I've just been building my first C&L turnout in EM - B6 like yours. I build directly onto the board, so don't have the problem of the slide chairs falling off!
For most of the chairs I've been using the Exactoscale variety - the C&L point kits only seem to provide standard sized chairs - near the V, I used some of Exactoscale's bridge chairs - they fit much better as you get closer to the common crossing. I've also been trying out some of Exactoscale's insulating fishplates - I had brass droppers to supply power to the rails close to each end of every rail (big believer in redundancy!), and should probably have made the holes in the baseboard a bit larger to give me more wiggle room when putting the rails into place as they're a bit tight and it made mounting the fishplates quite fiddly. They do ensure that rail sections are nicely lined up. As far as the fishplates go, make sure the wooden chocks in the chairs either side point away from the fishplate (as they should), or there's not room for them - I miscalculated on a couple of occasions!
As far as pushing the chairs onto the rail go, it can be a bit fiddly and hard on the fingertips, but is easier if you file the bottom bit of the bullhead to a taper at one end. I've been trimming my rails with a razor saw and tidying up the ends with a fine file.
Some comments on building C&L track
in Shipston-on-Stour Branch
A blog by Focalplane in RMweb Blogs
Posted
I've just been building my first C&L turnout in EM - B6 like yours. I build directly onto the board, so don't have the problem of the slide chairs falling off!
For most of the chairs I've been using the Exactoscale variety - the C&L point kits only seem to provide standard sized chairs - near the V, I used some of Exactoscale's bridge chairs - they fit much better as you get closer to the common crossing. I've also been trying out some of Exactoscale's insulating fishplates - I had brass droppers to supply power to the rails close to each end of every rail (big believer in redundancy!), and should probably have made the holes in the baseboard a bit larger to give me more wiggle room when putting the rails into place as they're a bit tight and it made mounting the fishplates quite fiddly. They do ensure that rail sections are nicely lined up. As far as the fishplates go, make sure the wooden chocks in the chairs either side point away from the fishplate (as they should), or there's not room for them - I miscalculated on a couple of occasions!
As far as pushing the chairs onto the rail go, it can be a bit fiddly and hard on the fingertips, but is easier if you file the bottom bit of the bullhead to a taper at one end. I've been trimming my rails with a razor saw and tidying up the ends with a fine file.