7.25 turnout construction

[ikcdab]

In addition to my 00 layout that you may have seen elsewhere on the forum, I am embarking on a 7.25" gauge railway round the garden.

I have ordered some 21mm aluminium flat bottom rail.

I have successfully built turnouts in 00, so can i also make turnouts in 7.25 using scaled up methods?

I am thinking that rather than needle files on my 00, i can use my angle grinder to shape the 7.25 rail. Its 21mm aliuminuim so should be fairly soft to shape. I am also thinking to use jigs to help me get the 1:8 angles on the crossing vee rails.

I am hoping to be able to bend the wing rails by holding them in the workmate and using (careful) brute force. Then bolting it through the web with spacers to assemble the vee.

Point blade planing similar with the angle grinder, having marked the rail first.

Is this all possible? Any advice gratefully received.

I will also post this on rmweb and see any feedback.

Many thanks

Ian

[Grovenor]

Perfectly possible.

Probably worth drawing it in Templot, then you will be able to print out the tricky bits like the crossing and switch blades.

Edited June 6 by Grovenor

[ikcdab]

21 hours ago, Grovenor said:

Perfectly possible.

Probably worth drawing it in Templot, then you will be able to print out the tricky bits like the crossing and switch blades.

Hi Keith, I have already fired up templot and set it up for 7.25.  using the templates, I now plan to make some MDF templates to help shaping check rails and wing rails. Watch this space 

[Giles]

Angle grinders and aluminium don't mix well.... they clog and cease cutting. A blade will manage much better with aluminium.  All the points I have made (10 1/4") have been in steel, which in many ways is easier from that point of view........

 

Try to use a band saw or circular saw for cutting.

[didcot]

I put a point kit together in 5" gauge. Might have been Maxitrak, but the switch blades had been thinned and the stock rails notched. However bending the rails was made much easier with a rail bender. I would recommend one if you have alot to do.

 

Thinking about it it may have been PNP.

https://www.pnp-railways.co.uk/

Edited June 22 by didcot