'Anglicising' Tillig Pointwork

[Adams442T]

Though I don't intend to part ways from my EM preferences I have found it impossible to resist buying some of the RTR OO LSWR / SR locos, etc., that have recently become available.

 

I really don't have enough time to EM or P4 it all so having also 'inherited' some very useful ply and foamboard I am minded to build a quick Southern layout in OO (I've grown a moustache for 'Movember' so I am fairly confident that my EM/P4 comrades will be unable to recognise me)

 

Though I'm fairly well versed in handbuilding track I was looking for a short-cut to getting something up and running asap. Though I know many people swear by PECO points I think they're awful (and that's being polite!) and I came across the Tillig range which appear to be much, much better.

 

Has anyone attempted to Anglicise them, and if so, have they found problems, and/or has anyone experience of using them straight 'out of the box'? Are they compatible with SMP or C&L track?

[96701]

There are a few threads that give Tillig a mention, an example being http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/50424-tillig-not-for-beginners/. I found the thread by putting RMweb Tillig into Google

[Adams442T]

Thank Phil,

 

I did try the RMWeb search but didn't pull anything up from that. Should have known that I'd find it on Goggle!

 

Peter

[47137]

I have bought a pair of Tillig point kits part no 85423 for experimentation. These make up into right hand points like in the photo. The point is sitting on top of a Templot plot of an HO scale A-4.5 turnout, plotted for NEM HO standards.

 

My feeling is the Tillig point does not really look anything like a British point. It is as un-British as a Peco point. The Tillig kit does however come with all of the rail parts already cut and machined. You have to put a radius on the ends of the point blades (easy) and bend the wing rails (rather difficult), but the awkward parts like the point blades and vee are ready-made.

 

I have some 1/8 inch wide copper clad 'sleeper strip', this is a good match for the timbers on the Templot drawing. I reckon it ought to be possible to solder the Tillig rail parts onto a series of copper clad strips laid to the pitch on the Templot drawing. Possibly use longer wing rails to make something closer to an A-4.5; or keep them as they are to make quite a compact unit for a small layout. The idea being to make something which looks about right, although it uses HO scale parts.

 

The kit cost £7.50, so discarding the base and adding copper clad strips suggests a passable looking point for under a tenner, with no really awkward work involved. I don't enjoy building track, so I offer this more for ideas than a worked solution ...

 

 

[cheesysmith]

Can you post a photo of all the individual bits of the point kit and tell us what the mesurments are for things like the frog gap etc. Just thinking along the same lines s you.

[47137]

These are the bits of rail for the second kit, set out as they would go together. Dimensions in mm, the two dimensions marked * are the chord lengths not the curve length. There are no check rails because these are moulded onto the base piece. I don't have a vernier caliper, but the flangeway gaps on the kit I built look like they are set up for 14.5 mm wheelset back to backs, I am measuring (about) 14,0 mm between the outer edges of the wing rail and moulded check rail. The distance between the outer faces of the point blades at the tie bar is again about 14 mm. The plastic moulding in the photo has the tie bar and some parts to add cosmetic details.

[The Stationmaster]

Useful thread to keep my eye on having acquired a stock of Tillig Elite points at Ally Pally at a somewhat favourable price.  The rail incidentally is Code 70 so should join reasonably well to Code 75 bullhead.

[hayfield]

Not wishing to put a downer on this but if you are going to all this trouble, why not just build your own turnouts from C&L/Exactoscale parts and use C&L or Exactoscale flexi track/ Fast track bases.

 

If using Templot I am certain someone on Templot Club will show you how to make an Anglisized plan that fits the Tillig footprint, if you wish. But why not just use the Tillig build principal and adjust the rail lengths to those you require to fit a Templot plan that suits your requirements

[47137]

Useful thread to keep my eye on having acquired a stock of Tillig Elite points at Ally Pally at a somewhat favourable price.  The rail incidentally is Code 70 so should join reasonably well to Code 75 bullhead.

I have put a micrometer across the rail from the kit, it is a shade under 82 thou, not 70. I will go for code 82 or 83 to match.

[47137]

 

Not wishing to put a downer on this but if you are going to all this trouble, why not just build your own turnouts from C&L/Exactoscale parts and use C&L or Exactoscale flexi track/ Fast track bases

I built an abs-based point kit a few years ago - never again! The tension in the curved stock rail lifted the timbers. The kit had no positive locations for rail fixings. And it cost twenty-five pounds. I want something which works, is robust, reasonably good looking, with properly machined rail parts. My feeling at the moment is I am looking at the easiest and most economical way to do this. I should emphasise, I am wanting to built an HO scale point, passable as a British design, not a 4mm one. So it makes sense to me, you haven't put a downer on it. But when I actually start to draw it and build it is another matter...

[cheesysmith]

I was thinking along the lines of using the bits in the kits (pre made frogs/v`s) because c&l dont make them for flatbottomed rail. If c&l make a point kit in a bag for flatbottomed rail, I would be happy. Having chatted to the c&l at the nec last year, he said that the problem was making the bits like the v`s in flatbottomed would not be strong enough, which is a pitty as timber sleepers with flat bottomed rail is what I require.

[BigAndy]

Being the person responsible for the P Way and scenics on Runswick Leamside, when we were modifying the branch alignment a couple of years prior to the layouts retirement, we used about four of the Tillig points, for quickness ( run up to an exhibition ! )

 

I don't actually know which turnouts were bought, as I just fitted them to the layout. Appearance wise, they looked pretty good next to the scratch built points that were already in residence on the layout and to be honest, we've never really had any problems with running qualities either.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/36127-20120218-145845/

 

You can just the pair of Tillig's in the middle of this photo ( third and fourth running line from the left ). Other trackwork used were SMP and the P4 track companies products. The tillig points matched up fairly well to both.

 

If you're in a position to, you could go and view the points on the layout in person by going to Trains4U in Peterborough, however, ring first as they are often extremely busy and you would have to book a slot! Other thing to do, would be to visit the Trains4U open day in September and see the layout running first hand. I will also be there, so if you needed any questions answering, I would do my best to do so.

 

Hope this helps

 

regards

 

Andy