Greengiant
Western Thunderer
Thank you David. It is odd with Peco points, usually it would not really matter, but when in formation it looks odd.
Martin
Garden railway in 16mm: Wilmington Light Railway
- Thread starter Greengiant
- Start date
Martin
Greengiant
Western Thunderer
Just for a bit of fun.
Martin
Martin
Greengiant
Western Thunderer
The other day I started with a blank canvas and ended with a blank canvas!
The blank canvas will eventually house Horton Jnc. goods yard, cattle dock, engine facilities and the through line to the bridge that will cross the path over to the other side of the garden.
I sorted out all my purchased over the years, secondhand track, into Peco and Tenmille piles.
Pile of Peco track.
Pile of Tenmille track.
I placed some points on the blank canvas and quickly realised I need to curve three points before track laying can continue.
The next job is to curve the points to fit the six foot radius track already curved.
Martin
The blank canvas will eventually house Horton Jnc. goods yard, cattle dock, engine facilities and the through line to the bridge that will cross the path over to the other side of the garden.
I sorted out all my purchased over the years, secondhand track, into Peco and Tenmille piles.
Pile of Peco track.
Pile of Tenmille track.
I placed some points on the blank canvas and quickly realised I need to curve three points before track laying can continue.
The next job is to curve the points to fit the six foot radius track already curved.
Martin
Greengiant
Western Thunderer
Now to make a straight point into a curved point, using an article published by Railway Modeller in 2009.
A lefthand point alongside a piece of the six foot radius mainline in which it needs to fit.
First with Peco points you need to remove these tabs (ringed in red), which hold the rails from moving in the sleeper base.
A small bladed flat screwdriver easily levers them out.
These are what pop out, you don’t need them now.
Next lever off the tie bar spring cover.
With a small pair of pliers, remove the spring, put in a safe space with the cover, they need to be fitted at the end of the process.
The stock rails now slide out as do the switch blades and tie bar.
Using a set of rollers, I curved the rails.
They now match the mainline, but this was an error, I should have curved the inner rail more because it will be the switch line so needs to be tighter!
I pushed the rails in and just used small clamps to line it up with the mainline rail. To facilitate this, some of the sleeper web strips need to be cut and the ones on the inner curve need to be shortened, easy enough with a pair of snips, my Xuron's came in useful for this task.
Next I need to cut some timbers to screw the track down to hold the curve. Then apply a slight bend to the switch blades, check and shorten the inner one. Refit with spring and cover and move on to the next point to curve.
Martin
A lefthand point alongside a piece of the six foot radius mainline in which it needs to fit.
First with Peco points you need to remove these tabs (ringed in red), which hold the rails from moving in the sleeper base.
A small bladed flat screwdriver easily levers them out.
These are what pop out, you don’t need them now.
Next lever off the tie bar spring cover.
With a small pair of pliers, remove the spring, put in a safe space with the cover, they need to be fitted at the end of the process.
The stock rails now slide out as do the switch blades and tie bar.
Using a set of rollers, I curved the rails.
They now match the mainline, but this was an error, I should have curved the inner rail more because it will be the switch line so needs to be tighter!
I pushed the rails in and just used small clamps to line it up with the mainline rail. To facilitate this, some of the sleeper web strips need to be cut and the ones on the inner curve need to be shortened, easy enough with a pair of snips, my Xuron's came in useful for this task.
Next I need to cut some timbers to screw the track down to hold the curve. Then apply a slight bend to the switch blades, check and shorten the inner one. Refit with spring and cover and move on to the next point to curve.
Martin
Greengiant
Western Thunderer
I planed down some support timbers on the thicknesser.
Printed out a guide to help with the curve and screwing to timber.
Trimmed back excess timber and added others. This will all need to be treated with creosote.
Then just had to shorten and fit the switch blades, but was a bit clumsy and broke the tiebar when trialing!
Found a suitable bit of brass bar to make a new one.
In the meantime, started taking another point apart, unfortunately the previous owner had painted it, so it was a bit harder to get apart.
Cover prised off showing the spring. Note the cover has a round peg and a square peg hole. Important to get the cover the right way round when re-fitting.
Much of the second curved point is now made.
A point tiebar was made and fitted, the 10BA bolts still need to be trimmed.
The brass tiebar fully fitted, pleased it works with the original spring and cover.
Martin
Printed out a guide to help with the curve and screwing to timber.
Trimmed back excess timber and added others. This will all need to be treated with creosote.
Then just had to shorten and fit the switch blades, but was a bit clumsy and broke the tiebar when trialing!
Found a suitable bit of brass bar to make a new one.
In the meantime, started taking another point apart, unfortunately the previous owner had painted it, so it was a bit harder to get apart.
Cover prised off showing the spring. Note the cover has a round peg and a square peg hole. Important to get the cover the right way round when re-fitting.
Much of the second curved point is now made.
A point tiebar was made and fitted, the 10BA bolts still need to be trimmed.
The brass tiebar fully fitted, pleased it works with the original spring and cover.
Martin
Greengiant
Western Thunderer
With a gap in the weather, I placed the two curved points and immediately realised, I had not thought this through fully.
The point switch timbers were just where the adjacent track will go!
I spread the two points apart to get around the switch stand problem. Started laying the curved points, it became apparent I need a third curve point, a straight lefthand point will not look right and won’t give the correct track route.
A start was made on the third point, here bending the rails.
In the meantime, my Strikalite battery pack and charger delivery arrived. I have ordered an Mtroniks ESC, my Viper loco one was not up to the voltage of the Accucraft Baguley.
Martin
The point switch timbers were just where the adjacent track will go!
I spread the two points apart to get around the switch stand problem. Started laying the curved points, it became apparent I need a third curve point, a straight lefthand point will not look right and won’t give the correct track route.
A start was made on the third point, here bending the rails.
In the meantime, my Strikalite battery pack and charger delivery arrived. I have ordered an Mtroniks ESC, my Viper loco one was not up to the voltage of the Accucraft Baguley.
Martin
Greengiant
Western Thunderer
I have been mainly fitting the curved points.
Martin
Martin
paulc
Western Thunderer
That's very nicely done Martin , almost like hand laying your track work only recycling in the process .