Point rodding

[EJI]

Hello, 

My first post on here having read through some excellent topics. I am in the process of planning a small branch line terminus, something very simple but would like to include a reasonable level of detail. Is point rodding (non functional) as per the Wills item available in scale or could one at a pinch get away with using the Wills item albeit overscale? I am thinking a ground frame would look best. I intend to base the model on NE Scotland circa late 1950s to 60s.

Thanks

E. 

[SteveM666]

I used the Wills on a previous layout and apart from being overscale, I also found it to be quite fragile and easily damaged when cleaning the track as well as fairly expensive.

For my next layout, I used white metal castings and etched cranks from Wizard Models along with 0.5mm brass wire to create a representation of rodding.

 

[EJI]

Thanks for the info and picture. Most helpful. 

[TT100 Diesels]

Hi EJI, I am presuming you are looking for 3mm scale, point rodding needs to be 2" square. I measured some at Peak Rail a while ago and it was 2" square flat U channel. So I replicated that with 0.5mm square section plastic rod. Possibly Evergreen or similar type supplier (sorry forgot the actual one). It is mounted on plastic strut channel sections to "represent" the support / rollers.

 

Steve M666 above looks to be the gold standard. 0.5mm brass wire is also a nice fit for 3mm scale.

 

A picture below shows my representation, if that is any help.

 

 

[fulton]

51 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said:

Hi EJI, I am presuming you are looking for 3mm scale, point rodding needs to be 2" square. 

 

 

Point rodding can be round or square depending on period and company, Modelu in 4mm suggest round 0.4mm wire is correct for their stools, so would be smaller in 3mm.

Edited July 16, 2023 by fulton
correction

[SteveM666]

Once it’s painted and weathered, the cosmetic version I made gives a reasonable representation. Nowhere near prototypical but it works for me.

[EJI]

Hi Steve, 

That does look very neat, so at the risk of stretching a point (no pun intended) is the basis of that commercial items or home made? 

Whichever way it works for me and my proposed track layout would be fairly simple so achievable for me. 

Thanks

Eric 

[SteveM666]

48 minutes ago, EJI said:

Hi Steve, 

That does look very neat, so at the risk of stretching a point (no pun intended) is the basis of that commercial items or home made? 

Whichever way it works for me and my proposed track layout would be fairly simple so achievable for me. 

Thanks

Eric 

A combination of both Eric. I worked out the various runs and stuck whitemetal stool castings directly to the baseboard with superglue. Where I needed to change direction I used a few brass pins driven in to the board to represent the crank bases - these were set at ever decreasing heights to give each crank clearance. I then added the brass wires, bending the ends to match where the cranks would be and doing up and down bends to take one rod over or under another. The wires were then soldered to the brass pins. I then pressed them into the stool castings and soldered them very carefully (and quickly!) to the castings with a low melt solder paste.

Finally the cranks were superglued to the appropriate bends in the wires - take care with this as the cranks face the ‘wrong’ way to get the correct throw. Study plenty of photos before starting.

It sounds like a lot of effort but it took no more than a couple of days to complete mine - and there’s was plenty of it!