martin_wynne

Gordon is trying to encourage beginners to have a go at turnout building, rather than to create an exact scale model of a prototype switch. If you decide that a blob of solder is ok to represent the chairs, and that the bottom of the rail can be flush to the timbers, it's a bit academic to argue about the exact details of the switch planing and the setting of the stock rail. But for a more detailed guide, see: http://85a.co.uk/for...=491&forum_id=1 Only the extreme top corner needs to be a knife edge. The rest of the switch blade can be quite robust at the tip, which helps to create an adequate clearance all along behind it when open. This is a simple model approximation to undercut planing for use with a plain set in the stock rail: regards, Martin.

I think he means a diamond-crossing, Gordon.

Hi Rich, 00-BF is the designation used in Templot for traditional "scale 00", the standards for which were published by the BRMSB about 60 years ago. To all intents and purposes it is equivalent to DOGA-Intermediate, and to standard NMRA-H0, which is the standard most RTR models are now built to. It doesn't require any adjustment of wheels on modern RTR models. (It would do for ancient Triang, Trix, etc., models, as would 00-SF.) 00-BF and 00-SF standards can be mixed on the same layout because they both have the same check gauge dimension, and both run unmodified wheels. DOGA-Fine standard is different and requires all wheels to be widened to 14.8mm back-to-back. The C&L gauge tools conform to the DOGA-Fine standard. Note that after widening your wheels to 14.8mm they won't run reliably on 00-BF or 00-SF. regards, Martin.

Hi Pete, I called it 00-SF in Templot because "EM MINUS 2" didn't fit the available space, and is a non-evident name for track intended for 00 gauge rolling stock. AMRA have an essentially similar H0-SF standard and I believe gauge tools available, from Terry Flynn: http://www.amra.asn.au http://www.amra.asn.au/standards.htm regards, Martin.

Hi Pete, Commercial 00 gauge flexi-track is already gauge-widened to 16.5mm when used with 00-SF and it doesn't need further widening on curves. Where it meets 16.2mm track the gauge is adjusted over a couple of inches, preferably on the inside rail of a curve. For a small layout 00-SF modellers sometimes build 16.2mm plain track for straight and gentle curves. It is then possible to correctly model the 60ft (or other length) jointed track panels, with closed-up sleeper spacings towards the joint and sometimes a wider sleeper adjacent to the joint. For a large layout that would be a lot of work, and most 00-SF modellers compromise by using commercial 16.5mm flexi-track. regards, Martin.

To that end I thought it may be helpful to add a diagram to expand on Gordon's excellent account: A is the check gauge. It is the most critical dimension in pointwork. That's why Gordon fits the check rail before the running rail. If this dimension is too small, wheels running from left to right can hit the nose of the vee and very likely derail, or at least bump. If this dimension is too large, the wheel backs will bind or jam on the check rail. To make sure it's correct, the check rail is set using check gauge tools, as shown in Gordon's picture. For 00-SF and 00-BF this dimension should be 15.2mm, so you can use the same check gauge tools for both standards. B is the crossing flangeway gap. It's also important. If this dimension is too small, the wheel backs will bind or jam on the wing rail. If this dimension is too large, the gap in front of the nose of the vee will be too wide, and the wheels may drop into it with a bump. This gap is set using a small piece of metal shim called a crossing flangeway gauge shim. For 00-SF it should be 1.0mm thick. For 00-BF it should be 1.3mm thick. C is the track gauge. It shouldn't be less than the specified dimension, but can be wider. It is often widened on sharply curved track to ease the running of long-wheelbase vehicles. The track gauge is normally set using roller gauge tools, or alternatively using a 3-point gauge tool, which automatically widens the track gauge on curves. For 00-SF this dimension shouldn't be less than 16.2mm. For 00-BF it is normally 16.5mm. D is the check rail gap. The width of this gap doesn't matter a damn. It's whatever you end up with after setting A and C correctly. regards, Martin.

Hi Mike, May I suggest this alternative method of making bends in a rail? It ensures that the bend is symmetrical, which is not easy if one side is clamped in a vice or pliers while the free end is bent. regards, Martin.

Hi Gordon, Instead of chicken wire netting, try expanded aluminium mesh. Much easier to work with, and far less mess than expanded polystyrene. Can be cut with scissors and fixed with a hot glue gun. Google found several places on the net, such as this one: http://www.meshdirec...creen-c-32.html or try pet shops and garden centres (used for pet cages, etc.). regards, Martin.

http://vimeo.com/25638703

Hi David, Yes I know. But unless new users first try creating and printing out some templates, and building track on them, they can perpetrate some terrible howlers in the track plan. I've seen it too many times -- hours and hours spent creating a track plan straight off. Then finding too late no adequate 6ft way between the tracks, switch blades opening behind check rails, impossibly tight radii. Time wasted because it all has to be done again to create a workable plan. So yes, experienced track builders can start off track planning and know what they are doing. But those who have just downloaded Templot as a first move to handbuilt track should leave designing the dream layout until they know what all the template adjustments are for and have tried printing and building on some of them. Thanks for the kind words. regards, Martin.

Hi Gordon, Make your own with these riveted or soldered to a strip of copper-clad (made-up/soldered on the bench): http://uk.rs-online....minals/0534840/ http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/crimp-terminals/0534929/ http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/crimp-terminals/0534834/ Link to the system with a female connector crimped on the bus. regards, Martin.

Hi Gordon, Forget IDC and use Crimp, using the proper crimping tool. Crimp these onto the bus wire: http://uk.rs-online....minals/4881279/ Bend them away slightly so that you can fit these on the dropper wire: http://uk.rs-online....minals/4881235/ It doesn't need much of a bend if you have the crimps on opposite sides. Then, no soldering underneath, and you can disconnect them any time when fault-finding. A lot cheaper than suitcase connectors, once you have bought the crimping tool: http://uk.rs-online....minals/0531093/ regards, Martin. edit: crimp tool link added.

Hi Gordon, You can prevent the unwanted "related videos" by adding &rel=0 to the end of the source URL. Unfortunately this won't work on RMweb where you have no control over the embedding code -- IPB uses the original YouTube page link. It works fine on YMR -- I have posted your video in your Eastwood topic there and the related videos don't show at the end: http://yourmodelrail...=178249#p178249 regards, Martin.

Hi Frank, That's looking good. Hi Simon, Beginners can in fact forget about the peg and notch until they are well into Templot. For example you can use F7 snapping to create a simple track plan: More about that at: http://www.templot.c...7_snap_demo.htm Or you can use extend and split methods, and still hardly need to use the peg explicitly. See this video for example: http://www.templot.c...em_starter.html regards, Martin.

Hi David, Everyone makes their own choices and it's great that you have found a way that you enjoy and suits you. As I understand it you are using AnyRail to create the overall track plan, with C&L templates/bases for the actual construction. The results are looking great, but I think it's misleading to say that you are using AnyRail for handbuilt track when in fact you are using C&L. Beginners have a lot of decisions to make and it's not fair to give them misleading information. By all means encourage them to follow your method, the results are excellent, but don't make statements which are simply incorrect. Your statement that AnyRail is an alternative to Templot is very misleading to beginners because neither of those programs can do what the other does. David Hoogvorst, the author of AnyRail, steers intending handbuilders towards Templot, just as I always steer those looking to design for fixed track pieces towards AnyRail. Part of the problem arises from the perception that Templot is a layout planning program when its primary purpose is the design and printing of construction templates.There are indeed alternatives to Templot for those who don't like it -- Trax3 and S21 for example. But AnyRail isn't one of them -- if you use Anyrail for layout planning you need to get the track construction templates from elsewhere. edit: I've just seen your edit. Thanks for the kind words. I'm not getting at you -- it's just that over the years I have spent countless hours writing email explanations to those with a misunderstanding of what Templot is and does, and I just don't have the time to do that any more. Somehow I have to prevent the misleading ideas gaining currency in the first place. regards, Martin.

Hi David, Templot and AnyRail are not alternatives. AnyRail is for use with ready-made track such as Peco. It's not much use for handbuilt track. Templot is a workshop tool for handbuilt track. It's not much use for ready-made track such as Peco. They are two completely different animals. If you start off regarding Templot as an alternative to AnyRail, it's inevitable that you won't get very far with it. You must first decide what sort of track you will be using and only then choose the appropriate design software. All this is explained on the Templot web site, but it's a battle of wits to get folks to read it. regards, Martin.

Hi Dave, Well the first part is easy -- Templot is now free. Download from: http://85a.co.uk/for...p?post_id=10771 As to understanding it, there are lots of tutorials and screen videos on the Templot web site. The important point to understand is that it is primarily for handbuilt track. If you are using Peco track or similar I recommend AnyRail instead: http://www.anyrail.com regards, Martin.

Hi Chris, One of your gaps is not needed, and you need 2 new gaps: The green area is polarity-switched at the 1st tie-bar AB. The pink area is polarity-switched at the 2nd tie-bar CD. Note that you will also need gaps at the ends of the pink and green rails. regards, Martin.

A Welsh newspaper reportedly printed the same forecast every day for 25 years: "It will be dry and bright with some cloud and occasional rain. Becoming more changeable later." Martin.

And I used to make them! The standard Christmas holiday job for students was not delivering Christmas cards but working on the Non-Skid Tyre Chain assembly lines at the local chain factory. Of course in those days 50 years ago we had snow every year, so it was busy. The factory was working round the clock to meet the demand at this time of year. There was a bewildering range of sizes to fit every size and shape of wheel from a Morris Minor to a dumper truck. So many links of this size chain, so many links of that size, different lengths of side chains, different spacings of cross chains, different types of tensioners. There was a fat heavily-thumbed book in the foreman's office with all the specs. He seemed to know them all by heart, and would shout some meaningless instruction at you such as "I want a dozen AO29/B/X Left-Hand Red-Clip made up before you finish tonight". The chains were copper-plated against rust. I can still remember the foul smell from the copper plating shop and the din from the polishing tumbler drums. Happy days. All made in China now of course -- on the very same machines. regards, Martin.

Outside Manchester Piccadilly station there is (or was the last time I was there) a sign reading "Please queue between the rails". This one is well known:

Hi Ray, A common beginner mistake is to make the knuckle bend too sharp and/or the knuckle gap too tight. Here's a diagram which may help when setting the wing rail knuckles: The blue infill shows the theoretical ideal with a sharp bend at K exactly matching the angle of the vee and in line with it. In practice on the prototype it is not possible to make such a sharp bend because of the 1:20 inclination of the rails. Instead, a short curve is used, as shown by the green line, making the knuckle gap wider than the flangeway gap. It works fine, and can help if replicated on the model. Some companies made this curve quite gentle and obvious as shown -- the NER for example. On the GWR the curve matches the crossing angle in feet, so for example a 1:7 crossing has the knuckle bend curved at 7ft radius. More about knuckle bends: http://templot.com/companion/knuckle_radius.php But it's important to get the flangeway gap correct alongside the nose of the vee at X in the diagram, otherwise there is a risk of wheels dropping into the gap in front of it. What you must not do is make the knuckle bend too sharp, as shown by the red line. This is guaranteed to cause problems. More in this topic: http://www.rmweb.co....post__p__447327 A way to make knuckle bends: regards, Martin.

Hi Ray, Print the template on a decent thickness of paper, ordinary 80gsm office paper is too flimsy. Stick the template to the work board around the edges only. After the turnout is finished you can then cut through around the ends of the timbers and remove the turnout with the template attached intact. To remove the template, peel it right back very slowly at 180 degrees, rather than pulling it away at 90 degrees. If you go very slowly and carefully it is possible to remove it in one piece without leaving any residue. There are several different types of double-stick tape -- some are intended to be permanent. It's worth trying a different make. An alternative is to spray the template with SprayMount removable adhesive (blue can). You can build it up slowly to give the required amount of tackiness. After attaching the timbers, sprinkle between them with talcum powder to kill the unwanted tack. This stops the template getting too messy. regards, Martin.

Hi Ray, You will get lots of suggestions for stretcher-bars! The worst design is to solder the blade tips directly to a moving timber. It will work for a few months, but eventually it will fail because of the twisting stress as the blade moves over. It also prevents the open blade from taking up a nice prototypical curve. If you use a moving timber, the tip of the blade needs to be able to pivot slightly in the timber as it moves across. You need plain unclad laminate to make it easy. Overheat the copper with your soldering iron so that you can peel it off the laminate, or file or sand it off, or etch it off if you can get some ferric chloride. Do both sides if it's double-sided copper. Drill two holes and insert small brass pins from below to which the blade tips can be soldered. If you have a lathe you can turn a tiny collar to fit over the pin and engage the rail foot before soldering -- if not a twist of thin copper wire round the pin will do the same job of adding some strength to the fixing. Drill a third hole in the middle of the timber for the point-motor drive wire. When laying the turnout you will need to cut away the cork underlay to clear the pin heads. Alternatively, if you prefer not to see a moving timber, there are lots of designs using dropper wires from the blade tips engaging various sliding devices underneath the baseboard. This needs some thought -- an essential function of the stretcher bar, on both prototype and model, is to hold the blade tip down on the slide chair and level with the stock rail. Otherwise the tip is likely to kick up under traffic and cause problems. This means, if you use the dropper wire methods, the holes need to be outboard of the stock rails, and the dropper wires need to be cranked to rub against the underside of the stock rail: The downside of this is that the pivot centre is no longer directly below the tip fixing, so the dropper wire needs to be thin enough to flex slightly. regards, Martin.