Hayfields turnout workbench

[hayfield]

Progress a bit slow this evening owing to having the football on

 

 

All the rails now soldered in position, a glimpse on my Heath Robinson style of testing the turnouts using short pieces of rail to connect power over rail breaks. Just the job for initial testing. Next is to fit the tiebars and proper testing

 

Next up a 4 turnout and one catch point complex

[polybear]

If a loco had the same type of issue as for instance the wrong size of sleepers or wrong sleeper spacing, just think of the outcry.  

 

Don't mean to be picky, but are you sure you've got the right number of chair bolts....

And are the keys all pointing the right way?

[hayfield]

Don't mean to be picky, but are you sure you've got the right number of chair bolts....

And are the keys all pointing the right way?

 

 

You missed out the correct style of chair, and what about rail profile. Period layouts using flatbotton rail held down by clips !!

[hayfield]

Next up is a simple turnout formation.

 

 

Very untidy work area but starting to cut the timbers for the crossover and turnouts, Starting with the longer ones and keeping an eye on the length of the ends of the strip to minimise waste (relieves the boredom ), under 10mm on first 6 strips.

 

I will then gut the isolation gaps before soldering up the rails, though I guess I will make the Vee's and other bits in between to keep me sane 

Edited March 11, 2015 by hayfield

[Derekstuart]

SIMPLE turnout formation?

Did you realise you had a photo of Clapham Junction instead?

Next up is a simple turnout formation.

 

[hayfield]

Think it looks more than it is, would be fun to build Clapham Junction though.

[hayfield]

 

A few more timbers added, looks like quite a lot of gapping tomorrow.

[hayfield]

Too many distractions today, finished cutting the sleepers

 

 

I do like to gap the sleepers electrically before fitting any rails, just looks neater and the trackwork can be tested electrically whilst being built

 

 

Timber gaping in progress, been done in 3 short sessions between doing other things, the top route has been gaped and tested electrically, the catch point has been gaped as has half of the bottom turnout

 

Off to club now, less done than hoped. But other more mundane things accomplished.

[hayfield]

 

Been a very busy 4 days at work due to illness, so very little work done on the formation

 

 

The next few photos just to show the sequence I have taken fitting the stock rails

 

 

a atch point has been included

 

the formation is built in 3 sections, two turnouts an a crossover

 

 

 

 

 

Wing and closure rails being fitted

Edited March 16, 2015 by hayfield

[hayfield]

Managed to get a bit more done this morning before work

 

 

Making and fitting switch blades

 

 

I have tested the first two sets (the crossover) with a loco (benefit fo cutting the isolation gaps before fitting the rails) and no real problems even without check rails. Only one turnout needing the switch/crossing & wing rails, and then 4 sets of check rails

 

I bought a P4 Wills 94xx the other day, as it happens 2 A5's are required next so will be able to use my loco quicker than I thought 

 

Edit

 

Must tidy up my work bench !!

Edited March 17, 2015 by hayfield

[hayfield]

Further progress on the formation this evening

 

 

All the main parts now built and soldered in place with just the tiebars needing fitting. Initial testing done and all works fine, so tomorrow it will be tiebars and final testing

 

 

Next up so I can test my new toy

 

 

Rubbish photo, body a bit rough, hand painted, paint rubbed off and just a basic body build. BUT a very good P4 chassis, the outer 2 wheels are fixed with the centre ones sprung, much better for testing than my two 0-4-0's. Also has a coreless motor (wasted on me!!)

[BenW]

Think it looks more than it is, would be fun to build Clapham Junction though.

 

That's bonkers John, but for my part it would be fun to watch you build Clapham!  Formation's looking good, will be fantastic to see it finished .

 

B

[hayfield]

Would be a great project though, Oh for the space, time and funds. nothing like seeing a long train snake through a set of turnouts and crossings

[BenW]

Does look good doesn't it, especially when propelling - now that's a test of skill!

[hayfield]

With the formation finished a couple of P4 turnouts have hit the bench

 

 

Just in time to test my new (to me) Wills Finecast P4 94xx. Usual start with cutting the timbers first, then gaping them with a junior hacksaw. This does take a bit longer than using a slitting disc, but I think a better visual look is obtained. 

[hayfield]

I have been asked to show my (cack handed) way of fitting the tiebar. I like the tiebars to hold in place by themselves with copperclad turnouts when the direction is changed. Never seems to affect point motor operation

 

The turnout timbers are 4 mm by 1.. I.6mm where as the tiebar is 3.3 mm by 1.06 mm. I use flux free solder wire, if using resin core solder still use flux

 

 

I have used a piece of ply sleeper strip under the tiebar, as I want it to lift the other sleepers slightly off the board

 

 

Looks more awkward than it is, thumb nail and fore finger hold the switch rail against the tiebar with slight pressure, nice and square. Note the tiebar is in line with the sleepers and centralised, also pre gapped. Now paint some flux on the joint and in and out very quickly with a hot iron

 

 

As you can see its now been soldered in place

 

 

Slide the tiebar across and repeat, a 20p bit is just the correct thickness if you want a gauge, just make sure that the tiebar is still straight.

 

 

If the tips of the switch rails are not flush with the stock rails hold them against the stock rails again with your thumb nail and fore finger, and again in and out very quickly with the iron

 

By holding downward pressure on the switch rail against the tiebar also prevents solder from creeping under the joint

 

Hope this helps, far quicker to do than explain. Will take some new photos later hopefully better quality and download (or is it upload?)

Edited March 26, 2015 by hayfield

[Donw]

I assume what you are doing it lifting the tiebar while soldering to make it tight under the stock rails so that there is a degree of friction which holds the tiebar in place unless force is applied from the point motor (or linkage I presume), and there's me trying to balance it so it will move freely without the top of the blade being too high.

Don

[hayfield]

Serron

 

Thanks for those tips, nothing more frustrating than soldering the switch rail to the stock rail. great idea about those wooden clothes pegs. Aluminium sprung hair grips do the same thing. Its surprising what items we find useful, which were designed for other uses

[hayfield]

In between doing other builds I am making for myself a hand built turnout similar to a Peco large radius point. I am using some Exactoscale timbers salvaged from an  aborted build which I cannot remember. Once painted should look fine.

 

Now on a couple of other posts were questions about hand built track using a composite method using the simplicity of making the common crossings with copperclad sleepers but the looks of chaired track

 

 

I had previously laid some plastic timbers, so it was an easy job to cut some sleepers

 

 

I took the opportunity not only to cut the isolation gaps in the sleepers before fitting but also have filler the gaps with filler. I have also fitted some brass shim (2 mm x 0.5 mm brass strip) to lift the rail above the timbers at the same height as the chairs

 

 

Simple job of threading some chairs on the end of a Vee (which was made in a simple jig), using the outer 2 to fix the vee in place, then it was a simple job of soldering the vee to the sleepers.

 

Next up will be the wing/crossing rails.

 

That will be in a few days, still very easy todate

[BenW]

Thanks for the tutorial John, I'll let you know how I get on - the stuff arrived fine thanks.

 

B

[hayfield]

A break from a series of EM gauge copperclad turnouts, a group of P4 turnouts

 

 

Here we have two turnouts which are very slightly curved, using Exactoscale plastic timbers. These are my preferred choice for the following reasons. Firstly the thin plastic sleepers to tend to curl up slightly over time unless they are well stuck down, this I can only think is the solvent used to stick the chairs to the sleepers contracting as they dry out, the thicker ones do not suffer from this (that is why I believe Len Newman introduced thick ones into the C&L range and only thicker ones in the Exactoscale range) Secondly the longest timbers in the C&L range are 59 mm long, The longest timbers on these are 60 mm but on A5's can be 62 mm and on crossovers much longer, the longest on the Exactoscale fret is 86 mm.

 

The common crossings have been made and will be cut to length once I am ready to fit them, These are quite fiddly to build, no wonder C&L charge £16 per unit. I do find the DD Wheelwrights crossing alignment aid very useful.

 

 

edit; what a rubbish photo, must do better later and a dark coloured building board

Edited April 4, 2015 by hayfield

[Dominion]

What track gauge and standards can you use the DD Wheelwright crossing alignment aid for ?  Is there anything similar for oo-sf ?  Thanks, Tom

Edited April 4, 2015 by Dominion

[hayfield]

Dominion

 

Its for P4, the EM Gauge Society may have an EM gauge version, but you could may your own version reasonably easily

 

 

This is the DD Wheelwrights unit, fine for both copperclad and rivet construction, but for making separate assemblies I have soldered a piece of rail toi a sheet of copperclad

 

 

 

I also use this simple jig for other gauges, by substituting the block gauge for a strip of Aluminium bar (any metal will do, then just use the correct depth wing rail gauge. 

 

 

Solder some shim or copperclad to the Vee where the sleepers are, the metal strip holds the Vee in position and allows you line the first wing/crossing rail up to solder in place. Lost the next photo so have attached the DD one next

 

 

Shows you the principal, you could even make a block gauge of your own as it is easy to use for both sides, but I find the bar is fine.

[Dominion]

Extremely helpful, thank you Hayfield. When you say you lost the next photo, does that indicate you have posted it before and I could try to find your original post somewhere ? Regards, Tom

[hayfield]

Tom

 

Yes I have, I will take another in a day or so as I have another common crossing to make