Making Track - This being '00' code 75.

[Dad-1]

A pictorial of essentials.

First we have the lolly stick holding code 75 rail upright for ease of handling.
Then in the track behind you can see a small section of coffee stirrer between sleepers.



Another essential, specialist tools in the form of track rollers. I don't know what the
current cost is, but I've gathered a few and they're not that expensive. You do need two,
to work together, here I have 2 x '00' code 100, one each end. The two '00' code 75 of
different generations, one steel, the other brass and just 1 'EM', the second must be
around somewhere.



Tonight I've started drawing out a right hand point based on a Peco short streamline.
I've decide that my one remaining project "Lydd Top Sidings" will be all home made points
with SMP straight track sections.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Practice, Practice, Practice.
This is a skill that needs some development and you can only improve by doing it.
It reminds me of my sport, it took a lot of work to be able to mix it with the GB team members.

I'm actually quite enjoying it, the result is the desire to now make a leading crossover in Set-track
geometry. Something to match the trailing crossover I've already made. Yesterday I wired that one
up to a controller and tested with a longer older locomotive, namely a Lima GWR 2-6-2 Prairie and
it ran through fine. Code 75 fine scale.

Here is the drawing so far :-



I will be adding sleeper locations and the insulating cut locations. This drawing will then be placed under
a thin sheet of acetate on which the pointwork will be built. I have in the past used a touch of superglue
at each sleeper end, but last time this was not easy to remove when built. On My last build I used double
sided clear sticky tape that could be a bind ever time you touched it, but was so much easier to remove
when the section was completed and that's what I'll do this time.

I'm not a draughtsman but use a Peco point with the tracks inked, so when pressed onto the drawing it
left a light trace of the profile. This then more clearly marked while checking gauging with a Peco track
setting gauge and confirming with measurement checks.

You can see the minimum of equipment I use, all that is required is the desire to achieve your aims. More
to follow as I progress.

Geoff T

[Dad-1]

I've not been very diligent, just pressed on 'In The Shed' without a camera near
me. As a result the leading crossover is now finished. Here it is alongside the
trailing crossover.

Ahh ignore the photo date, that should be August !!



I've temporarily crocodile clipped power and run a small locomotive across it.
Currently I'm painting the rails and sleepers on both. One of my "problems" is
the drag, clogging effect on the switch rails sliding across sleepers after painting.

I'm also currently testing my brain as to how I'm going to change the points. I need
polarity switching and latching, but on a rod operated manual change. I have made
a polarity switch before that was attached to a rod, but now wondering if I can make
something where a crossover pair are worked off one manual lever.

Geoff T.

[centenary]

Very nice work.

[Mountain]

I must say I am impressed. Never did buy the guage tools myself, but I ennjoyed experimenting and the challenge of something new I had not done before (Addmittedly I am speaking as if I was in the past).
But well done for really well made set of turnouts there. Much neater and finer scale than mine!
To those wanting to have a go themselves at making track, one does not neccessarily needs track gauges but they make it easier. Also, the beauty of soldering onto PCB copper clad sleepers is that if a rail is soldered in the wrong place, it can be reheated and moved a bit as desired. This makes it ideal for experimenting with, but don't forget to score (File, cut etc) the copper top surface inbetween the two rails to isolate one rail from the other to prevent short circuits.

[Phred]

Looks fascinating. Just one silly question:
Metal rails soldered onto metal sleepers... Why doesn't all short out?
(I know there are no silly questions but no doubt the answer is obvious).

[Dad-1]

Hi Phred,

Yes as you say all the rails are soldered to a copper coated sleeper.
You have to cut through the copper coating where needed, this is not
just a simple line down towards the stock rail sleeper ends each side.
You have to make certain that :-
A) there are fine cuts in the rails, each switch rail has a cut by the
knuckle, about 5 sleepers down towards their sharpened end. Then
each stock rail has a cut coming out of the 'V'. This then gives you a
switchable frog area and that area needs to have additional cuts through
the sleeper copper coating.
I once used a slitting disc for the cuts, but it was too easy to go deeper
than I wanted and weaken the sleeper. I now use a round file as this does
not leave a sharp notch beloved by fractures, and being rounded gets
more easily covered when painting the sleepers. Slower and I suppose
harder work, but it pays dividend's.

The crossovers can be tested about 1/4 at a time to check for shorts, a fine
'hair' of copper can be enough to cause a short. My testing proved to be 100%
so I didn't have to examine again with a magnifier !!

When I get a 6 pin decoder I shall test with the new Grant Rail Ruston !!

Geoff T.

[Phred]

Aah! Thanks, Geoff. Makes sense now.
I look forward to seeing the new Ruston in action.

[Dad-1]

Right, another problem I want to overcome with the minimum of cost
and with a very high level of reliability.

Home made pointwork by me is copperclad soldered to rails. The changing
tie bar is also soldered to each of the switch/closure rails. This needs to be
switchable but my initial plan for using excludes any electric point motors and
will be worked off a mechanical moved by hand rod. HOW TO DO IT ?????

My initial planning :-



I hope it's readable .
I now need to build a prototype to test the method. I have used neo magnets
before on a home made polarity switch attached to a rod. It still works well
after 6 years, or more of regular use.

Geoff T.

[Bigmet]

The smaller radius means the attachment of the 'tie bar' arrangement to the blades will be more stressed than in larger rad points. 'Thinking aloud' here, how about a wire soldered to each blade, each with insulation around it, the pair then run parallel, both pivotted in a latching slide alongside the point? It would need some experiment to have the right degree of flex in the wire, to take much of the force that would otherwise act to break the soldered joints connecting the wires to point blades. (N.B. I am no great shakes at small mech. design; hopefully a better idea will come along.)

[Bufferstop]

I made some fixings for switch rails to tie bar out of Peco track pins. Drill tie bar, slightly countersink from below. Insert pins then bend them through ninety degrees and snip off excess length. Assemble with slip of paper between switch rail and tie bar, solder or superglue bent over pin to bottom edge of the face of the blade. Worked ok, but didn't remain in use long enough to prove longevity. Might be a tad harder on code 75 this was on 100.

[Dad-1]

My new delivery of slightly larger & therefore stronger Neo magnets
have arrived. I now have some 4 mm to use in place of my existing
3 mm ones.
Anyway this is slightly onto back burner for a while - a new layout is
going to take priority.

Geoff T.