Depends

 If you go all in and buy their complete line of products could be a large investment from the outset.  Some of that cost could be recovered after you build what you need and sell the jigs and tools to others. You can also get your feet wet by simply downloading the templates and building your own.  The point in frog tool are very useful and you can buy bags of PC ties as well as wooden ties from Tim or other sources. 

 I have jigs from FastTracks and Oak Ridge and both work well.  No matter where you start basic soldering tools and skills will be required and can be learned.  To me the biggest advantage is smooth flowing track and switches to fit where you want.  Joe F will also point out that all commercial switches needle  tuning to work well. Building your own switches and laying track is very rewarding part of a hobby I enjoy the most. Cost is secondary.

Aesthetics Count Too

A friend recently began a project to replace every switch on his layout with  FastTracks built.  It's an extremely large layout and will require a number I can't even begin to recognize when it's all said and done. He started by replacing all the #6 yard throat switches in his main yard, probably 40 total.  Before his last ops session 2 weeks ago, he had gotten them all painted and ballasted.  Looking down the throat and seeing all those long, sinewy rails and not a rivet or pivot point to be seen sure makes one heck of an impression.  Truly "bending the iron". 

" not a rivet or pivot point

  The lack of point hinges makes a negative impression to me since I've spent time around railroads looking at point hinges.......DaveB

Hinged or not...

It is easy enough to build them with point hinges using several methods.  On the smaller numbered switches the hinge makes it easier to throw and hold.  The jig comes with PC tie locations for either hinged or not.

Dave, it would be nice to see

Dave, it would be nice to see a picture of a hinge in the turnout on the prototype. I don't ever recall seeing one. Now it is quite possible I have never noticed them or did not recognize them as hinges.

These are representative of what I am used to seeing. Is there a hinge I am not seeing here? When I think of hinges I think of Atlas brand turnouts and those big rivets in the turn out.

Here is a photo of one of them and I clearly see the hinge and the separate lengths of rail.

Is it possible for you to post a photo of the prototype with the hinge and tell those of us that are unaware of these about them. It would sure be worth knowing to find out when it is more accurate to build a switch with a hinge instead of one that is all rail.

Not very cost saving in HO

Since you can get Atlas turnouts for discounted prices around $14, it's not much of a cost saving.  So while there are many good reasons to build your own, saving money in HO is not one.

OTOH  For larger scales where the cost is higher, it can be pretty good.  Atlas O turnouts discounted to $60 are still way more expensive than making your own with Fast Tracks.

Paul

Hinge

Hinge is a term used loosely.  It is not a "hinge" in the sense of a rotary joint.  The points are separate parts, they are actually the part called a "switch".  Railroads buy stock sets of points of a fixed length, for example Racor sold an 11' 0" switch (points) with number 5-6 frogs, a 16' 6" switch with #7-10 frogs, a 22' 0" switch with #11-14 frogs and a 30' 0" switch with #15-20 frogs.

The points are bolted to the stock rails with a "pillow block" or spacer between the stock rail and the switch and then the closure rails (rails between the points and the frog) are also bolted to the pillow block.  That allows the switch/point to flex.  Its not a hinge in the sense of a rotary joint, but it is a visible kink in the rail.  If you looke at the lead switch that is opened for the Amtrak engine in the picture, the open point has a "kink" in it.  That's the "hinge".

I personally prefer a hinged point for aesthetics (having also worked on a real railroad) but from a model  mechanical and electrical standpoint I prefer the flexing rail point arrangement.  Personal preference of the modeler. 

I have about 100 handlaid switches so far on my layout and haven't used a jig for any of them they have all been built in place more or less over a paper template (I use prototype switch plans reduced to HO scale).

cost

 To the point if you buy all the tools and the laser cut ties each Fastrack switch  you build is about $10.00 The cost of a complete set of jigs and tools is about $300.00 You can buy a Micro Engineering turnout on line for $20  So you are saving $10.00 a turnout. So  break even is 30 turnouts. Now as pointed out buying separate ties changes the game as well as the resale value of the jigs. I built about 50 turnouts using their # 6 code 70 system. The other limitation is you are stuck with one size turnout and one rail size,I am glad I did it, but it took me a good hour and 1/.2 per turnout so you make sweat shop labor rates look attractive. LOL  

                                                                                                                                  Good luck and Happy New Year

        PS The photo is bottom to top ME turnout Fastracks laser cur ties and individual ties                                                                                                                                                              Ray

 "it would be nice to see a

Hi Rob, I don't think I have a photo of  prototype switch points. If you search for railroad turnout switch points heel block (or something like that )you might find one. From a distance they look pretty much like a common angle bar when in place so I use rail joiners to represent them on model turnouts. Points vary from 11 feet to 16.5 ft. and longer for large number frogs . Using 16.5 feet lets one spike their turnout closure rails closer to the throw bar so the turnout looks a lot better when thrown, a nice definite angle point instead of the Fast tracks warped rail effect....DaveB

" For larger scales where the

 Definitely , I use code 100 rail stripped from Atlas HO flextrack to build my S scale turnouts. I don't use Fast tracks jigs but do use their point/frog filing jig and their stock rail filing jig.I've bought enough wooden ties from ebay sellers so I don't have to cut my own but I have in the past. For S or O scale it's about as easy to spike the rails as it is to solder them to PC board ties so the only PC board tie I use is the points throw bar. HO scale ground throws or switch stands work fine for S scale switches.....DaveB 

In HO, you would need to

In HO, you would need to produce around 20 turnouts in order to break even if you purchased some PCB ties, some rail stock, some of those stick ties, and two jigs (one for the turnout and one for the points and frog).  It depends on the cost of the commercial equivalents, and on what you pay for all the materials and jigs, but somewhere between 18-25 turnouts should see you even if you are building #4- #10 turnouts.  If you use the knowledge to then go on and build custom turnouts, as I have three times since building my first six turnouts using the jigs, you can cut down on the number of turnouts you must build to break even since the equivalents commercially would cost about $60 each.

If you watch the videos on his website, Tim Warris does a fine job showing how he builds the turnouts.  You don't strictly need the jigs, but the points and frog filing blocks really help.  A lot.  All you need are the materials, the knowhow, and a track gauge.  Oh, and a soldering iron, which most of us have.

Here's a Tip about rail size...

Someone at FastTracks told me several years ago (at the Hartford National Convention of the NMRA) that both code 83 and code 70 turnouts in HO can be built using code 83 jigs when using Micro Engineering rail, as the difference in the base width is only .001 inch.

Tools of the trade

I have built turnouts with no jigs or tools beyond a paper template. They worked well. I attended a clinic where the instructor used and had us use the Fast Tracks Point Form tool. That was very nice to have indeed. No other template or tool was used except a paper template. This is what I am going with for my layout. This is the best compromise I feel of cost vs. ease and speed of construction. 

Cost of Atlas turnouts

Atlas turnouts are relatively inexpensive.   However, my first hand made turnouts were curved turnouts.  I made them using templates only, and took on the challenge for three reasons:

1.  Commercial curved turnouts are expensive.

2.  I wanted the radius of the inside curve to be greater than 30 inches in HO.  When I build them myself, the radius can be whatever I choose. 

3.  I get satisfaction out of the effort.

John C

"...heel block (or something

"...heel block (or something like that )"

For this region I work in, that term is correct.

Andre

Fasttrack and a way to save cost

I use Fastrack in N scale and I'm glad to have made this choice.

Price are the price of course but here are a few save cost when going in the Fastrack world.

To build turnout, buy a crossover jig with the number you are looking for; you have a turnout jig and a crossover jig for only one buy.

Fastrack offer numerous tools to help to build turnouts; the point filing tools is a must and the frog tools too, but buy a number #12 frog tool, you can file rails for any frog you need, just one tool for all the turnouts.

The laser cut ties are expensive, use individual wood ties from ME; I have build a small jig to lay all the ties and glue them with pliobond, weather them before use.

Buy full 3' rail, You have only a few left over rail when cut and used for turnouts; the 18" lenght Fastrack offer, give more left over part of rail; the 3' lenght is cheaper

Anyway Fastrack jig give low price turnouts only if you build a minimum 10 turnouts, this cover the cost of the average 17$ ready to run turnout you can find on the market, this price include the tools of Fastrack.

Of course a disk sander and good file can replace the Fastrack tools but this is your choice.

Technically the Fastrack turnout are for sure the best on the market; details of missing tie plates are often criticized but you can live with it since it's a perfect running turnout.

And anyway it's also your money and you use like you find it, but perfect tools are expensive; this is the case of Fastrack.

Marc

Heel block

​Bingo, that's it exactly.

Cost is variable

If you watch ebay the used jigs and tools sell for a very good price. So the cost of the tools is much less if you plan to sell them after building your railroad.

I like the fast tracks system even though I am still very slow. 1.5 - 2 hours per turnout after building quite a few. I just ordered a bunch more quicksticks for turnouts. I have used their PC ties and also those from another supplier. The fast tracks pc ties are just a little bit cleaner but still need to be smoothed out. Scotchbrite from the dollar store works great as it is really rough. An NMRA gage is essential.

Fast Tracks tools etc

I started making my own turnouts from scratch, the only "jigs" were some wooden blocks and Fast Tracks paper plans and a couple of track gauges! It did not take long to turn out a reasonable piece of kit but I could see the value of proper jigs.

Eventually I acquired a No 6 Fast Traks kit and no matter what anyone may care to tell you, the difference in work quality is amazing. I think the point/frog filing jig is the most useful bit of kit. I recently built 4 of 52 inch radii curved turnouts (code 75). The filing jigg was used for the point blades and frogs. They were way off number sixes I can tell you and they work a treat.

The product is a bit pricey but worth it in the increase in quality workmanship that can come from that. If you like making turnouts, and I do, have a crack at these tools.

It may not be cheaper to make your own but it is hugely gratifying to see your trains flowing through your own product.

Pete

Albany, Western Australia

I wrote this a few years ago.....................

...............and perhaps you might find it useful in this discussion.

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/17890

Peter