Making of SILVER CREEK I like track work. With my finished station Diamond Valley I was looking for ideas. At our FREMO group it happens to establish a group of H0n3-fans. So I’ve made a H0n3 stub turnout and a module with transition track. I decided to participate with a small station. This station should have dual gauge track as well as narrow gauge track. This way I can build different turnouts. Scratch build of course. :angel: This station could be a connection between the standard gauge part and the narrow gauge part of FREMO arrangements. So I decided to build a wye-type station with three segments. This was my first idea: Wolfgang
Yes, I will also report how to build this wye. But my first step will be a soldered turnout. :angel: The problem with the wye, you have to connect the segment to the two other segments. If the wye is more in the middle, you will have a connection with three segments. This can be sometimes a problem. And with this angled segments for sure! But my first question was "what is the smalles radius?" I wanted to know an answer. So I build a test track. I made the drawing with different radii and glued to my templates the ties. Track is soldered according to the centerline. I’ve tested with my friend Friedhelm different H0n3 engines. They will run down to 400 mm radius, and the Blackstone K27 should make 18’’, but rumor says it will make 17’’ too. Well, the radius will not be a problem. At first I wanted the segments like my other curved modules, 22,5°, 2m radius. This are 785mm long trapezoidal segments. Now I planned bigger segments, 22.5° but 1000mm at the long side. Just like I had with my Diamond Valley. This way I get more room for the scenery. And I've added another creek, Silver Creek, following a suggestion from my son Benjamin. He said "you like to build bridges, This way you have two!" . What do you think about this plan? Does it looks realistic? Wolfgang
Building the first turnout I’m eager for the first turnout. Still with the design process busy I've started with the first turnout: The first turnout is a right dual gauge turnout # 8 with diverging narrow gauge. I’ve glued pieces of templates to 5mm plywood. And I had made a pile of PC board ties. :angel: All you need for building a turnout is the center line. But with a template for the ties it is a faster work gluing the ties I cut the ties following the length of the template. For this I’ve made a pencil line for the end of the standard ties. Then I glued the ties with carpenters white glue. Wolfgang
Wolfgang- My mind isn't wanting to cooperate this morning. The entire module, as I am calculating it, is just a little more than five feet long? Boxcab E50
Yes, the standard main line will be about 1,3 m = 4.5' between the turnouts. But for narrow gauge I think this is long enough. Wolfgang
Next day when all ties are glued I soldered the first rail, the straight standard gauge rail. I soldered at first only three points and then the ties between. Next rail was the curved rail. I sanded the base of the rail where it would coincide with the point rail. Then I soldered it like the first one. At the start of the turnout I used the NMRA gauge to get the correct distance. The following pictures shows the point area. You can see the missing base of the rail.
turnout - frog Next step – frog! I sanded the two frog rails with my sanding disk. Then I soldered the diverging rail with two spots. I checked the correct place with two (!) gauges, for standard and for narrow gauge. If everything is all right, the second frog rail will be soldered. Wolfgang
Next step are the wing rails and closure rails with points. To simulate hinged points I cut the top of the rail with a fine saw and notched the base of the rail. This way you have ONE rail with no electric problems but with the look of hinged points. The points are sanded also with my sanding disk.
with the wing rails already in place you length the closure-point rails suitable. I’ve added the second wing rail to the frog part. Next step soldering the narrow gauge rail. But at first again like the other rail I sanded the base of the rail at the point area.
Now I added the second closure rail / point rail part. Soldering the three guard rails was the last step. Be careful to use the NMRA gauge for the correct distances! This is the – for now – finished turnout. BTW, I had no narrow gauge NMRA gauge, I’ve ordered one. So I made my own gauge, in this pic the small brass part. Next part: throw bar You can simple solder the points to another PC board tie. But I wanted another solution, with more prototype look. :angel: Wolfgang
Throw bar There’re different ways to make a throw bar. A simple way you use a PC board tie and solder the points. You can use the PROTO:87 throw bar like I did with my turnout at Diamond Valley. I choose another way, an idea I had realised already decades ago. It’s a little bit more work but will give good results. At first I drilled 0,5 mm holes. These holes you need with the PROTO87 throw bars too. Under the turnout there’s another piece of PC board, here’s an old one:
This piece will be the “throw bar” and glides under the turnout. For better gliding I used a pencil. Graphit is good. You see the two notches. These notches parte the two rails. Without you will get a short! Two pieces of 0,5 mm wire are placed through the holes in the points... And soldered at the “throw bar”. This is what my points looks now.
And now what I’ve learned form the PROTO7 throw bar. A small piece of paper, soaked with white glue is bent over the wires. Next day, when the paper is dry and hard you can cut the paper down to the wire. And the turnout ready for installation. Wolfgang
... and the rail heads cleaned Now I can build the segments and install this turnout and others. Wolfgang
