MikeTrice Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 With all the recent discussions recently regarding turnouts I had an urge to try and build something with bullhead rail and PCB timbers just to keep my hand in. Having spent a lot of time looking at Peco Code 75 turnouts I decided to do something prototypical and settled on a C8 Crossover using Templot to generate suitable templates. I could have done the whole thing on a curve but settled for something a bit easier and went for a straight configuration. Compared to a large Peco point these are huge (being 27" long) but does perform smoothly. The PCB is home cut which helps keep costs down. This is where I have got to. For the tie bar I have used a strip of 0.8mm paxolin which has three holes drilled then brass pins inserted and bent over, trimmed, and soldered to the switch blades. Rightly or wrongly I have used full length timbers between the Vees: I have to admit, it does look handsome: All I need to do is gap the timbers, then decide how I am going to wire it and operate it mechanically (hopefully with both turnouts at once). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Looks very neat and tidy to me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp1 Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 I am intrigued by you saying that you cut your own copperclad- any clues how you do this, and sources of sheet material? Ps trackwork looks great! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 I am intrigued by you saying that you cut your own copperclad- any clues how you do this, and sources of sheet material? Ps trackwork looks great! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=42102 With the widths being greater for 4mm scale I was able to hold the resulting strip and rub it against some coarse wet and dry to square off without resorting to the clamp. It is not a fast process but very satisfying in a strange way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted February 16, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2016 Looks as though you have kept to 50mm track-centre? 45mm would shorten the whole assembly by quite a lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 Looks as though you have kept to 50mm track-centre? 45mm would shorten the whole assembly by quite a lot. Yes they are 50mm. I used the default from Templot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted February 16, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 16, 2016 Looks as though you have kept to 50mm track-centre? 45mm would shorten the whole assembly by quite a lot. Hi Joseph I recently flicked through a set of drawings I have for the OLE mast on the WCML. The track centers varied from 11 ft, which is below the minimum, to 12 ft 6 ins (50mm in 1/76th scale) and that was through a crossover. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 A trick I picked up when building N Gauge turnouts is to produce a timber cutting jig. It is simply printed out and laminated onto mounting board thus: In use a timber strip is laid against the appropriate stop and the excess trimmed off with side cutters. I am left handed hence am holding the strip in the jig with my right. I did not have enough hands to show the side cutters as well and take the photo so you will have to leave it to your imagination: Have included artwork for left and right handed below should anyone fancy making one. Print out with no scaling. Print OO Timber Jig.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Brinkly Posted February 16, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2016 Thank you Mike that is really useful. I will download a copy when I'm on my PC next. Lovely work on the crossover. Kind regards, Nick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted February 16, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2016 A trick I picked up when building N Gauge turnouts is to produce a timber cutting jig. Hi Mike, That's a neat jig, but I'm puzzled by the dimensions used. Prototype timber lengths increment in 6 inch steps, which you have made 2mm steps, so clearly this is intended to be 4mm/ft scale. But the base length of 31.6mm doesn't correspond to any known dimension in 4mm/ft scale (7ft-10.8in). Which means that likewise none of the longer lengths correspond to any known timber lengths in 4mm/ft scale. If the 31.6mm is intended to represent 8ft-6in prototype timbers, your actual timbering scale is 3.72mm/ft, in which case the 6in length increments should be 1.86mm. The crossover looks great with some very neat soldering. As it's a trailing crossover, it wouldn't normally be used for passenger movements, so you could have made it a B-8 instead and saved some length if space is a consideration. For passenger movements over facing crossovers, a "C" switch is the usual minimum, in which case it would have been a C-8, or more likely a C-9 or C-10. regards, Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 I adjusted the base length as per previous discussions on another certain topic being a minor reduction on the BRMSB recommended 32mm adjusted to suit the narrower rail section. This corresponds to SMP and C&L I believe. I did consider a C10 crossover just for the fun of it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 I should probably add that the soldered joints have not been cleaned up in any way other than the whole thing being scrubbed in Vim Classic Scouring Powder. I use an Antex 25 watt iron with very fine pointed tip. I apply Templers Telux Soldering Flux (I have had this same tin for over 40 years) and apply a small amount against the rail/pcb interface with a cocktail stick. The solder used is thinner than you would normally buy being 0.5mm rosin core. I probably break all the rules in that I touch the end of the solder wire against the tip of the tip (so to speak) picking up just a tiny bead and transfer to the rail/pcb joint. Again this was learnt doing N Gauge. The tip is cleaned frequently using one of those scourer tip cleaners. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted February 16, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2016 I adjusted the base length as per previous discussions on another certain topic being a minor reduction on the BRMSB recommended 32mm adjusted to suit the narrower rail section. This corresponds to SMP and C&L I believe. Hi Mike, Ok, but that means the jig is for 00 only. If you had started at 32mm, or maybe 31.6mm then 34mm, it could also have been used in EM or P4 by omitting the first step. regards, Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 I can easily do one for EM & P4 use if anyone fancies one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 I will probably regret this but I have made some minor changes to the jig artwork and re-uploaded hopefully to give people a choice. OO Timber Jig (SMP and C&L).pdf OO_EM_P4 Timber Jig.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trog Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Having all through timbers between the crossings is perhaps more in line with modern practice. Using butting short and long timbers with staggered joints was more common in older layouts. Sometimes with a couple of fishplates screwed down across the joint. I have seen a crossover with all the timbers split along the four foot of the crossover road, but that was changed soon after I made the local TME's day by suggesting he might want to have a word with the gang doing his re-timbering. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 I can easily do one for EM & P4 use if anyone fancies one. Mike All you have to do is to add a couple of longer lengths at the end, EM & P4 start at 34 mm instead of 32 mm, a great simple idea Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 Mike All you have to do is to add a couple of longer lengths at the end, EM & P4 start at 34 mm instead of 32 mm, a great simple idea Already done. See post #15 above. 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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