Hayfields turnout workbench

[hayfield]

 

All the timbers and sleepers have been cut and fitted and the common crossing assemblies made, they now need cutting to length and fitting 

[martin_wynne]

Hi John,

 

We have previously discussed the anomaly in the size of the commonly used 0 gauge bullhead rail.

 

It has now been confirmed that the new bullhead rail from C&L is correctly code 131 again, and from cross-section photos I've seen has a commendably thin web, making for easier threading into the chairs. This announcement from Phil has just appeared on the C&L web site:

______________________________________

 

Thursday, February 18, 2021

NEW 7MM BULLHEAD RAIL CODE 131

I have received a number of enquiries from customers concerning the new rail profile. The previous supply of rail from the manufacturer was marketed under code 125. However, I had some concerns over its profile. The supplier managing the specification refused to correct the profile, despite my referring to the drawings contained in the 1926 specification for 95lb Bullhead Rail published under Standard Railway Equipment – Permanent Way. These drawings have now been re-formatted for 7mm scale, and the engineering diagrams have been used to produce new tooling for the rail, and rail chairs. The new rail profile is CODE 131, this is in fact the original rail code marketed by C & L, a good number of years ago, and before my ownership. How this change came about, I am not certain. but the original C & L tooling has been modified, or is in the process of being changed to make it compatible with the new CODE 131 rail which I am now producing.
From this date, C & L 7mm rail will be marketed as Finescale 95lb Bullhead Rail CODE 131.

I do have a residual stock of the original CODE 125 rail, both in HiNi and steel, which will be available on request.

This has come about as the result of the on going replacement of the original tooling however where possible the original tooling is being refurbished for further use.

The principal difference other than the change in profile is the rail height from code 125 to 131 is .007 of mm about the thickness of piece of paper

Phil
______________________________________

• Note that the difference is actually .006 inches (6 thou), which is quite thick paper, about 140gsm.

See: https://www.clfinescale.co.uk/

cheers,

 

Martin.

[hayfield]

Martin

 

Thanks for posting this, I was aware but until Phil gives me the nod I keep quiet

 

Look back to 4 years ago and the amount of stick Phil was getting, some of it deserved, but few knew the issues there were with the business. The original buyer pulled out at the last moment and the range was nearly lost. I did say Phil needed time both to set it up and pull the business round. I never expected the business to be where it is now this quickly

 

What's happened in the past year

 

C&L is possible the best 00 gauge flexible track available at the moment, brand new mouldings with additional items for both 4mm scale 2 & 3 bolt chairs, and new 7mm 2 & 3 bolt chairs in the last throws of pre-production

New bullhead rail in both in 4 & 7 mm scales

Various other less mainstream products have been introduced

Plus wait for some excellent news later in the year

 

As you know I give Phil a hand at some southern shows and we chat now and then about things. Phil has always had big plans for the range and he has not stopped with what's been bought out to date. There are new items due out later in the year plus other things a bit further away once funds are available

 

Its a great shame we have so many negative members in the hobby. Phil keeps away from this and other forums as there are too many keyboard warriors about, I think Wayne is finding this out. Give them a bit of slack, it is very difficult running small businesses 

[hayfield]

The latest build is progressing, FB rail adds to the amount of work and also thinking what special chairs I can use to add extra detail

 

 Building the linking sections

[hayfield]

  The formation is slowly taking shape

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, hayfield said:

  The formation is slowly taking shape

That looks strangely familiar, John. Will we be seeing it elsewhere on RMweb in due course or am I on completely the wrong track (pun intended)?

[hayfield]

8 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

That looks strangely familiar, John. Will we be seeing it elsewhere on RMweb in due course or am I on completely the wrong track (pun intended)?

 

I don't know is the answer

[hayfield]

A bit of a disjointed day, made some progress but too much football on

 

 

This will be the difficult one as its on a curve. Still I got some more Pandrol clips today, but tomorrow I will tidy up the turnouts.

[Dominion]

I am hoping for advice, inspiration or courage.
 

I have a single slip crossover formation installed. The short check rail in the centre of the diamond needs to move out a little I think. Construction is Exactoscale chairs on plastic sleepers. However The K crossing rails are soldered to thin brass shims. Unfortunately the shims are already superglued to to the plastic sleepers below. The check rail in question is soldered to shim above the central timber plus one on each side. So I think it would have to get pretty hot before giving up its joints. The heat would also almost certainly melt the joint of the tips of the closure rails which I would prefer didn’t move.
 

It works well on all routes and directions except one in reverse. It is on the inside of a 100 inch radius.  It is not ballasted yet. But I fear making it worse. One risk is melting the timber’s, another is fumes from the cyano acrylate glue.  Replacing distorted melted chairs near by would be fine.
 

Is it ever successful to try to “thicken” a check rail ? Perhaps with nail varnish or something else, or do I take the plunge and use an iron, a big fan, and hope ? 
 

Thoughts experience and wisdom appreciated, Tom

[hayfield]

Tom

 

I build turnouts and crossings on a building board not in place, so I can use either 0.6mm copperclad or 0.5 x 2mm brass shim (from Hobby Holidays). I use ply timbers as they don't melt. Once the turnout is nearly finished I take it off the board, remove the ply timbers, trim the copperclad/shim back to the rail sides. Put the unit back on the plan with the replacement timbers in place and fit the last few chairs

 

Another method is to use copperclad timbers, which have been gapped and filled. Either solder brass chairs in place or use copperclad/brass shim risers, once finished super glue chairs in place  

Edited March 2, 2021 by hayfield

[Dominion]

Thanks John, what I know about track building I have mostly learned from your thread; and Martin and Gordon. Thank you to each of you. It's no coincidence that I built them the same way as you describe. My problem now is that I discovered an issue I didn't find when testing before installation.

I am trying to figure out how to adjust, move out, or "thicken" that check rail now. The check rail is already soldered to the 3 shims, and the shims are already glued to the plastic sleepers. That is my conundrum.

Any suggestions welcome. Tom

[martin_wynne]

Hi Tom,

 

I would look first at "thickening" the head of the check rail by soldering a thin strip (or flattened copper wire) along the side of the rail head. Then file it back to the correct check-gauge dimension. If you are quick, and use a low-melt solder such as the types used for white-metal kits, it should be possible to do it with without melting the plastic timbers or glue. Practice first on a scrap bit of rail.

 

He said, never having done such a thing.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[Dominion]

Low melt solder, brilliant. Thanks Martin

[Stephen Freeman]

Go for the 100 degree version rather than 70. The 70 degree version would need the non-whitemetal surface tinning when joining  whitemetal to such as brass or nickel silver. It's much easier to use.

Edited March 5, 2021 by Stephen Freeman

[hayfield]

2 hours ago, Stephen Freeman said:

Go for the 100 degree version rather than 70. The 70 degree version would need anything other than whitemetal being tinned first. It's much easier to use.

 

Stephen

 

Whilst this is a very good recommendation when soldering whitemetal to brass or NS (and I will buy a pack), for kit building whitemetal to whitemetal its so much easier to release joints in steam with 70 degree solder if a joint needs to be unassembled, plus 70 degree is great for joint/hole filling. As far as track is concerned its the normal stuff for me.  However for the situation needed I would (if an Iron could not be used to reset the rail ) use plastic chairs either with solvent or epoxy. If the timbers are plastic I recon chairs could be used functionally, cut down check rail chairs come into their own in situations like these   

Edited March 5, 2021 by hayfield

[hayfield]

 

Even when building 00 gauge turnouts its worth buying check rail gauges to set the check rails

[hayfield]

 

Still messing about with chairs, 2 bolt this time to EM gauge standard

 

 

Trying to craft 2 bolt checkrail chairs 2 x C&L 2 bolt outers and the centre part of Exactoscale 0.8mm checkrail chairs, a bit wasteful but keeps the looks, the common crossings were much the same, C&L 2 bolt chairs, Exactoscale slab and bracked nose chair and a couple of centre parts of the block chairs

 

 

Modelu 2 bolt switch rail chairs, C&L & Exactoscale parts for the special chairs, not really in view yet is the rail joints on the stock and switch rails

[hayfield]

 

The switch showing a mixture of C&L, Exactoscale and Modelu parts

[hayfield]

The next  EM complex is on the building board

 

Starting off with a V7.5 diamond

 

The stock rails and common crossings are fitted and the crossing rails are fitted temporality as firstly I want to see it working

 

 

Then work out which special chairs fit and then alsi notch the rails and fit the etched fishplates

 

 

This Finetrax EM gauge arrived in the post yesterday

 

 

And a quick look at the components show how high quality the components are. Just waiting for a spare building board, will build it over the weekend

[hayfield]

A simple EMGS joggle jig, must order some more

 

 

Until the complex can be removed from the building board, this is as far as I can go detailing the crossing

 

 

An overview before I start on the turnout

 

 

The stock rail is fitted as ahve the check rails on the diamond crossing

[hayfield]

With the complex nearly finished I can turn to completing the K crossings

 

Firstly the complex comes off the building board and the backing behind the 3 central timbers is pealed back and the wooden timbers are removed. The copperclad strips are cut and filed back to the rail sides, the complex is then returned to the building board and the plastic timbers are fitted in place

 

 

The remaining chairs are stuck in place and are a near enough match for the GWR chairs, certainly to the untrained eye very similar

 

 

Just the timber tiebar and a bit of wiring to make and fit, and its all done. A free wheeling chassis is very useful in testing the track work, I think I first saw Norman using this method years ago

[hayfield]

 

Another GWR turnout with a 1-8 crossing and a 12' switch, a bit longer than the norm especially with the extended timbering, eats up the chairs

[martin_wynne]

On 20/11/2020 at 18:25, martin_wynne said:

Hi John,

 

Just to let you know that in the next Templot program update, there will be a new function to create symmetrical Y-turnouts automatically. Here's a bit of video:

 

 https://flashbackconnect.com/Movie.aspx?id=dNJO8HaY3G73Z2URE_7xQw2

 

I know it's something that has had folks scratching their heads.

 

Update should be available in a week or two.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

 

Hi John,

 

Templot program update with this function for Y-turnouts is now available. Your copy of Templot should update automatically if you restart it and follow the instructions.

 

 

I'm sorry "a week or two" turned out to be 6 months.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[hayfield]

Martin

 

Thanks I updated Templot earlier and used the parapet facility plus noticed the Y facility

 

Thank you

[Stephen Freeman]

Just opened Templot - no update or Y turnout.