7mm Pointwork

[PhilEakins]

Hi Phil,

 

are you making up your own crossing vee's or buying them ready made? I ask as I've just started a crossover of my own, usign C+L parts, and was thinking of attempting to make my own vee's, which would be a first for me

 

regards,

 

Hi marsa69

 

I use the following jig made by Portdown Models:

 

 

It enables me to file the angles and will then hold the crossing rails in place while I solder it up. Unfortunately, they are no longer available, unless anyone knows differently of course.

 

However, you might like to check out this Templot thread for ideas.

 

Phil

[craigwelsh]

Craig. The loose heel is 'hinged' with an omega loop of phosphor bronze strip (Eileen's) soldered to the rail web, thusly (sorry a bit blurred - but you see what I've done):

 

Phil

Thanks for that, it was the idea I was going to try illustrated in MRJ though that one also had a loop under the rail vertically which is possibly needed in 4mm for robustness.

 

Glad to hear it works though and the switches look great and something different from normal flexible ones.

 

 

The ability to manufacture those jigs was given to the scale societies in 4mm though i'd never realised they did 7mm ones (must be a big bit of metal!). 2nd hand is probably the option at the moment though and they are a great too.

[PhilEakins]

Waking up at 3am (as you do) I realised that I had a link to Martin Wynne's solution to making common crossings to any angle.

 

Yes Craig - it's a mighty chunk of hardened steel. I got it by chance from Dave Hammersley (Roxey) at an exhibition a couple of years ago. I'm very glad I did. I just need the same sort of jig for the switch blades, it would save an awful lot of bad language!

 

Day off - so let filing commence.

 

Phil

[PhilEakins]

A pretty productive day, I've got the common crossings in together with the closure rails and a bit of straight track as well.

 

 

The common crossings look OK, whether they are in the right place, only time will tell (tomorrow with a bit of luck). The one on the left is 1:5 and the right one is 1:6. Both will have 15ft switches.

 

 

I'm including this last shot just because I like it, those curves are very satisfying.

 

 

Thanks very much for the encouragement chaps - I might have just found something I can actually do -

 

 

Phil

[Kris]

Looks like you have made good use of your day off.

[PWSlack]

The interlaced sleepers on the pointwork are interesting......what company / era is it representative of?

 

• The North Eastern Railway had standard components for interlacing all the way through from the heel of the switch through the common crossing.
• The LNER produced some standard drawings for interlacing plain track with regular sleepers through the turnout curve, retaining the long timbers for the common crossing chairs, as a WW2 expedient.

Both types were an absolute *£&%@$* to pack with a shovel, as there is far less room in the sleeper bay to wield it.

 

 

 

 

 

[micknich2003]

• The North Eastern Railway had standard components for interlacing all the way through from the heel of the switch through the common crossing.
• The LNER produced some standard drawings for interlacing plain track with regular sleepers through the turnout curve, retaining the long timbers for the common crossing chairs, as a WW2 expedient.

Both types were an absolute *£&%@$* to pack with a shovel, as there is far less room in the sleeper bay to wield it.

 

Drawings of ex NER "Timbered" turnouts can be had from the North Eastern Rly Assoc. Mick Nicholson.

[PhilEakins]

OK, just to finish things off - the (almost) complete crossover.

 

 

I'm awaiting the delivery of some copper clad (I actually need only half an inch!) to solder up the last check rail.

 

The view from the B end, just because I like it. Yes, there is a celebratory glass of something red in there.

 

 

I've worked out that this pointwork has taken me about three days, it was more but allowing for muck ups and re-dos, at an average of about eight hours per day. At, say, £10 an hour it would have cost £240 to have had it built (excluding materials). I can't afford me .......

 

Thanks for all the interest.

 

Phil

[Kris]

Very nice they look. The baseboard that you have them on might not be ideal

[PhilEakins]

Very nice they look. The baseboard that you have them on might not be ideal

 

It's a new concept in 'roundy - roundy'! Instead of the trains going round the spectators, the spectators go round the trains, not passing 'Go' on the way of course.

 

I'm only allowed to use the dining room table 'cos it needs stripping and re-finishing. Not a chance in hell once that's done.

 

Phil

[dajt]

Beautiful.

[PhilEakins]

As a swan song (it'll have to be as I've now built them all!) the last crossover, from the dock road to the down main:

 

 

and how the two crossovers fit:

 

 

The down main is through the middle, the dock siding headshunt to the left and the up main to the right with a RH point to the goods shed via the diamond crossing.

 

Much to my relief building on the Templot plan has resulted in everything being the right length. There is a faint blue line across the middle of the first picture which highlights a baseboard joint. The right hand (nearest) end is the start of the cassette yard exactly four feet from it - as it should be. Phew, I didn't fancy fettling that lot!

 

The third baseboard is plain track 'east' into the station and yard from the points now built.

 

What next now that I'm on a roll? I fancy looking at resin casting to build up some freight stock in a hurry. Need at least two loco's too. Busy, busy .....

 

Phil

 

Edit to correct an inability to think spatially.

[marsa69]

Very nice work

[Softvark]

Lovely work

 

Have you thought about how you're going to do the tie bars?

 

Julian

[PhilEakins]

Lovely work

 

Have you thought about how you're going to do the tie bars?

 

Julian

 

Hi Julian

 

My second post shows the arrangement at the toe of the switch. Because I am not worried about short curcuits (unless I change my mind on how I'm going to do things) shaped brass wires are soldered across between the switch blades. In order to insulate them if I wanted to I would cut a piece out and fit a sleeve.

 

The under baseboard arrangements are still under consideration, but I presently favour 'L' shaped pivoted wire(s) coming up through into tubes soldered to the point/stretcher structure. A bit of experimentation needed. All suggestions gratefully received.

 

Phil

[Softvark]

Hi Phil

 

My second post shows the arrangement at the toe of the switch.

 

Doh - sorry, I should have read p1 more thoroughly. They look really good and will be fine as you don't need to worry about short circuits.

 

I was asking because I've recently had to do the same thing. I tried various products and solutions but eventually settled for the JLTRT etched tie bars. Because they are etched and I had to insulate them I sandwiched them between a thin vertically mounted strip of copper clad. I think they will look OK once painted but it seems to me that you can really get the track looking superb but the availability of tie bars to the same standard is lacking - although I hope I'm wrong and there is something great out there

 

Julian

[PhilEakins]

Hi Julian

 

Didn't know about the JLTRT etch - good design though.

 

I couldn't have used it as it is to the 1926 railway standard (well, except the GWR of course!) and I am late 1800's.

 

micknich2003 says in post 7 above that he has insulated both types in EM - might be worth a PM to ask him how?

 

Phil