Ambis Tiebar components

[steve howe]

Can anyone shed any light on the Ambis tie rod components described on their website? A Club colleague and I are looking at various tiebar methods, and I have been using the Masokits version for a while and generally found them quite robust once properly assembled (an early attempt failed through lack of adequate soldering) but we have also been looking at the Exactoscale/C&L 'bent wire in a tube' which looks identical to the ones the Stores used to stock some years ago at vastly less price! The Ambis versions seem to be for the flat bar type tiebar, with components to make the round bar version common on pre-Group railways. We prefer to use the round bar type as it is more correct for the period, but the Ambis website does not give away much constructional information on this point:

"The earlier prototype stretcher designs used what appears to be gas pipe - a rod just over one inch in diameter and was still quite common in sidings in the 1960's. A version of the stretcher bar component was introduced in 2009 to allow the rod version to be made."

Has anyone made units from these components and if so what other materials are needed? I assumed the etched end pieces were soldered to brass wire, but then how is the insulation achieved? We propose to obtain a set and have a go, but any forward information would be most welcome.

Steve

[Ian@Exton]

Steve,
I have been using the Ambis components for the turnouts I am building for my circa 1930 model of Dulverton. The etched stretcher brackets fit over a stretcher of thin double sided copper clad about 1.5mm deep.

The Ambis stretcher brackets are soldered the the switch blades, located by a 0.45mm wires which pass through holes in the web of the stock rail which stop the switches from moving in the vertical plane. (These are loose heel switches.)

Although the stretcher bars are not round, as they should be, they are fairly inconspicuous - to my eye at least.

I agree that it would be better if we had insulating round stretcher bars, but I am not aware of anything suitable.

Ian

[grovenor-2685]

See http://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3774&p=39746#p39746
A very neat job.
Regards

[steve howe]

That's a fine solution and thanks for pointing it out Keith. I'll follow that thread a bit more closely from now on!

Steve