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By Gary Reighn (gary@reighn.com)
With the roadbed complete including the installation of the ties, I will now proceed to laying rail and building turnouts. My methods for both are a combination of my own along with what I have learned from others.
To represent the lighter rail used by trolley lines while still accommodating the larger wheel flanges on some of the older equipment, I use code 125 rail. Some people prefer the even lighter look of code 100, but you have to be careful about how you install it so the larger wheel flanges don't hit the spike heads. Code 148 is just too massive looking for my taste.
I started by laying track along the private right-of-way towards the street (photo 1) as this seemed the simplist place to start. I use the NMRA gauge to make sure the rails are spaced properly on the ties. Make sure you allow for the extra wide spacing of the rails on the curves as indicated by the NMRA track gauge. This is probably even more important with traction due to the tighter radius of the curves.
The first turnout to be built will be the single point turnout in the street trackage. These are relatively easy if you take your time and measure everything carefully with your NMRA O scale track gauge.
The next several photos show the tracklaying and turnout in various stages of construction. (Click on the thumbnails for a larger view.)
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First I lay the outside rail which goes straight through the turnout (photo 2). Photo 3 shows how I prepare the opposite rail which will mate against the point and follow the diverging route. I use a file to remove the bottom flange of the rail so the point can fit snuggly against it. I then very lightly put a kink in the rail where the tip of the point will fit. Photo 4 shows this rail spiked in place. Photo 5 shows the other rail for the diverging route in place. I make my points out of a piece of code 125 rail, about two inches long, turned upside down and filed to a point (photo 6). I fill in the sides of the rail with solder to make it a little more rigid and then solder a piece of brass rod to the wide end to make the pivot point (photo 7). I drill a hole in the roadbed about two inches back from the notch I filed in the outside rail (photo 8) and place a piece of brass tubing sized to fit the rod soldered on the point. The point then sits in this tubing (photo 9). The point is adjusted it so that it swings without binding on the roadbed. Photo 10 shows the remainder of the straight rail installed up to the inside curved rail. Photo 11 shows the final piece of straight rail installed. All that's left to do is add the crossover, the girder rail, and file out the flangeways at the frog, all of which I'll do later.
Now for the PRW turnout. Since this is my first one of this type, bear with me if the results are not perfect.
The next several photos show this turnout in various stages of construction. (Click on the thumbnails for a larger view.)
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For the turnout on ties, I started by filing a similar notch in both of the side rails to accept the points. I then installed these two outside rails (photos 1 & 2). Next was the frog where the two inside rails come together (photos 3 & 4). Measure, bend and trim the other two rails which mate with the frog and the points (photo 5). Lastly, I make the points by filing down two pieces of code 125 rails (right side up this time!) and solder some brass shims between them (photo 6). A piece of brass rod set into the roadbed will form the pivot point. All that's left is to put in the guard rails (photo 7). Since this switch is a trailing point switch, there is no need to power it with a switch machine. A simple spring to hold it in one position will do. Photo 8 shows the rod I soldered to the points. I then set a brass tube into the roadbed and slip the points into the tube (photo 9). Underneath the module, I will bend the rod soldered to the points to hold it in place and to provide a lever to which I will attach a small spring. You don't want to use to heavy a spring or you might derail cars which are approaching from the closed position. Photo 10 shows the installed set of points.
The next several photos show the crossing and girder rail being installed. (Click on the thumbnails for a larger view.)
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The crossing is relatively simple and just requires a lot of cutting, filing and fitting. Photos 1 & 2 show the first two rails being added. Photo 3 shows all of the pieces in place. To bend the code 125 rail to install on its side against the standing rail, you will need to use a rail bender of some kind. The one in photo 4 was made by Bob Dietrich for his HO rail but works fine for the larger O rail. (Micro-Mark of NJ also sells a very nice rail bender which should work for this job.) Photo 5 shows some of the curved and cut piece ready to be installed alongside the running rail where the single point turnout is located. To attach these pieces to the running rail, I first spike them in place tight, recheck the track guage (very important at this point) and then apply a bead of solder to permanently attach the flageway. The top rail in photo 6 has been soldered to the flageway rail. The bottom one has not.
Once all the girder rail is soldered to the running rails, I use the old hack saw blade technique to clean out the flangeways. Take a 3-4" piece of sharp hacksaw blade and run it back and forth in the flangeway to remove any excess solder. I use a fine file on the railheads to remove any solder that inadvertently got there. Take care not to scratch up the railheads too much or they will need cleaning more often. To cut the flangeways in the crossing and turnout frog, I use a cut-off wheel in a Dremel rotary tool. Take your time to cut the flangeway neatly. Too wide or too narrow and you'll have derailment problems. I use a wire wheel brush in the rotary tool to clean and polish the area once the flangeways are cut to size. Figures 7 and 8 show the final results.
Please send any questions or comments to gary@reighn.com.
Copyright 2001 by Gary Reighn. All rights reserved.