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PostPosted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:44 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:31 pm
Posts: 6
Location: USA
I've completed my first three code 55 HOn3 turnouts, each turnout better than the one before. However, they are all slightly out of gauge (too narrow) in the point area, from the throwbar toward the frog close to where the PC tie for a hinged turnout is located (however, my turnouts are all continuous rail turnouts, i.e., not hinged). The gauge is too narrow on both straight and curved routes, and is too tight by a few thousandths of an inch, according to an NMRA HOn3 Standards gauge.

What am I doing wrong? Do I need to worry about it?

Thanks in advance.

Dave


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:25 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:48 am
Posts: 365
Location: East Texas - USA
Dave,

The rail bases must be dead level to the PC ties. When soldering up, they can 'cant over' some and tighten the gage very slightly. Be sure to carefully pre-curve the diverging closure rail and the curved stock rail to help get the alignments stress free. Fitting of pieces before soldering for a 'natural lay' and using weights on the rail heads when soldering helps a lot.

All that being said, you should not have to worry about it so long as your wheel sets are properly set with the same HOn3 NMRA gage. There is a small bit of interchange allowance in the interrelationships of track and wheels. You'll actually have superior operations with a dead tight gage - and just slightly extra tight (0.004">dead-on<0.004") will not adversely affect reliability - again, provided the wheel set gages are correct.

Short answer - your trackwork is fine.

_________________
-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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