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Hand built points for garden railways


Hull Paragon
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I am rebuilding an O Gauge layout in my garden. The original layout was a single track loop DCC controlled (NCE) so I know it is viable. The new layout is a double (2-way) loop about 50m long. There will be a siding at a station approximatey 7m long with a point at each end on one of the straights. I intend to run a line from an indoor layout to join the loop on a curve about 30m away.

 

I don't want to use anything less than 10' radii throughout if I can (there is one section that might need to reduce to 9'), so that negates the use of Peco points. It is my intention to use handbuilt points using S7 chairs with Peco rail. I don't think I can use wooden sleepers (walnut) so I will probably use C&L plastic ones.

 

My question is: has anyone any experience of doing this? What problems could I encounter with hot weather at one end of the scale and frost at the other?

 

I have also looked at point operation and frog polarity. At the moment I am considering using surface mounted servos (I don't think Crocodiles under the boards outside is a good idea), with DCC decoders and frog juicers. Everything  on tehsurface will be covered to prevent damage, or removed when not in use. Again, does anyone have any experience of using these or other devices for external point switching?

 

Thanks

 

Ray

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Ray

 

I and a colleague have recently completely rebuilt the section of my garden railway from the construction of the boards and then laying the track to installing frog juicers, servos etc. 

 

The original boards (our first attempt) didn't stand up to our weather elements in this country, hence the rebuild. All frog juicers and servos are placed in outbuildings on the layout and the wiring is passed down 20mm tubing to the front of the layout where they meet up with the merg servo boards, these have been installed in weatherproof boxes. 

 

As for the track, I have used a mixture of peco points and flexible track. I have been fortunate that my colleague has turned his hand to scratch building some of the points for me and they have all survived the heat of the summer but now I will keep an eye on it over the winter.

 

I am also using NCE to control the system. If I can assist in answering any questions that might arise please just drop me a line.

 

I have attached a shortcut to my page and there is quite a few pictures of the rebuild 

 

 JIm

Edited by jcarta
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Thanks Jim

 

Could you telll me what materials you used for the scratch built points please?

 

I am hoping my boards survive! I have used hardwood ply which has  a coat of preservative on it and has then been covered with felt.

 

I'll drop you a message later with my email address.

 

Ray

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Ray

 

This may get a bit confusing because my colleague whom built the points is also called Ray...:D

 

Anyway, Ray used PCB and rails purchased from Marcway and then sat there for a day or so constructing them and once finished he brought them around so they couls be initially sprayed black and then weathered up. Once dried and after a few days they were fitted to the layout and wired up, so far everything works as it should do.

 

Jim

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I did have to do the odd minor tweak once on site as I hadn't got room here at home to do much more than push a wagon or two through the made points/slips.

 

I'm sure we all know that unless each is physically checked for similarity beforehand there are going to be the odd pair of rogue wheels (or the bogie swing on Jim's Heljan diesels) is going to tax the check/wing rail gaps.

 

I was working to Peco templates so that the points had the same geography as any adjacent Peco points.

 

I'd certainly recommend using Templot to produce the templates if you're not tied to Peco point geography elsewhere on the layout. The difference in Peco 6ft radius points and a similar template produced via Templot is considerable.

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