Nice looking locomotive, Cody. I have one of those Grandt Line kits that I need to start. I'm seriously thinking about making it HOn3.

I have a large chain link fence project for the club layout that is dragging on much longer than it should. A couple weeks ago I built the frame for a 30" section using my new toy, a resistance soldering unit. I don't know when I'll finish it - I keep getting distracted with other projects. :erm:

George

Hello all,

I have not chimed in for a while. But, I would like to pitch in to this forum.

I have spent months teaching myself how to solder and make turnouts from hand. I will add some foto's tonight, but I am currently hand laying some dual gauge in code 55, the NG will come down to code 40. This is all very cool and I am very excited with were my modeling has gone. I owe a lot of it to you guys, here.

I will gather my pictures together and share once I get home from work. It does seem like work gets in the way of my life.

Bobby

Bobby, I've played with hand laying turnouts and feel I still have. a lot to learn. I'm interested in seeing how you make yours.

George

I've been making some code 55 turnouts with the fast tracks fixtures. My soldering leaves a lot to be desired but I'm getting better. I think I'm using too much flux....

HI, a little out of practice. Could I have the link to the how to post pictures, again.

Bobby

Here you go: http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=27749

I've built a few HOn30 code 55 turnouts with fast tracks jigs. I've also re-gauged a pair of those to HOn3, which turned out to be fairly pain free. I'd like to see some of your duel gauge work, I've been quite interested in some HO/HOn3 stuff lately.

-Cody

A test



Hopefully, you are seeing a turn out layed in place.

OK. I figured out the pictures, unfortunately, I am out of time this morning. Making a living gets in the way of my living.

More tonight.

Bobby

Just a few more minutes, to play trains.

The pictures started a little too late in this process. You can see in the previous picture, my turnout is being built in place. I continue to be amazed at how the camera can show detail that is not apparent with the eye. I reference crooked ties, ties that have a concrete color, tie length. I am not using fast tracks but have a few templates that were downloaded from their site. I have made all my own frogs and had to teach myself how to solder. This first picture is of a very rough beginning. It looks so much different now.

I am modeling February 12, 1910. My big emphasis is ice and how it was harvested and housed, transported and used. Ice is something that I had questions about and the more I researched and learned, the more fun it sounded. Also, a big draw for me is the fact that I never have seen anybody else do this industry.

This is just another step on the way. The platform is 2x8 feet. If it grows into something larger, it will be a way down the road. There are several years worth of modeling at hand. Also, there is much learning to do. So this is where modeling school in in session.

Thanks for all the advice. I did in fact make my own spikes out of .015 piano wire, as I learned here. None of this would have happened if I had not happened upon last years Build it in 2 months challenge. This site is a Brain Trust.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho its off to work I go. More tonight.

Bobby

Glad to see you have the picture thing figured out, Bobby. I use Fast Tracks printouts too. One you learn how's to make frogs, things start to fall in place. I'm interested in seeing more pictures, when you get time.

George

Ice harvesting! Now THAT sounds interesting.

-Cody

More on DG turnouts.... just in case nobody has done this, I will narrate, probably too much.



What your looking at is code 55 gauges for SG and NG. You can see both frogs, and most of the main rails. A camera was thrust into my hand at this point. There are PCB ties soldered to hold rails and frogs in place. The very crooked tie on the far right is actually a 4x12 under the PCB tie to brace for soldering. The PCB's are only 1/16th tall. the ties are 9x7 so there is a gap between each PCB and the roadbed.



Take a look at the NG frog. In the picture it is clear that it is both rounded and bent at the end. Without this picture, I may have never found what was wrong. The SG went through fine. The NG derailed every time. It was eventually removed and replaced.




The first time I saw this picture, I was really happy with the straight lines. Then I noticed the concrete ties. Just in case you're wondering, there were exactly zero concrete ties in 1910. My mentor came over and showed me how a quick wash with india ink makes it all better.



All done and onto the wiring. It is the stated goal to run DCC. But I had no motive power with a chip installed for NG. I have some SD50's that are ridiculous looking on the code 55 but they showed the thing was electrically sound. I had never used an Ohm meter before, either. More learning. So, I found an old MDC 2-8-0 on Ebay and got a chip and spent a bunch of time getting that to work. But TA-DA! I have a DCC turnout, built by hand for less than $15. For the rail. It has taken me since right before the New Year, but what a great chance to learn a bunch of new stuff.



Proof I made those spikes! I would sit at the lunch table at work and happily be the center of attention as I "did my nails". Oh, you should know I am the only male with about 11 females.



What's next? Well, finish all the little detail work on what is started. Then start the opposing turnout. It was recently brought to my attention, that many turnouts in 1910 would have been stubs. Especially on a NG line with little money to upgrade to point turnouts. So, I guess school is back in session. Since I am the author of my own misery, you will hear nothing of complaints.

Again. Thanks for all the inspiration. the suggestions, the honest opinions.

Bobby

Nice Bobby. If you can make a dual gauge turnout, you can do any kind of hand laying. Fitting those frogs requires careful work.

How did you fasten the throw bar to the points?

George

Hi Bobby can you go back and explain your making the frogs that seems to be the hardest part to get the hang of. Your doing a real good job keep it up. Tom

So far I have soldered the points to the throw bar. But, fooling with a mechanism to actually throw the points, I have broken one loose. This is a continuing education. I found that the regular ground throw from Caboose was not working for me as there was just not enough travel in my points to allow the throw to move through its full motion to end. Did I say that correct? I think so...I hope. So my next mechanism is going to be a design found in an old Model Railroader from Dec 1961. Before I was even born. Eventually there will be tortoise motors. This stand I found in the old book will allow for that expansion.

I fooled around with several different ways to make frogs. I literally spent 2 weeks trying out different methods. (I work and have chores) The one that worked best for me was in the Carstens 2012 Hon3 Annual. There are 2 articles related to building turnouts. The article by Ross L. Ames on page 67 showed a unique one piece rail method that seemed perfect. But again, since my turnouts are being built in place, I had to adapt this procedure to my needs. The article references a piece of rail 3" long. I used full 36" lengths. The author lists a Steve hatch of Railway Engineering (www.railwayeng.com). I must admit, I never visited the site. The article is very comprehensive and quite clearly written. Basically, a piece of rail is bent slightly, then clamped in a vise. Filing the bend until an oval of flat metal occurs, you bend the rail back the other direction until it is a frog shape.

This leaves a tiny loop of metal that careful use of needle nose pliers erases into the sharp, crisp point needed. Because the metal is thin and fragile, the next step is to solder the frog into a solid V. Literally I made frogs for several hours out of scraps. Once I was comfortable and found consistent results, I moved from scrap and made both my long lengths in a matter of 20 minutes. One was just a straight even Vee. The other had different angles that I matched to the Fast Tracks templates.

For me, cutting 2 pieces of rail, filing and fitting them together and finally soldering was quite entertaining. I tried several different methods with successful results. Maybe not at first, but eventually. The one piece method worked for me the best. Perhaps because of the length of the rail attached to my frogs. Perhaps because it is simpler. Still care must be taken not to file too deep or the rail tears in two when bent back upon itself. But, the rail head and rail foot must be taken off completely or you cannot achieve a sharp point. In addition, I reference the photo showing the frog with the bent and curved end. It is incredibly small and hardly noticeable with the naked eye. Yet, not a single truck ever passed cleanly over this one. It was removed and a new piece constructed. While the turnout is functional, I still see pieces of rail I want to "fix". :erm:

So often the words FAST and EASY appear on the covers of Model Railroader. How come we never see the words Satisfaction or Pride? These are words I am learning through this project.


Bobby