Building EM turnouts with chairs?

[JimF51]

I'm asking this on RMWeb as the EMGS forum thing seems pretty useless, and I'm planning to build my turnouts, so...

 

I have read all through many of the TO building threads, but still a bit baffled

 

I have a supply of SMP EM flextrack. I'd like to build my turnouts to match the track, not have it soldered direct to copper clad sleepers. I want to have it in chairs, and on mostly timber sleepers. I'll use a few, much like building a TO with a Fast Tracks jig.

 

So brass chairs at the clad sleepers, plastic for the timber ones?

 

Is this do-able, or am I just thinking it is?

 

Thanks.

 

Jim F

[t-b-g]

That sounds like a reasonable plan. The only thing I would say is to be a bit careful with your PCB sleeper thicknesses. Much that is sold is quite a bit thicker than the timber sleepering because it is designed to match the flexible track with the rail soldered directly to the sleeper rather than raised above it in a brass chair. So laying the track nice and flat may become a problem.

 

Most of the nominally 1mm thick timber sleepers are actually nearer 0.8 or 0.9mm thick so you would ideally need to find some PCB that thickness. The other way around is to use thicker wooden sleepers to match the PCB but then you need to pack the plain track up on something like thin card to match the height.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Tony

[davefrk]

You mean like this?

 

 

Timber sleepers, C&L and Exactoscale chairs, thin copperclad and brass chairs at baseboard edges, C&L flexitrack in EM.

This area has been done for about five years and still runs like a dream.

 

Go for it.

 

Dave Franks

[Steve Taylor]

 

Thats P4 track built by Howard Bolton. The principle are the same though.

[hayfield]

There have been at least 2 very recent threads about building chaired track, the situation is simply providing you use the correct solvent/adhesive, the bond of plastic chairs on to either ply or plastic timbers is quite strong. The main areas of concern for the home builder is the common crossing,check rails and slide chairs.

 

What seems to hold the main obstacle in building turnouts is the construction of common crossings. You can buy them ready made in EM gauge but it will set you back £18.

Those of us who build chaired turnouts make the common crossings as a sub units, but some who are happy to build copperclad turnouts are cautious of this process

 

As Tony has said be careful if using copperclad timbers with chaired components, having said that I am about to investigate if it is much easier using a hybrid build system in my case using copperclad sleepers along with plastic sleepers. The plan is as follows, replace the 3 plastic sleepers under and either side of the tip of the vee with copperclad ones. I have strip the same thickness as the sleepers and bought some 2mm x 0.5 mm shim which will hold the rail the same height above the timbers as the chairs do. I will make the vee in a simple jig and solder it in place. The wing /crossing rails will then be soldered in place using gauges. If there is any of the shim showing, they will be ground back to the rail sides to allow cosmetic chairs to be stuck flush with the rail sides. The plastic chairs can then be threaded on to the rails and stuck to the timbers.

 

I will do the same with the check rails opposite the vee.

 

Will upload photos which will explain the method more clearly over the next few days. To be quite honest using a pre-made common crossing sub unit will be better, but hoping this method will be easier for some

[garethashenden]

I wouldn't bother. You may be able to get it to work, you probably will. But I wouldn't be too worried about the strength of most of the track. Plastic chairs glued to ply sleepers is pretty good. You'll want to reinforce the board joints, but for the rest of the track I think it will be more trouble than it's worth.

[JimF51]

I wouldn't bother. You may be able to get it to work, you probably will. But I wouldn't be too worried about the strength of most of the track. Plastic chairs glued to ply sleepers is pretty good. You'll want to reinforce the board joints, but for the rest of the track I think it will be more trouble than it's worth.

Is this in response to my original post, or Hayfield's idea? (Like your chosen US railroad logo )

 

Thanks all, for the replies, but I have to admit, my head hurts from reading all about UK track, and modelling it. It's no surprise more US modelers don't have a go at modelling UK railways. I have seen far more European and Japanese rail modelling over here. The few that do attempt UK modelling, I think just go with UK rtr models on Peco OO track and be done with it. If I didn't know myself, and know I would notice the narrow gauge look, I'd probably do the same.

 

Jim F

[garethashenden]

Is this in response to my original post, or Hayfield's idea? (Like your chosen US railroad logo )

 

Thanks all, for the replies, but I have to admit, my head hurts from reading all about UK track, and modelling it. It's no surprise more US modelers don't have a go at modelling UK railways. I have seen far more European and Japanese rail modelling over here. The few that do attempt UK modelling, I think just go with UK rtr models on Peco OO track and be done with it. If I didn't know myself, and know I would notice the narrow gauge look, I'd probably do the same.

 

Jim F

It was a response to your original post. Yes you could do it that way but I really don't see the need.

[JimF51]

not a 'need', just a preference. For the same reason I am going with EM, to eliminate most of the narrow gauge look of rolling stock on OO track, I also want the appearance of the track in chairs, not flat on the sleeper, and would like to use the minimum number of clad sleepers.

 

Jim F