Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Discuss the prototype and how to model it.
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Knuckles
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Sun Aug 05, 2012 5:08 pm

Ealing wrote:I've got to say that I admire your spirit and energy Knuckles. And it's heartening to see so much support from Keith and the others. This thread is a real advert for this forum.



doktorstamp wrote:I too find this thread quite inspirational. Being like Knuckles a newbie to P4 who has acquired an awful lot of bits and pieces, but not found the time to put anything together, well at least of note.

What I particularly like about this thread are the answers or solutions to problems encountered. Certainly, as one person has stated, this thread is ammbassadorial for the society.

mfG

Nigel



Well that's great to hear, (or read) especially as a few have said similar. I must be doing something right, and it indeed is great that people are so helpfull.
I've been doing some more.

Updatangio:

Erm where do I start? Well, I have added the furthest wing rails and also some closure rails (think that is what they are on a diamond/slip)

I left gaps on most the check rail areas to interlace the chairs, I forgot on this one so I shaved all chairs. If joint is weak a dab of brass 'n' solder will sort it.
Image

Flangway gauge starting from V sets position.
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Closure things in place. Angles and gaps not perfect so I placed them a smidge close so I can tweak the shape later if nessasary. My truck tests approve though.
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2 overall views. I need to buy some more rail so I guess it's time to do more check rails.
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Truck tests pushed through all the bits I curently can seem good. The formation is starting to look better now, more like its intended. :-)
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Knuckles
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:48 pm

I have done an awful lot and am nearly finished. I was going to post a progress example tinight but thjngs are starting to look almost done now. I'll refrain until it is complete and just do one monster post.
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby grovenor-2685 » Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:02 pm

Looking forward to it.
Keith
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Sat Aug 11, 2012 2:27 pm

Ok here we are. 99% (100%) finished, so this is basically my last full post on it.

Having the closure rails in place has given me a datum to gauge and fit the 1st double edged sword (point blade..what else?), I used the previous method I invented beforehand which was to bodge it with a mini drill and sander, then tweak and bend to suit afterwards. It's worked every time, just isn't quite as neat as maybe doing it with hand files but as I said before I felt like I was pidelling in the wind as it was taking longer than I could endure. As I said before as long as things work that's the primary concern here for I can hone skills and neatness with later more practiced efforts.

Image
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Chairs filed rather thin for the other blade.
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Fixed in place.
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On this Check Rail I call these the 'Rizla Check Chairs', first they are as thin as Rizla papers, and secondly you have to double check they are actually there, that's why it's called a Check Rail. :D
Image

With the check clearencies I've had some bother here and there. I've been using the guage but it's still not 100% perfect and it's even evident in some of the pic's, they are all ok with the gauge but some are a tight fit and others are a willy in a welly. There is also evidence in some areas of mini drill disk abuse to open them out, but this isn't reccomended as it's made a bit of pigs ear of things. Functionally things seem ok, but visually not so much.

I finished off the little bits, added all the other check rails and also soldered the Stretcher bars in place from C&L. I did solder one blade to the Stock by accident (a common issue I've read) but it wasn't hard to sort out. Luckily I only ued a tiny bit of solder as the Swan Morton blade happily split them. I also added the fish plates, a couple of brass ones soldered and folded but mostly plastic from C&L.

It was now time to remove the template/s so I knifed around the edges then tipped it upside down...
Image

Carefully peeled the paper away at an angle to reduce chances of it all going pear shaped and gently one timber/sleeper at a time pulled them off. I used a small file to hold the timbers/sleepers down as i did it. only 3 or 4 slide timbers escaped and fell off so that's good going I think. 'Powerbond 806' to the rescue.
Image

After this I refered to the master template for the electrical bonding. Seeing that I split a rail earlier worried it might effect the electrical functioning of the V, and seeing the template said to bond it I did so. I think when it comes to it I'll have another look at Keiths picture edit and cut a rail or two if nessasary. I've tried to plan things beforehand as I built it but ignorance and lack of experience has gotten the better of me here. Never mind.

I used some scrap brass etch from a tender kit I made and used that as both the mechanical and electrical joint all in one. I also found as I was building the formation that 1 point blade, a V, and one of the center check rails didn't want to stay still, partly because of a lack of support on the latter. This didn't worry me as I knew I had to bond them later, and I'm glad to say the plan worked; the bonding has leveled things out as they should be, they do however show up and look rather obtrustive, but I guess after paint and ballast I can live with that.


Image
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This is basically complete, the only visual tings that need doing are to add a few fish plates on the single turnout (some are fudged due to mistakes with only 3 bolts), file off the excess bonding brass and paint it, make some fake rail cuts at the joints and, yes, I've made chair mistakes again, getting the keys the wrong way around but in the complex areas I've had no clue which ways the keys go so I've kind of just...made things up...not brilliant.
Also it seems by the photographs that the timbering is all out of sync again, being shorter on one side of the slip and longer on the other. :evil: Too late, live with it I guess. This I rekon is due to the gauging process of always having a rail to go by, and the formation pslightly changing angle and profile by accumalative errror, I don't know.
Overall though I'm very very pleased with this, my trucks now roll through fine in all directions and I pushed my converted Hymek through it with no problems. I did wire one end to the controller, put it on full power and let the flywheel take the loco through the formation (because the frogs are hungry and haven't been fed..ribbit) and there didn't seem to be any issues. So hopefully when I figure out how to wire it and install it one day it will still be ok.

Best thing is I have actually enjoyed this excersize and as long as these mistakes arn't a write off I'll be happy to look forward to installing it on my layout plan, other than a double slip it's the most complex formation in the whole plan.

TOU: (Turnout Operating Unit - Only spelled out it's entire meaning for the benefit of others as it took me literally a couple of monthsto find it's meaning)

Help? I've read the threads but unsure. In my pics above I've bent the ends of the stretcher bars to provide temporary hand operation just to test wagons etc. I've read these aren't strong enough to be used by stall motors or wire-in-tube. My question is why? They seem ok with a little finger pressure. Also suggestions greatly accepted as this, coupled with instillation on a layout will I guess be the real completion, other than painting.

As a n00b what you think? :) Any ways to improve I'm all ears.
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Armchair Modeller » Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:14 am

You have been very brave to try such a complex piece of track as your introduction to P4. I am very pleased to hear that it all works. This will be very encouraging for any other newbies looking in.

Many people have a mental block about building trackwork, worrying about the problems instead of giving it a go. Hopefully you will have encouraged others to make a start :D

Perfection only comes with practice. I find that I have to keep building track so I remember all the things I have learned as I go along. I could never build at your pace, but am slowly building enough track to do a small layout.

As for wiring, are you going DC or DCC?

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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:41 am

Thanks Armchair Modeller. :-)
I can only build at this pace 'cus I don't currently have a life...sort of.
I'm still confused as to where I need to make those electrical brakes due to the proximity of the V's but I'll give that picture edit Keith made another study, hopfully it'll all come clear but currently my mind is still seeing spagetti.

I want to go DCC, have never tried it but am definently going to.

As for the mental block I had it at first but was determined to give P4 a go. It took a long time to finally gulp but hlad I did because so far I seem to be making a series of small successes...good for confidance. My limited experience and interpretation is telling me that P4 isn't hard but requires more patience, time and loving care than RTR only 00 of whatever. I may however be proven wrong once I tackle a double slip, 3 way or semi outside single!

If you trace my history on this forum I have had a strategy in my potential P4 conversion experiments; incremental complexity. It's not exactly an original strategy but one that all too easily breaks it's own dicsipline, but I think I have stuck to it. First I tried some Exactoscale Fast Track, then individual chairs,by same and then C&L, then some curved track then an Exactoscal 'easy' point kit, then the slightly harder C&L Timber Tracks and now this whole formation scratch built. No easy bits here, templates, self cut timbers, self made point blades, V's and Wings. This is what Im happy about too: I was scared of making my own 'ard bits but I managed it with no real bother, thus cheaper. :-)

After I've figured and corrected the electrical and operational bits I wander what I will do nect?
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RobM
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby RobM » Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:10 am

There are wiring diagrams in the Digests but also at http://www.scalefour.org/history/p4wiringsystem.html which I re-drew from the original Protofour Manual. Single slip wiring at http://www.scalefour.org/history/images/fig3a.html.
Look forward to the next project.......... :)
Rob

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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Sat Aug 18, 2012 8:48 am

Thanks Rob. The problem isnt so much knowing how to wire it, but how to wire it with the frogs almost interlaced, knowing where to add the breaks etc. Ive had another look at Keiths diagram and gone for the hard option; put a break in the stock rail thats by a check raol. So far Ive only done one. If you imagine travelling into the slip from the standard point then its the first check rail on the right after the frog. I don't know if I should make the other break in the same place opposite or use the stock rail break further towards the standard point blades, if you can understand that. Hard to describe.

I need help with rust though. It likes to rust. I have corrosive fingers with sweat n salt it seems, not only that but the flux I did wash off with white spirit but its still gone brown.

Please could you advise how to A remove and B keep it that way!?
I don't have a problem with the rail heads, it's sides that are dying. Im not bothered in how it looks for to me it is realistic, if not a tad thick, but I am worried about it buggering electrical connections and joints later. Any ideas?
Also any advice etc on the formation in general? I"d like to know what ye think so I could imorove.
I'm rather amazed I made it this far to be honest, yet it can still go all to pot if I don't sort it fully.
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby LesGros » Sat Aug 18, 2012 9:47 am

Knuckles wrote:
... I need help with rust though. It likes to rust. I have corrosive fingers with sweat n salt it seems, not only that but the flux I did wash off with white spirit but its still gone brown. ...


You could try wearing surgical gloves; Boots sell them in various sizes in boxes of 100 for under a tenner. You can get them in vinyl or latex; I prefer the latter because they are softer and more comfortable. Your hands will continue to sweat, but not onto the model. :D

cheerydoo
LesG

The man who never made a mistake
never made anything useful

Armchair Modeller

Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Armchair Modeller » Sat Aug 18, 2012 12:29 pm

There are several "primers" on the market that will convert rust into an inactive key for paint. They are sold mainly for car repairs. You would need to brush off any loose rust first though. They may be a bit thick for use on trackwork, so experimenting (possibly with various thinners?) might be worth trying before you do the track itself.

I first tried steel rail myself, but quickly regretted it. Using soldered construction, I found the combination of flux and sweaty fingers quickly induced rusting. For a small formation, you can deal with the completed track fairly quickly. A complex piece of trackwork may take many days or even weeks to complete though - by which time the rust has well set in. In the end, I decided that nickel silver rail was the only way. The steel stuff went in the bin.

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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby grovenor-2685 » Sat Aug 18, 2012 2:43 pm

Since you are using plastic chairs you are doing very little soldering, I don't know about the sweaty finger syndrome as I apparently don't suffer from it, but there is no reason to use corrosive flux on anything that cannot be scrubbed under the tap afterwards. For wiring connections standard rosin cored solder as used for electronics does the job just fine, the crossing vees should be scrubbed in warm water after soldering to remove all traces of flux.For the tie bar connections follow Tim's advice to use brass pins and they will also solder up with the electrical cored solder. So you should end up without any corrosive flux splashes. It is always best when soldering to the rail to tin the rail, and the wire or pin end, first then you can check the solde has taken properly before bringing the parts together. You need to see the solder wet the surface without blobbing up.

One big advantage of the ply and rivet method is that the whole thing can be scrubbed off in the sink after soldering to remove all the residues. You can't do that with the plastic chairs or you would smash it all up. Parts of my steel track are now over 40 years old and I have not had a rust problem.

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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:59 pm

Ok, thankyou for the responces. I might try getting some gloves as it seems a good idea. I gave everything a fibreglass scrubbing and thankfully didn't get splinters this time! Worked well.


I have two bits of rail that I havd dipped in flux and put in a container. Once everything is orange or brown I'm going to experiment with various substances and see if I can find a solution that works- get the duel meaning there? Hahawheeooooonotfunny.

I spent a while researching online and opinions seem legion. Hopefully the post will be of some help.

I think the main thing to do is get the rust off, then I can coat it.
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Philbax » Sat Aug 18, 2012 10:18 pm

use jenolite but do not soak it for more than a few days
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jenolite-JRR038 ... 307&sr=8-1

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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:32 pm

I don't think I can soak it in anything to be honest. I.have a feeling the chairs and sleepers would complain. I don't know, but I'm getting that impression. I have even read Vinager or genuine full fat Coca Cola is supposed to disolve rust.
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby allanferguson » Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:05 am

Would I be right in thinking that if all the soldered joints (including the wiring) are properly done beforehand, they will be unaffected by adjacent surface rust?
We used steel for "Burntisland" and I personally wouldn't touch the stuff again. We spend ages before every exhibition just cleaning the railheads. And trying to do repairs is a nightmare.
Nice piece of trackwork there, by the way -- it flows beautifully.

Allan F

David Thorpe

Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby David Thorpe » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:29 am

As I use nickel silver rail I have no problems with rust on track, but I do find that steel axles can go rusty.

DT

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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Jan » Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:30 am

DaveyTee wrote:As I use nickel silver rail I have no problems with rust on track, but I do find that steel axles can go rusty.

DT


Yep/ Me too. I have some Ultrascales... and don't get me started on guitar string springs.... needless to say, I go through all sorts of palaver to negate the common influence (I'm pretty sure it's me... I don't have a problem with sweating or anything, but a guitar wire can be coiled up for ever; once it's been re-homed in a springing unit, however, the rusting starts...). I've just completed another BB sub-chassis for a Dia 108... I'll keep an eye on it...

wally

Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby wally » Sun Aug 19, 2012 9:48 am

LesGros wrote:Knuckles wrote:
... I need help with rust though. It likes to rust. I have corrosive fingers with sweat n salt it seems, not only that but the flux I did wash off with white spirit but its still gone brown. ...


You could try wearing surgical gloves; Boots sell them in various sizes in boxes of 100 for under a tenner. You can get them in vinyl or latex; I prefer the latter because they are softer and more comfortable. Your hands will continue to sweat, but not onto the model. :D

cheerydoo


If buying gloves go to your local cleaning / janitorial supplies specialist where you will find them much cheaper, I am currently paying £4.25 for a box at work for vinyl gloves (but that is based on a ten box pack ie 1000 gloves).

I would advise that you look at the vinyl option as some people suffer from latex reaction and the results are spectacular, one of our lads does and his hands swell enormously making it impossible to hold hand tools. As a result everybody wears vinyl and latex is banned from the company.

Wally

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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Sat Aug 25, 2012 9:33 pm

This whole post, uploads and all I have struggled to compile on my phone so please forgive the spelling mistakes. trying to edit them by pointing with the finger can be a test at times, especially when the curser and screen keep running away.

I have read your responces and might get some gloves. It must be said though, I don't have a sweaty hand problem, just aftet a whilt tje mousture and salt I think corrodes the rails.

I read vinager was good for rust removal. After a test I found it cleans quite well and after a while leaves black gunk to wipe off. The test showed that it rusted again after but not as bad or quick.

These 2 pics are wrong way around but you get the idea.
Image

Image

I since spent a while scrubbing and soaking the rails with/in vinegar followed by a soakimg and wipe witj white spirit. Fibreglass andbrass brush helped. I can't get in the tight areas well so the soak reaches them. Thid isn't tje best solution but it's all I can dk for now. I havr ordered some Carrs Neautralizing Rinse but I guess it is to late fof that, plus it has not arrived yet. What I neef is to get it clean and then cost it in someghing but it's proving impossible.

I have some questions though. (there's a supprise)

1) If I soak it in vinegar and then white spirit. Will the plywood warp and/or the plastic chairs and glue melt/weaken/not work

2) will the soldered joints be ok

3) I'm not bothered about the rails rusting in themselves. The tops are not a problem and a track rubber sorts that out (used to that anyway) but over time will the soldered electrical joints fail? This is my #1 worry, bit of rust doesn't bother me too mu h but if the electrics fail I'm screwed.
Help!

Some pics to show how buggered I am.

Image

Image

Image
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Armchair Modeller » Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:09 pm

Why not try nickel silver rail, just to see how you get on?

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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby grovenor-2685 » Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:26 pm

that rust looks to be directly related to where you were soldering, whatever did you use for flux? I have never seen that level of rust on my track and I have steel rail in ply and rivet track that is now 40 years old. There are two basic options , 1 is use corrosive flux but wash it all off thoroughly as soon as it is built. I use toothbrush and VIM on the draining board then rinse under the hot tap and dry. That has been successful. 2 is use non-corrosive flux as sold for electronic work etc. This option is essential if soldering where you can't wash it off thoroughly, like soldering your jumper wires and tie bars etc after assembly and for in situ wiring and/or repairs. (The vee you can scrub down after soldering and before chairing and assembly).
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:45 pm

Yeah, ig is in the flux areas but cant get it off now. I used Carrs Green Flux like I always have, works on steel but eats it.

Any suggestions to the above questions? Need to know those things. :'(
I'll look into non corrosive flux but need to combat this first.
To Armchair Modeller; I used Nickle Silver on that C&L kit. No probs, I just detest the yellow colour and really don't want to wimp out on this one. The exactoscale point kit I did was steel-no rust still, but I never soldered anything either.

EDIT: I'm going to buy some of that metal protective paint previously mentioned. I looked online and Halfords sell some Hammerite Direct to Rust paint- which is what it sounds like. Hopefully that should help, it's in a spray can but can always spray in the lid and dip brush in.

I ordered some special flux that DCC Supplies make. Is non corrosive and apparently 'ok' on steel if you can't wash it off (hard to get areas). Might be a good idea for future builds.
(i cant type this at the.bottom cus this phone is being a tit so cant continue what i wad saying. Grrrr.

But heh hk, it's a learning curve
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Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Knuckles » Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:52 am

PFfwwwwouuf PFfwwwwouuf ppooofff.

Just blowing the dust off this thread. Has been dead since 2012. :?

Right then, what follows isn't 'quite' a turnout, but it sort of is as what is shown 'turned out' and the formation...turns out. I'll leave the correct terminogy for those of you who know better as I'm still picking things up.

I was in two minds whether to bung this in my small layout thread, "1st P4 Layout" as it is perfectly relevant for both threads but I think I'll leave it here this time.

A dear friend of mine, sadly distant and rarely seen due to geography came down for a few days and we had a lot of fun (and frustrations!) bodging up a 009-P4 crossover with nothing but a single photograph and a home made 9mm track gauge from an RTR wagon weight. Call it P4-09?

Mixing standards isn't clever I know so I want no whinging from the purists! Ok? Good. :thumb You know I don't always follow convention and I just go for it sometimes, deciding myself what I go to town with for accuracy and what I just bodge, railway modelling should be fun so here we go.

Ok, 009 track built using cut down half depth plywood sleepers, C&L & Exactoscale chairs and Butanone. Tops of chairs had to be shaved with a knife after.

Some of the formation was bodged (love that word) in to C&L flexti track - the most awkward choice but it was already laid so existing chairs were either shaved off or smoothed over with a soldering iron. I don't lie when I say I bodged it. :shock:

Super glue was used when things got awkward, making the chairs for the check rails meant they had to be Rizla paper thin as I couldn't alternate build them with the stock rails like you should owing to the fact some of the track was RTR. If I was making this from scratch and I had lots of time I would have got a proper template and did it at the desk with some TLC but seeing as we had a night and a bit together it was a rush job built in situ - very good for an aching back.

So what do we do about the 009 gauge? I made one out of PCB but it didn't turn out so well thus I found an old RTR wagon weight, scribed some lines 9mm's apart, squeezed it between my mini vice and abused it with a hacksaw. Crude but effective.

Eeeyz Good Iniit...
Image

The Common Crossing / V / Frog / Toad / Pointy thing was again bodged up with nothing more than me hovering over the formation with two bits of rough cut rail, positioning them so they 'look good' and then remembering what it looked like and subsequently transferring them to the desk and trapping them between some track pins as a crude jig. Cutting angles were estimated and they were tack joined with solder before test fitting. Took 3 attempts until I was happy - wasn't quite as hard or impossible as I thought it would be. Finesse! :D

The 3 rough crappy bits are where my mini disk slipped for the insulation breaks and made a mess of things, on top of that it is now overtly evident I need to source a much finer disk blade as this one puts gaps in the track wide enough for a squirrel to stretch out between. I filled the gaps with some plastic card cut into bodge blocks, superglued in and (you guessed it) smoothed out briefly with a soldering iron then finished with files. It looks bad but serves as a nice bodge.

The flange way gaps for the 009 bits were estimated using the P4 check rail gauge but made to be a very sloppy fit. I didn't have a 0.76mm gauge and 009 is a bit more crude as a standard and again we didn't have much time so.....yeah. Works! Sod it.

Sleepers were interlaced. Why? I really don't know, think I was trying to be clever or an idiot. Probably the latter, in hindsight I should have just extended the existing ones but the obvious wasn't to me at the time, oh well. As this cross over was an experiment on a whim aesthetics can take the back seat. I did (am doing) this P4 layout (plank) as a test and experiment so it was the perfect canvas for such escapades.

Am I off my compensation rocker? Up to you to decide. You can say I haven't a clue what I am doing but it works and I learnt how to bodge in situ in less than ideal conditions.
Finished result. Could it have been neater, more prototypically accurate and all that? You bet.
Do I care? Nope.
Am I happy with it? Yup.


Construction pics and finished pics. That switch I had to wire up doesn't stand for North and South, but rather Standard and Narrow!
Image

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Image

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For a Video VLOG explaining and actually filming the construction of this crossing please watch the following link. ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhcaCXzishw
“He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” Thomas Paine

https://www.sparkshotcustomcreations.com/
Mostly 3D Printed Loco kits etc.

SCC Price list (7/4/22)
https://www.sparkshotcustomcreations.co ... e77d42.pdf

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Paul Willis
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Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Paul Willis » Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:43 am

Very nice Knuckles, very nice...

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Flymo
Beware of Trains - occasional modelling in progress!
www.5522models.co.uk

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Andy W
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Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 8:11 am

Re: Knuckles's Turnout Construction Log

Postby Andy W » Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:06 am

Interesting stuff Knuckles. Did you solve your rusting problem? If so how?
Make Worcestershire great again.
Build a wall along the Herefordshire border and make them pay for it.


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