I have been making my own turnouts using the Fast Track jigs for years as I wanted to use rail smaller than code 148. I wrote this piece back when I had more time and thought I’d share my findings after I laid about half my track. If I had to do it again, I would have used ME code 100 flex track to save time. Building the turnouts is really quite easy after you have done a few!
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I have been building my layout’s track using Fast Tracks components. If you’re a frequent and lengthy reader of this forum you may recall I lost my last layout to a fire and had to start from scratch. I wanted O standard and as I was in On30 and was able to salvage some locomotives and rolling stock rolling stock, some On30. A back woodsy theme dictated code 100 and 70 for the narrow gauge. I looked at ME track and turnouts in both scales. It seemed very pricey especially when I would need custom made turnouts in O and On30 (except for #5). After a lot of thought I decided to try the Fast Tracks system and went “all in”. (remember, the jigs bring good $$ on eBay when you are done)!!!
I purchased jigs in O standard (code 100 branchline) of 36”, 40”, 42” and 48” curves as well as straight and # 4.5 and # 6 turnouts. In On30, I purchased (code 70 branchline) #4, #5, #5 wye, # 6, and # 6-3 way. Also a straight and curves of 22”, 24”, 26”, 28”and 30”. I mention all these because had I to do it again, I would not have purchased so many different radii jigs. The turnout jigs (for me anyway) are a must as they allow a fine working turnout to be made over and over in about 45 minutes. Get the frog and point tools as well as they save a lot of time. I’m using light code 100 and code 70 as I am modeling an old, back woodsy outfit. Also, I think the smaller rail makes the tighter curves I have look broader.
As to the curved track I would still get a jig for 36” (O) and 22” (On30) as this is tightest used radius and it is critical to have consistent. For the second radius in O I would get 44” and the other 2 in On30, at 26 and 30, saving the cost of 2 jigs. (In O a jig has 2 radii and in On30 3) This saves the cost of 2 jigs. You can also save the cost of a Wye jig as I made this one using the left and right sides of a 4.5 O scale turnout. It was not a fast as using a jig, but I only needed one
Here’s how you can do more with less:
As I started laying the O standard track, I used to make an easement for a 40” curve, for example, by using the 48” jig to attach about 4 ties, then the 42” for the next 4 and then down to 40” and then back at the other end. I then found using Fast Tracks sweepsticks and a couple of track gauges after soldering only the inside rail of the curve to the PC board ties in the jig gives you much more flexibility for easements and variable radii curves. You can also make any curve you need to fit your situation this way using track gauges with the one rail soldered. I find this results in much more natural looking track curves and is a lot faster. Except for the accuracy needed for minimum radii you could actually get away with using just a straight jig. See video below:
http://youtu.be/oU-ZbQlObN8
Track and roadbed alignment: what I’ve learned.
My sub roadbed is what used to be called ½ inch plywood with homasote on top. I use cork roadbed but do not like the commercial stuff as it’s too thick. I buy rolls of 1/16th inch cork at Michaels, Ace or wherever I can get it on sale and cut it into strips 1 ¼” wide, half the total width needed (10 scale feet) with my power miter saw.
Here’s where it gets interesting
The basic premise of the Fast Track system is soldering NS rail to PC board “ties” for alignment and strength. The PC ties are spaced at the same spacing on all their jigs and tie racks of the same type, i.e. Mainline, Branchline and Siding (in O). I use Branchline which works out to 5 wooden ties between every PC tie. In theory one loads up the “tie rack” with wooden ties, leaving out every 5th tie for the PC tie, then presses some masking tape to the tops of the ties. You then pull the whole strip out and place it on the cork you’ve laid down on the homasote and then set the rail and PC ties down onto the wooden ties and glue or spike. Easy, right? Well for straight track it is because a straight line drawn with ruler is always straight and everything will line up fine. The only straight track I have is in my small 4 track yard at one end of the run with the turntable, fuel and water facilities and enginehouse. The rest of the layout has curves. The problem comes because of this basic premise. No matter how carefully you measure and mark it is nearly impossible to get the wooden ties lined up with the PC ties and the edge of the cork roadbed and everything centered under the rail, all at the same time. The masking tape is not that flexible and it also blocks your view of any centerline you have. I’ve tried thin masking tape, plastic electrical tape and nothing seems to help. As you bend the strip of ties to follow the curve, the ties lose their spacing to the PC ties. Using slow setting glue for the wooden ties allows some time to monkey around getting everything lined up, but it’s very time consuming. Note the spacing of PC ties and wood ties and how in the last photo it's gone awry! See below:
I now do it this way.
Assemble your rail and PC ties exactly how you want the curves to lay and place this on the homasote and lightly clamp in place so it cannot move. I then use a little wooden jig to slide the marking pen between the rails for a center line.
Remove the rail and using water based Weldwood Contact cement (no stink or getting high with this stuff!) spread a thin coat on the homasote and the cork. Once dry carefully apply one side following the centerline and then the other. Get it right because you only get one shot at it. I tip the cork so its edge follows the center line then lower it to final position. Once down, run a wallpaper edge roller over it. Done. Prior to laying the track I run a 6” long sanding block over it to get it smooth.
Put the rail with the PC ties down joining it to the last piece laid and use a clamp to gently hold it in place. I now place a wood tie centered with the help a little wooden jig between the PC ties attach it to the cork with CA.
I spike these in place so I can remove the clamp. I can now run a train over the new track to see how everything works. Later I use the same spacing jig for the 2 ties needed to fill the gap. See above.
I spike every second tie with the smallest micro spikes I can find where they are visible. I use bigger spikes on the non visible side. Don’t worry about the different thickness of the wood ties and the PC ties as that will disappear with the ballasting. With the On30 rail, the PC and wood ties are the same thickness.
Turnout control:
I use Caboose Industries HO scale high switchstands which I find exactly correct in O scale. To control frog polarity I attach a micro switch under the switchstand with an extension up through a hole that is activated by the sliding bar of the stand. See video attached:
http://youtu.be/5zF3cW_MHFg
Staining Ties:
I hate the smell of Minwax Stain and it takes forever to dry so I use a homemade stain using black and dark brown India Ink in 92% alcohol. Do yourself a favor and wear latex gloves! I mix up about 4 different shades in those old rectangular plastic salad containers you get your “Spring Mix” in. Dump the ties in and swish around until they are evenly coated and colored to your satisfaction. You need to play around with the ink/alcohol ratio so I start with just alcohol and add ink until I get the right opacity tested by dipping a bare tie in. Do the same with the colors-mix the brown and black to get some variation. I use an old sieve to pull the ties out and shake off as much of the excess stain as I can. They dry faster and you stain more ties per box. Dump them on newspaper with couple of layers of paper towels (no, NOT your i-pad, Stanley!) and spread them out so they are just one layer. I then run a wad of paper towels over them rolling with a back and forth motion to get the excess dye off. They should be ready to use pretty quickly.
Painting the PC ties and rail.
I pour some Polyscale roof brown or Tamiya medium brown into 3 small cups and add a little black to one and white to the other and mix, then brush these shades on the PC ties of assembled rail. On the rail I use Floquil rail brown (stinky) but have ordered Micro Lux rail brown in acrylic.
Ballast.
I make my own using a fine ground garnet stone they make hard pan toads with in the area where my summer camp is and use different sized sieves to remove the large rocks.
That’s about it. I have found the Fast Tracks system to be of the highest quality, easy to use and they are delightful people to deal with. Like with everything, you learn tricks as you go along.
A few musts:
You should use Micro Engineering rail as others will not fit the slot in the assembly jig properly. You must wash off the rail and PC ties with soapy water after or you will get a lovely green
Patina on the rail and ties and the paint won’t stick to the ties or rail.
You must wash out your jig occasionally with a stiff NYLON brush so everything lines up correctly.
You must use a good quality solder and flux. I prefer my resistance soldering station as the tweezers heat both sides of the rail web quickly. Now if I could only devise a way to hold two pieces of solder at the same time…………….!
Have fun and now go build something!!
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I hope this might prompt some of you to try to "roll your own" turnouts......
Peter
