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Using the easy-assembly Finetrax pointwork kits in 00 and EM (and in P4 from the S4 Society)


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p.s.

 

If you want to assemble them at the prototype 6ft way (44.67mm centres), you would need to interlace the bases like this:

 

finetrax_00_centres_6ft_way.png.74bd4a6e62ed2e81419ec9c66cfa4444.png

 

Note that such spacing is not suitable for sharp double-track curves, the overhang from bogie vehicles on adjacent tracks would collide. But if you have gentle curves, the closer spacing does look better.

 

The timbering above is not very prototypical, that's just using the bases unmodified.

 

Wayne has said that he intends to produce kits for crossovers, with the correct prototypical long timbers.

 

Martin.

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For those wanting something more prototypical quickly with longer timbers, there would be a need to either replicate the longer timbers after the rail joints for about 5 timbers, or the first few sleepers will need interlacing until the sleepers fully separate 

 

433.jpeg.eec6c82c3c1ace783dbff98d21346625.jpeg

 

This is a view of a piece I have built  showing the first part of the track panels are on long timbers for the first 5 sleeper positions, the rails in these 5 timbers are temporary, as the next track panels will have the first 5 sleepers omitted then slid into position

 

434.jpeg.658d008dc56d87fd41cb49f68fd1922f.jpeg

 

A closer shot showing in this example how the longer timbers have been used. It is highly likely you could splice either C&L or Exactoscale parts to replicate this. I am certain if you ask nicely most of us who use these parts would be happy to supply the odd few parts required if you cover the postage and parts costs, if you wanted the longer timber version, interlacing panels is just a simple process

 

 

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2 hours ago, hayfield said:

For those wanting something more prototypical quickly with longer timbers, there would be a need to either replicate the longer timbers after the rail joints for about 5 timbers, or the first few sleepers will need interlacing until the sleepers fully separate 

 

433.jpeg.eec6c82c3c1ace783dbff98d21346625.jpeg

 

This is a view of a piece I have built  showing the first part of the track panels are on long timbers for the first 5 sleeper positions, the rails in these 5 timbers are temporary, as the next track panels will have the first 5 sleepers omitted then slid into position

 

434.jpeg.658d008dc56d87fd41cb49f68fd1922f.jpeg

 

A closer shot showing in this example how the longer timbers have been used. It is highly likely you could splice either C&L or Exactoscale parts to replicate this. I am certain if you ask nicely most of us who use these parts would be happy to supply the odd few parts required if you cover the postage and parts costs, if you wanted the longer timber version, interlacing panels is just a simple process

 

 

What a cracking idea. Replace some of the timbering with C&L product. Thanks very much.

Any idea which thickness of timbering would match the Finetrax turnouts?

Bob

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10 minutes ago, RBAGE said:

What a cracking idea. Replace some of the timbering with C&L product. Thanks very much.

Any idea which thickness of timbering would match the Finetrax turnouts?

Bob


I have a pile of C&L turnout timbers, once my order arrives I’ll check as I’ll be doing the full length timbering for a crossover; unless anyone else is in a position to check sooner.

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Crossovers come in varying track centres so a specific crossover may not be the answer. To answer the question, scale thickness timbers will be necessary, i.e. thick e.g. 1.5mm or thereabouts. Likewise standard REA geometry will not suit all, neither will standard 3 bolt chairs.

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1 hour ago, Stephen Freeman said:

Likewise standard REA geometry will not suit all, neither will standard 3 bolt chairs.

 

Beggars cannot be choosers!

 

If you want pointwork appropriate to your particular location and period, it's unreasonable to expect it on a plate. It's the compromise of "near enough".

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1 hour ago, RBAGE said:

What a cracking idea. Replace some of the timbering with C&L product. Thanks very much.

Any idea which thickness of timbering would match the Finetrax turnouts?

Bob

 

For longer timbers the Exactoscale ones are best, but the thicker C&L ones are a good match. Also C&L and Exactoscale 3 bolt chairs are more or less compatible you could always cut the chairs in half removing the part below the rail at worst, but in practice they should be fine. The difficult part is hiding the splice joint, careful use of filler should work. If I join two together I do it under a rail so the rail and its chair hides the joint.

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21 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

For longer timbers the Exactoscale ones are best, but the thicker C&L ones are a good match. Also C&L and Exactoscale 3 bolt chairs are more or less compatible you could always cut the chairs in half removing the part below the rail at worst, but in practice they should be fine. The difficult part is hiding the splice joint, careful use of filler should work. If I join two together I do it under a rail so the rail and its chair hides the joint.

Thanks for the good advice.

I wondered about removing some of the timbering from the kit, as necessary, and replacing them with C&L full length timbers, so no need for splicing.

Bob

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I would say unless you are experienced in track building, don't bother. As Martins diagram has shown it will make little difference if you just align the timbers together by separating them a few mm. Then add some timbers to replace the appropriate number of timbers. Just work out the least invasive method.

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Just now, Asterix2012 said:

I believe in practice timbers may have been spliced in some cases on the prototype.

 

Can someone with more knowledge comment?

 

The ones I have seen were in the middle of the tracks and could be modelled anyway in the longest timbers whether needed or not

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20 minutes ago, Asterix2012 said:

I believe in practice timbers may have been spliced in some cases on the prototype.

 

Can someone with more knowledge comment?

 

Yes. Halved and spliced on site, with an old fishplate bolted across the joint. Easily (but rarely) modelled.

 

However, that normally applies only where a very long timber is needed. Normally there would be no shortage of standard 19ft-6in timbers to span ordinary double-track.

 

Also you wouldn't have several spliced timbers side-by-side, just an odd one or two.

 

It's not ideal practice. The timbers are pressure-creosoted but it penetrates only an inch or so. Halving them for a splice exposes untreated wood, and makes a water trap. A splosh of fresh creosote doesn't last long. The spliced joint will rot faster than the treated timber.

 

Martin.

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1 hour ago, martin_wynne said:

The timbers are pressure-creosoted but it penetrates only an inch or so.

 

When did pressure creosoting come in, as opposed to just soaking the sleepers in a bath of the stuff?

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With some trepidation, I have just put my first kit together. I shouldn't have worried, as it all worked very well. I think I managed to break the centre pillar off one of the check rail chairs, feeding in my first check rail, but that is all that went wrong. I haven't soldered the bonding wires yet, in case I decide to do some dismantling before installation. The base feels scarily flimsy at the start of construction, but  the final product feels fine.

The biggest problem I have had so far is a failure to print out the scale drawing, as none of my installed pdf readers seem to want to do tiling. My next move is to get the A3 printer down from the attic.

One thing I am contemplating is running a continuous length of rail through two adjoining turnouts, to aid alignment and reduce the number of rail joints. Would this be a bad idea?

 

I'm looking forward to seeing the range expand, and placing the next order. In the meantime, I will improve the lighting and magnifier on my bench, and build the second kit.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

 

 

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Interesting, I thought the creosote went all the way through.....I checked in the reprint of the GWR Track Topics, which I'm sure is on your shelf, but it didn't mention the penetration.  However they were vacuum soaked which sounds different to the LMS method of high pressure steam.  I presume the vacuum encouraged the creosote to penetrate into the wood when released.....

 

Also I didn't realize that the LMS used lag screws for chairs and the GWR used bolts with nuts on top.

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23 minutes ago, unravelled said:

 

The biggest problem I have had so far is a failure to print out the scale drawing, as none of my installed pdf readers seem to want to do tiling. My next move is to get the A3 printer down from the attic.

 

In Acrobat Reader (which hopefully you have installed...?), click the Print button then click the "Poster" tab/button. Make sure tiling scale is 100%.

 

Edited by Harlequin
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32 minutes ago, unravelled said:

The biggest problem I have had so far is a failure to print out the scale drawing, as none of my installed pdf readers seem to want to do tiling.

 

Hi Dave,

 

Here's a PDF from Templot of matching templates. It will print 2 pages on A4 paper. Just trim to the red lines and stick together.

 

N.B. make sure to set 100% , No Scaling. The grid lines on the print should be exactly 50mm square.

 

Martin.

finetrax_00_b7.pdf

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3 hours ago, martin_wynne said:

 

Hi Dave,

 

Here's a PDF from Templot of matching templates. It will print 2 pages on A4 paper. Just trim to the red lines and stick together.

 

 

Many thanks for that Martin. I did attempt to create a template on Templot this afternoon, but the settings I chose gave slightly different timbering which didn't match the base, (and your pdf). Even so it was probably the most productive I've been on Templot so far. Now, armed with your pdf, I can go ahead and make up some planning templates.

 

Thanks again

 

Dave

 

 

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14 minutes ago, unravelled said:

Many thanks for that Martin. I did attempt to create a template on Templot this afternoon, but the settings I chose gave slightly different timbering which didn't match the base, (and your pdf). 

 

 

Hi Dave,

 

Yes. Wayne decided to reduce the crossing entry slightly. Do this:

 

finetrax_00_settings.png.54b47c0623886592a540261a10309ba2.png

 

1. in the other gauges list, select 00-D0GAI

 

2. set a B-7 turnout

 

click template > V-crossing settings... menu item

 

3. click fixed at... Click OK.

 

4. set the entry to 14.0mm

 

The template will then match.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

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That's much better, but I still have a slight discrepancy (<0.5mm) in the length. I will try again from scratch over the weekend. The only difference I can see is my smallest radius is 1294mm, slightly larger than that in your screenshot. It's nothing I'm bothered about at the moment, your pdf template will be more than good enough for my planning. But this has given me the incentive to put some more effort into learning Templot.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

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