Trackwork
Atlas Turnouts and the frog
Is there a way to improve Atlas Custom Line turnouts at the frog? My 4 axle road units dont have a problem but my short wheelbase SW1200 keeps stalling right on the frog. Seems there has to be a way to fix that, short of buying electrofrog turnouts.
Suggestions? Ideas?
Track maintenance
Want to open a discussion. We keep hearing about cleaning track. And how some things scratch the rails. How some stuff can harm plastic. Etc. Notice that the latest What's Neat/Ken Patterson video shows him using a file to clean points. Ouch. I suppose it depends on how often you need to, and how much you run. But I like to do a quick clean with some acetone, wipe just the top of the rails. Then wipe very lightly with graphite. Do this as often as I can find time to do it. Once a week? Try to run cars every day, or at least every other day.
Walthers Layout Control Switch Motor
I am looking to use the Walthers Layout Control System to operate my turnouts. I am using some PECO Electrofrogs. I will be using a DCC system, First NCE during construction and then a Digikeijs DR5000. The switch motors will be operated from the systems facia controls and from a DCC throttle as well. I understand I need to massage the turnouts a bit to make them work. My problem lies in how to power the frogs from the Walthers Switch motor from the aux 5a switches. However I may be wrong in this. I have checked the instructions and online with no luck.
Using Rapido's RailCrew switch machines
I am familiar with standard solenoid switch machines (like Atlas) and stall-motor machines (like Tortoise) and have used both. The RailCrew machine appears to be a solenoid device but the documentation shows what looks like a dpdt toggle switch that does not use all of the contacts. I am missing something here...
Options for holding down track?
Right now I have my track held to cork track bed with short pins through the center holes. This doesn't work well as they go right into the center where the two pieces of track bed come together which doesn't hold it well and even where I have it offset a bit they still don't hold down well. I see that some people use longer pins (which on my setup would go into either foam or wood depending on the area of the track) or caulking or other adhesives.
Spiking HO rail with N scale spikes
Many years ago I tried my hand at hand laying track on an 8' long switching layout. While a bit tedious the end result was very satisfying. My only complaint was I had to drill small holes in the ties or else the HO spikes would split them. That was double work as far as I was concerned.
As I am planning the new Johnstown and Maryville, I have been toying with the idea of hand laying all the track again. But avoiding the tie issue. So I was wondering if I could use N scale spikes on Code 83 HO rail. Has anyone tried that and what was your result?
Fast Tracks Point Frog Tool - Wearing Out?
I've been building Fast Tracks #6 Switches for many years now, and have probably built in the neighborhood of 40 or 50 switches. I've slowly been wearing down my #6 Point Frog filing jig. The points aren't quite as sharp as they once were, but they seem to still function fine. But the metal where the rail emerges from the jig has gotten very thin, bent, and I had to remove some of it.
Scratch Building a Turntable
Just had to make a reference to this work being done by relative new comer,..but a MARVELOUS job,..... sorry, pictures and text on another forum,...
http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/scratchbuilding-a-turntable.12772/
12’ x 2’ HO Switching Layout
Just finished laying track on my 12’ x 2’ switching layout and getting ready to wire, weather and ballast the track. Had to add an 8” section of track to cross the joint of the two 6’ modules and move the switch further forward. Atlas #6 turnouts used for the entire layout. I also decided to stretch the top industry track to the end on both sides of the modules. I used two window latches to join the two sections, which worked out better than expected. It will be part of a larger layout in the future.
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