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 Post subject: Slip switches #8
PostPosted: Sun May 11, 2008 4:47 am 
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 12:26 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Spain
Hi, i´m new in this forum and writing from Spain.
Next week i should recieve my orders from Fast Tracks ( realy looking forward !!!!!!! ) but in the meantime i´ve started to read all the users guide documents and watching all the videos and i´ve a question;
- In the slip switch work i need to cut the switch points and use the rail joiners as you discribe or i can go for the Solid point technic as you advise for the simple turnouts? There is any reason to cut them?
Thank you, and congratulations for the web site and for your amazing products.

Best regards,

Mário

P.s.- Sorry about my English!! :oops:


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 Post subject: Re: Slip switches #8
PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:07 am 
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Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:48 am
Posts: 365
Location: East Texas - USA
Mario,

Slip switches are very different. The four points on each side will move together in tandem, and using 'solid' points will create far too much tension. Doing the 'hinged' flexing with rail joiners is far better and less stress. It will also keep the gage more accurate through the point blades.

For the number 8 (and larger), the center point blades are far too short to allow flexing and these will absolutely have to be cut and hinged for movement. The technique is more 'fiddly' than the simpler flexed points of standard turnouts - but not hard to accomplish with a little practice. The results are a smoother and easier to throw set of points that have exact gaging through the critical areas. the really short center points are practically impossible to construct with flexed techniques - unless you are using something like a code 25 rail (which is impractical).

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.


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 Post subject: Re: Slip switches #8
PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 7:11 am 
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 12:26 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Spain
Hi Mr. McCamey,
Thank you very much for your help and for your answer, i did my first slip swich and now i understand what you mean about the tension caused by the 4 side points. Regarding the center points can i take them out and contruct the slip swich#8 like the slip swich#6 with solid track ?

Best regards,

Mário


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 Post subject: Re: Slip switches #8
PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 9:46 am 
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Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:48 am
Posts: 365
Location: East Texas - USA
Mario,

NO. Slip switches (and crossings) narrower than a number 7 (less than 8 degrees) even on the prototypes can not guide the wheels through an oblique 'K' frog without derailment potential. With our models, the extra large flangeway worsens the potential for causing wrong way tracking. Even a number 6 double slip is best served with the moving center points in modeling dimensional specifications.

It's certainly a bit more 'fiddly' effort to construct and make operational the small moving center points, but it's essential. With the narrow double slips and with crossings, one aspect of construction is to make the track gage at the dead minimum. You can also get by with flangeways being smaller than the maximum, but not overly small. One still has to be concerned with mid-ordinate axle offsets that occurs with multi-axle long wheel bases. Each scale, track gage, wheel profiles, and the equipment chassis in use can be optimized for reliable operations, but to cover all the bases of 'standard' components, using a tight track gage, and having the moving point rails will be the most conservative approach.

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.


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 Post subject: Re: Slip switches #8
PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:58 am 
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 12:26 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Spain
Hi Mr. Mccamey,

Once again thank you for your help, now i'm clarified about all this tricky issues.

Best regards,

Mário


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 Post subject: Re: Slip switches #8
PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:22 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 10, 2004 4:02 pm
Posts: 52
Great answer Ed,
Thats something I do when I'm building Dble slips, just a hair tighter in the flangeways
does it. :mrgreen:


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