Start by making a template:

Start by making a template: Print two copies of the switch template and cut out the turnout itself from each. Tape these down to a piece of paper as shown below, with the straight routes at your chosen tangent track spacing, and the diverging routes aligned with each other.

Build two turnouts as usual, except: Don't solder the inside diverging rail at the second copper-clad tie beyond the frog. Cut the rail between the two copper-clad ties and discard the offcut as shown below.

Modify the QuickSticks ties: On both QuickSticks, cut away the carrier from the corner around the diverging track. (see below).

On one of the QuickSticks, also cut the ties of the diverging track down the middle (see below).

Lay the uncut QuickSticks on the paper template, then lay the other one on top, so that the ties of the diverging routes line up. This is a bit tricky, as you're trying to align three things at once: the tangent spacing, the QuickSticks ties, and both QuickSticks to the underlying paper template. The first two are the alignments that matter; if one of the QuickSticks is a little to one side relative to the printout, that's OK.

Using the tie ends on the upper QuickSticks as a guide, cut down through the lower QuickSticks with a chisel blade. You want to wind up with it looking like the picture below, with the cut tie ends meeting each other so that when the turnout is laid and ballasted the cuts will be inconspicuous.

Lay the turnout skeletons on the QuickSticks, and by eyeball determine where to cut each outer diverging rail to allow the ends to be soldered to the second frog tie, while still leaving an isolation gap (see below). This is also a bit tricky as each diverging rail needs to lie on top of the other turnout's tie. Once you've made the cuts, use three-point track gauges to hold the turnouts in place while you solder the end of each rail to the  tie. The final result should look like the bottom photo.

The rest of the assembly proceeds as for a regular turnout: glue the turnout skeleton to the QuickSticks, use a jeweler's saw to make the rest of the frog isolation cuts, and install the whole thing on the layout. In my next post I will describe how I wired the crossover, and installed modified BullFrog kits to provide single-knob control.

How did you Know ?

I too will be building a few single crossovers in the future. I thank you for sharing this valuable knowledge.

Thanks for sharing

I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment on the single knob control.

Thanks again.

That's great

That's great Steve! I've done the same, but in the end decided to do this a bit differently - if you buy a jig, buy the crossover jig - it's easier to make plain turnouts out of that!

Here is my On30 version

#5's  3-1/2" track spacing, Built as one unit.  Only cuts in the rail are for the frog gaps.

Fast Trac ks Turnouts

I model in S Scale and I have used my Fast Track assembly jigs to help create many custom turnouts.  I think they are outstanding tools for creating track that fits my needs rather than making due with standard product.  Well done project, thanks for sharing this is a valuable example.

Ken Zieska

Time saver for this method

if you are buying standard tie strips from Fast Track and modifying them for crossovers, why not just order the crossover tie strips to begin with?

Kurt

Pre-Painting

Steve, I noticed that you pre-paint the QuickSticks prior to gluing down the turnout assembly.  What paint do you use and do you have any issues with the Pliobond sticking to the now painted QuickSticks?