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Fast Tracks • View topic - What about European style templates?

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 12:46 pm 
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Hi all,

I think Fast Tracks should consider the idea to produce track templates (and QuickSticks, of course...) that allow tie placing in european style: I don't bother that much about it, but several people whom I show the produced trackage do (I am writing from Roma, Italy).

European-style tie placing has also the advantage of allowing a more modular turnout construction (an easier contruction, for instance, of single/double crossovers with single/double slips at their ends instead of simple turnouts).
To better understand what I want to mean, get a look at Lima/Rivarossi NEM120 modular track system, somewhere on the 'Net: a detailed description would eat up too much space, I am afraid...

Furthermore, due to the deeper flanges used in Europe, I think that code 100 and code 83 templates (and, to be complete, Peco code 75..) should be more than enough to cover the needs of european modellers.

Finally, if you think that american industrially made turnouts are poor, you should have to get a look at european ones (and at their prices, too!)...

Just think about it, thank you!


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:41 am 
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 Post subject: Peco as the basis
PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:23 am 
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:26 am 
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Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:29 am
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Location: Sydney, Australia
Hi guys, I'm another "foreigner" looking at buying some Fast Track point (can't get used to calling them turnouts!) jigs to begin construction of my trackwork.

However I'd like to be able to recreate the sleeper layout of the Australian (New South Wales in particular) style which has the sleepers gradually twisting from 90 degrees to the straight rail until they get to the frog where they are, as has been previously mentioned, perpendicular to the median line of the frog angle.

I have found a scale drawing of a set of N.S.W. points and compared them to a No6 FT Turnout drawing as a comparison. I've posted the image in the following post. if I;ve done it right it "should" print out in HO scale. Check the dimension key on the drawing to make sure if it is important to you.

Ideally I'd like to use the FT No6 overall size but with the general layout of the sleepers gradually twisting, as well as being slightly wider spaced than the US style turnouts.

Placing the wooden sleepers at the right angle would be easy enough, it's just the pcb ties that would be very difficult to do using the std jig. The only way I can see it working is so solder the pcb tied in place, then solder more ties out of the jig at the right angles and then unsolder the original 90 degree ties that are not right for Australian style points. Very annoying and lots of work though.

Anyway, I know it's a big investment to make different jigs, but maybe there is a bigger market out there than you think, and people are just not bothered in asking because they figure you just wouldn't bother anyway.

I'd be interested to know just how many people would be interested in this style of turnout to see if there is the slightest possibility of it getting made into a jig.

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Last edited by Dazz on Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:21 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:29 am
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Location: Sydney, Australia
Here is the drawing in case the link doesn't work.


Attachments:
File comment: New South Wales (Australia) Point drawing vs Fast Track turnout.
Points FT vs NSW.jpg
Points FT vs NSW.jpg [ 880.11 KiB | Viewed 11088 times ]

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:43 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:48 am
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Location: East Texas - USA
It should be noted that NEM and NMRA standards are not quite the exact same on critical issues of frog geometry, flangeway dimensions, and the track check gage, as well as design tolerances on the gage widening. The apparent cosmetic appearance of the ties placement is but one visible consideration in the construction of a fixture. From a modeler's view there is also the cosmetic differences in rail type and attachment - pending the period and prototype modeled. Bull head rail is very different than the flat bottom rail designs. The FastTracks fixture approach is best suited to the flat base rail with spikes 'style' of modeling.

What Tim needs is not just the general practice of appearance - but also the more exacting engineering criteria of specifications. While NEM wheel sets can (especially the NEM optional 311.1 fine scale wheel) work very reliably with the NMRA specifications, the wheel check gage MAY require adjustments for full operational reliability. The NEM 311 'deeper flange' standard is far more difficult to operate with NMRA track specifications. Conversely, NMRA wheel sets need adjustments to the wheel check gage for proper interchange on NEM trackwork.

I agree that the modular components track system is a fine example of a good potential approach. I was not aware the Lima-Rivarossi products were still in production and available. For a period of time these were marketed in the US with US based molds of ties perpendicular to the tangent track and a US styled frog geometry.

The devil is in the details.

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Last edited by emccamey on Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:14 am 
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Location: Sydney, Australia
Most of the good quality RTR models of Australian engines and wagons now being manufactured all appear to have wheels to RP-25/110 or RP-25/88 profile which as I understand will work perfectly well with the std Fast Track geometry.

Maybe it's selfish but as far as us Aussies are concerned (I think I speak for most of us anyway!) we'd simply be happy with the sleeper layout being corrected, as the Fast Track geometry suits our models fine.

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 7:14 am 
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Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:29 am
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Location: Sydney, Australia
Gee the response from people wanting Australian / European style sleeper layouts is underwhelming isn't it.

I guess that's why there's no real plans to do any which is a bit of a pity really.

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:48 am 
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
I see by your sig you're a Skyhooks fan. Whilst I would also like to have turnouts made to replicate what we see down under, have you considered using the template to make the straight section and then after some practice, make the diverging route a constant radius curve?

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:28 am 
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Location: Sydney, Australia
What can I say, I'm still living in the 70's!

Once I get a few sets of points under my belt I'm going to give some non standard geometries a go.

But for now I'll be happy to get my first set built and working.

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