Lapped Turnout

Oh Boy! More Trackwork…

I’m finishing up the final pieces of trackwork, bringing them all up to the same standards and techniques which involves hinging the switch points and adding in the missing PC board ties. Last evening I plugged away a bit on the nifty triple lapped turnout that leads into the engine house.

This is the piece of track that had portable bars added across the top of the turnouts so the locomotive can drive over another turnout to get into the engine house.

This time, instead of laser cutting a cardboard jig to align the ties, I simply printed out a full size template and worked on top of it. (I didn’t feel like walking out to the shop to cut one out, this works almost as well, just a bit slower). The completed section of trackwork was taped in place while I slid the missing ties under the rail, using the template as a guide.

I soldered the ties in place trying to duplicate their location as close as possible using prototype picture I had on hand. I think I have come up with a way to actually model the use of the removable rails. Will have to give it a bit more thought, but it would cool to actually simulate this operation.

BTW, Phil Goldstein has a great site dealing with all things New York railroad. He recently added a page about the Bronx Terminal with some great images and descriptions of the removable rail at this location. Here is a link.

-T.

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About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 04-20-2009 | 11:04 AM
Posted in: Latest Posts | Track Construction | Comments Off on Lapped Turnout

NFR Fast Tracks Turnout Clinic

April 17, 2009

This past Friday Clark Kooning and I put on a turnout building clinic at the NFR Convention in Woodstock, Ontario. This is the second time we have done one of these where I build a turnout from beginning to end live in about 40 minutes with Clark narrating the process.

While technically risky, the end result is a pretty good presentation, as long as all the equipment works as it is supposed to. We have a digital video camera projecting what I am doing onto a screen behind us. Other than the camera wanting to shut itself off every 10 minutes, it went well (have to remember to take the battery off the camera when using it while plugged in!). The attendance at the clinic was not as good as I had hoped, there were several clinics being presented at the same time, and we were on right at the dinner hour so this cut down the numbers a bit. But, still I think it was worth the effort and those who attended hopefully picked up a few good tips.

Thanks to John Kanakos for sending a couple of images of the festivities.

-T.

Posted by: Tim | 04-19-2009 | 10:04 PM
Posted in: Fast Tracks | Latest Posts | Comments Off on NFR Fast Tracks Turnout Clinic

Mark’s Carfloat

Painted

Last year, almost to the day, I borrowed a carfloat from Mark to use to determine if the water levels were right on the layout (which they weren’t). Well, after a year I suppose I should return it to him, there is probably a back log of float traffic on his layout….

In return for using the float, I added some rail to it and give it a bit of weathering (Mark asked it I would), which I did this week. I will be returning the float to him tonight.

I had a small window of time to take some pictures of two finished floats on the layout, so I snapped a few, which I will post here.

I have another carfloat to build for the layout, but I have a bit of float bloat, so I will wait a while before building another one….