rich because like you I'd rip out the shinohara and other turnouts store bought and re-lay them all using the "CVT" Tie sets. Joe Keep up the great work and make sure you let us see a before and after shots of your summer project.
Cheers
NARROW gauge MINDED
AND PROUD OF IT
One other thing. The board you use to lay out your Turnouts is a Piece of Drywall isn't it?
I use 1-1/2 inch foam and 1/2 inch Homasote but the drywall layout board look to work well for you how many turnouts can you build on the same piece of Drywall?
Thanks Dan
NARROW gauge MINDED
AND PROUD OF IT
And I would say the same thing about N scale!
Chris
“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.” My modest progress Blog
Yep, Dan, it's a scrap of drywall. I apply duct tape around the edges to keep them from fraying or crumbling.
As to how long they last, all I can say is I have several of these boards and they're at least 5 years old now. I use them as the base for all kinds of projects. I'm sure I'll eventually throw them out and make some new ones, but the good thing is I don't feel bad at all about gouging, cutting, poking holes in, spilling stuff on, or otherwise beating up these scraps of drywall with my projects.
Joe Fugate
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine
Wouldn't it be an excellent time to mount a couple of mirrors up there so those of us in the <5'10" crowd can see what's going on in the back staging tracks?
Might even be nice if there was one over the yard ladder that would look down at reversed-number labels showing that the turnouts are thrown in the right direction....
(Yeah I know, you've heard it before because I've said it before.)
--
Jeff Shultz
http://www.shultzinfosystems.com
The Willamette & Pacific RR - Oregon Electric Branch
Model Railroad Hobbyist Technical Assistant
I simulate the hinged point rails. I cut the rail at the base and at the top.
This is a H0n3 code 55 turnout at my new Silver Creek:
... and with some paint:
This way you have a DCC friendly turnout and no problems.
I did this with CV turnouts at my Diamond Valley too.
Wolfgang
www.westportterminal.de/
Joe,
Your turnouts look great! I see what you mean with regards to the spikes and plates on every tie, most real railroads would indeed have that detail. I think I'll try your method when I begin laying my track.
I find myself modeling something slightly different. I will be modeling a mushroom influenced double deck layout with CP oceanfront railroading (North Shore of Vancouver, BC) on the bottom deck, and a small logging line (Capilano Timber Co.) on the upper deck. The CP of course will have used all the track detail we love, but the logging line used only spikes.... no tie plates. Cheap and temporary were the order of the day! I suppose I'll use flex track w/ CV turnouts for the bottom deck, and hand laid w/ Fast Tracks turnouts for the upper deck for the logging!