Crossing Vee

[animotion]

I recently attended Expo EM at Bracknell with a layout and found some time to talk to some of the demonstrators, one of which was demonstrating track building. As I am planning on building a layout myself any information on track building is useful. I touched upon the point of making crossing vees and the gentleman in question told me that he just filed the ends of the rail to the right angle. I was surprised by this answer as it is not the way the EM Gauge Society manual tells you to do it. I have a copy of Ian Rice's book on track building and his method involves bending the end of the rail. Can anyone tell me what advantage this method has as it seems more work and if it has the same look as the first method I can't see the point. I am using bullhead rail.

Thomas

[Stephen Freeman]

The best way is to bend the rail to the correct angle. The advantage is that it gives the maximum support to the centre of the rail at the Vee and the smoothest splice. All explained on Templot Club of course, don't forget that the splice should be handed as per the turnout (well usually anyway).

[hayfield]

As Stephen has said the correct way is firstly to file and bend one side or the rail to the webb, so that once you file the correct angle on the other side of the rail you have the tip of the rail solid in the web. On the prototype this is for a strength at the tip.

 

In larger scales if you so not do this it is quite noticeable visually. In scales 0r 4mm and lower you do neither need the strength (as the prototype requires) or is it noticable, splicing the rails together as per prototype is far more noticable visually, though sometimes hidden with excess solder

 

I would say as far as operational in modeling scales goes, concentrate on alignment between the wing rails and the vees which in itself will improve the looks of the comom crossing

 

In many cases excellent trackwork is let down by the use of inappropriate chairs rather than using the correct chairs, This is a far more glaring error, which many chose to overlook

 

Whilst I accept the correct chairs are only available in 3 bolt versions (though there are a couple of workarounds). But you may not be able to count the bolts but clearly see wrong/missing items

 

For 4mm scales see Exactoscale special chairs (available from EMGS & S4 societies) or Templot plug track

 

https://exactoscale.com/track-components/

https://exactoscale.com/track-components/chair-positions/

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?forums/plug-track.34/

 

In 7mm scale see Off the Rails or Templot plug track

 

http://otr.offtherails.x10.mx/

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?forums/plug-track.34/

[PatB]

I have, at my elbow, books by both Edward Beal and Cyril Freezer, both of which include sections on point building. Neither mentions anything other than filing the rail for the V. I take from this that, operationally in 4mm scale, bending as per prototype practice is unnecessary.

 

Cosmetically may be another matter, which probably depends on whether you intend your track to withstand high definition close-up photography of all its details or whether you're OK with it being seen only from the proverbial "normal viewing distances".

[Barclay]

I have never fully understood the whole bending the rail thing. I just file one rail to form the vee and then the other to neatly butt up to it. I daresay it's not correct but seems to produce a neat enough result. Not that my track is super-detailed in any sense of the word.

[hayfield]

2 hours ago, Barclay said:

I have never fully understood the whole bending the rail thing. I just file one rail to form the vee and then the other to neatly butt up to it. I daresay it's not correct but seems to produce a neat enough result. Not that my track is super-detailed in any sense of the word.

 

Barclay

 

I agree that from a distance in 4mm scale you would struggle to notice what method has been used, especially when you make a blunt nose

 

However using the incorrect chairs sticks out like a sore thumb .

[Barclay]

5 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

Barclay

 

I agree that from a distance in 4mm scale you would struggle to notice what method has been used, especially when you make a blunt nose

 

However using the incorrect chairs sticks out like a sore thumb .

Ah, yes - chairs - I really must use some of those on my next layout!

[martin_wynne]

4 hours ago, hayfield said:

I agree that from a distance in 4mm scale you would struggle to notice what method has been used, especially when you make a blunt nose

 

Hi John,

 

The blunt nose width is 3/4" scale for bullhead (11/16" on GWR).

After filing the blunt nose on unbent filed rails the effect of the hollow web is very much reduced and hardly worth worrying about in the smaller scales.

For the Templot 3D-printed plug track I have abandoned the entire concept of pre-fabricating a crossing vee. (Likewise Wayne Kinney on his Finetrax pointwork kits.)

The point and splice rails are inserted separately into the chairs (not necessarily at the same time). They can be filed accurately (without a bend) to an angle exactly match the chairs using the inexpensive 3D-printed filing jigs from Templot. They then fit snugly in the chairs. (If bent they won't fit.)

Soldering them isn't strictly necessary, but can done in situ after assembly using a smear of SMT paste (solder cream) in the web of the point rail. Then a touch with a dry soldering iron flashes the solder -- invisibly. The resin chairs can withstand soldering temperature for a short while.

For those who don't like soldering, a dab of epoxy on the underside of the rails after assembly works equally well.

Martin.