Adding A Crossover to Improve Yard Operations

In this video I demonstrate adding a crossover to improve Yard Operations. I added a crossover to the back of North Yard to improve operations for the locals serving industries in the area. Here is how I did it.
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[@RonsTrainsNThings]

See more videos about model railroad trackwork here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKacop9_mNCIbbM

[@WestVirginiaRailfan]

Ron's Trains N Things hi ron, I am new to your channel and was wanting to know which scale you use?

[@jimbollman2292]

Ron where did you run wired inhelix and how many feeders did you use? Thanks

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Welcome to the channel. I an in N scale.

[@frankiFracture]

I solder at work all the time, while my method varies from you, your soldering technique works and that's what counts!

[@jvanamb]

Great technique Ron, You are so much more advanced at soldering than I. When I solder HO scale I remove 1 1/2 inch of rail ties from either side of the joint. For my grandson's, my son-in-law cuts back 2 inches of ties, either side of the rail joint. Both to avoid melting the plastic. HOWEVER, back in the '50's my Grandfather, an electrician, taught me whenever soldering ALWAYS keep a damp Kitchen (a.k.a. Bar) towel handy to reduce the temp of the solder, clean up side drips (buggers), and protect other items adjacent to the joint. ~Jim

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

That is a good idea, Jim. Thanks for the tip. I keep a damp sponge on hand for cleaning the tip of my iron. It could be used for that purpose as well.

[@g.stephens263]

Just as a suggestion, I keep a bunch of small alligator clips handy when soldering, and use them clipped to the rails near the joints to act as a heat sink.

[@theotherroad6654]

Hello Ron, yes everyone does things differently. I have been in CNC machine repair for years and your method of soldering is spot on. Applying a bit of solder to the tip and then touching it to the joint has worked perfectly for me for many years. This allows for minimal time on the joint and saves the ties. Also, when soldering cleanliness is most important. A brushing of the rails and joints with a metal solder brush helps to guarantee a perfect job. Thanks again for your channel!

[@roberthubal6278]

Thanks for the tip. I have similar set up on paper. And will adjust drawing for future layout.👍

[@johnrocheleau2993]

Nice job Ron, I’ve been cutting and joining allot of track and it looks like I’ve been doing it right. Take care to you and your family during theses trying times.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

You take care as well.

[@TheNorthwestWind]

you guys are so nice, love to see it

[@sathyasmodelrailway2023]

Really informative video Ron. Thank you.

[@dwightatnorthernstar1820]

I pretty much follow the same procedure as you Ron, except I use a heat sink to prevent tie shift/melt. Thanks

[@craigsummers131]

perfect timing , i need to do this on my layout , so this will be a great reference , thanks

[@rjl110919581]

THANK YOU FOR OTHER GREAT DETAIL VIDEO ON YOUR LAYOUT FROM AUSTRALIA

[@georgebono8655]

Hey Ron, I started to use a small scissors like one for cutting out decals to cut the rail joiners. Nippers can curl up the ends of the joiner but the small scissor cuts them clean and flush.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

That's a good tip. Thanks.

[@bnsfnortherncalitrains6684]

Hey Ron, glad to see you got those turn out in. Looking good.

[@newfenrisrailroad621]

Great video Ron. I’m going to be using this for my yard as I’m relaying my layout to fix an incline issue and yard

[@frankkosie4293]

Hi Ron you do very precision work . You are very talented. Great show . I was a precision machinist for many years, but am impressed by you work . Now if you could just teach Steve Brown to solder like that ? Lol

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

LOL, thanks Frank. I'm working on my friend Steve.

[@heavyj4805]

Atta boy Ron, great job and as always very informative, thanks, John

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thanks.

[@davidstill1256]

Cool video Ron I'm enjoying seeing north yard evolve as I am planning my own layout here in the UK and trying to learn about American operations I will be plagiarizing your yard and benefiting from your knowledge.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Glad I could help.

[@jeffstrains4014]

Nice video! As I have gone back and fixed some track issues on my layout its always nice to see tips on improving.

[@hastingsbnsfnscalemodeler8594]

Thanks Ron, you do a great job explaining the nuances of the hobby...Anthony

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thanks.

[@mandbhomestead]

awesome video. I learned a lot as usual. thanks for the great video.

[@derekalexander4030]

Great tutorial and a very well designed yard but I have always wondered why you chose a stub ended yard. If you were to install a ladder track at the right side with a similar angle to the other yard ladder you would create a parallelogram and each of your classification tracks would all be extended and each would have access from each end. Your main line and arrival/departure tracks on the right side are already curved correctly to align with the new ladder so it would not cause you to alter your main line radius. Thanks for sharing.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

The prototype North Yard is exatly what you describe, typically called a diamond shaped yard. My previous version of this yard was build exactly as you describe. My reason for stub ending the classification tracks on this version were 1) the second ladder would have shortened my class tracks by about a foot each because it would have required moving everything back a foot to allow clearance for the track as it goes around the curve next to the wall in the corner. 2) the second ladder would have added a fair amount of expense for the turnouts. 3) for my version of North Yard it really isn't necessary as one yard lead is enought to handle the volume of traffic and the double ended arrival/departure track allow flexibility of traffic to enter/exit in both directions.

[@railartist001]

Exceedingly well done and VERY informative..... tips and techniques from others are ALWAYS filed away for "future reference" ..... WITH credit given if used in publication.....

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.

[@N-Scale]

Nice job Ron. Mike

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thanks Mike.

[@normanrowe2831]

Nice! Thanks!

[@thomasgrassi8817]

Ron, While watching your video I find some helpful tips. 1 big one is using the #17 blade to make room for the joiners. I was always having a problem inserting track on my existing layout. My current project involves a Scissor double cross over. The 4 switches involved had plastic frogs and two of my engines would stall or short out at the frog. So I ordered and received turnouts with metal frogs but to my surprise I they are not the same turnout degree which means not a straight away replacement. After reviewing the turnouts I decided to do more research and use my track planner and found that I need to use a totally different setup for the double cross over so orders 4 more turnouts and a different crossing piece 12.5 degree this makes the double cross a lot longer than I had before which is not a problem on that section of track. But with your techniques I can make this adjustment. Off to get a #17 Blade Thanks Tom

[@lnerexpress6793]

Great video Ron 👍

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thanks.

[@thesheq5023]

I built my layout with kato unitrack. It’s good and for mainlines it’s pretty bulletproof but I really wish i made my layout with flex track. It just seems so much more flexible with what you’re able to do

[@UFObuilder]

Good information thank you

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.

[@SteveJohnson-SD70MAC-747]

Great video Ron. I didn't do a crossover, but cut in a few turnouts for a small expansion I had did on my layout. I did it pretty similar to what you've shown, and it's great that you've done this video to show others a method. Just be really, really careful when trying to slide those rail-joiners of your crossover (or turnouts in my case) onto your existing rail. Need some patients when doing this (don't rush it), and be careful not to get too forceful or you can damage your track. Again great vid!

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thanks, Steven.

[@FullertonRailproductionsTM]

Nice video, ron!

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thanks.

[@kayathynmiller137]

Alligator clips or small amount of wet paper towel behind and ahead of soldier joints should keep the plastic rails cool

[@garykcs5532]

Good vin ron good idea

[@jolliemark6294]

Ron another great video, and Jac Jac's idea would have been a little better but like you said this will work just fine. A point made abvuseing heat sinks will help, but mention way you get cold soder joints, its movement as the soder cools and you are right about soldering joints but just a littl will do. Not so much that it shows a big lump....thanks for sharing your ideas Jack

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

In my case, the only way moving the turnout to the middle would have worked is if I used a double crossover, which I did not want to do.

[@abdullahabu1252]

I like your show . Can I keep follow up with you for some information.

[@Woodys_Workshop]

Another great video tutorial Ron, Thank You Very Kindly! When you cut your rails for the ~1" piece of track between the switches, you cut side to side. I saw another video where it said the rails should be cut top to bottom when using the rail nippers. Is there really any difference between cutting side to side vs top to bottom?

[@ainsleyperry5192]

Ron, Very smooth crossover install. I also use a small file to clean rail ends but then I polish the ends with 1500 Tamiya finishing abrasive. I cut the sheet into strips and glue to lolly pop sticks. It's enough to remove any hint of roughness at the rail ends.As a matter of personal interest to me could you give me the track spacing between tracks at North Yard? Thank You. Cheers, Chris Perry.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

My yard treacks are speces 1 1/4" apart.

[@charlie1872]

Hi Ron, enjoyed this and I had already installed a cross over to allow my outside track to get over into a siding. As my layout is DC, do I need to isolate one end and do I need to add another Power line to the inside track ? Thanks Charlie

[@frostgfx]

Ron: how come you didn't need to add insulated rail joiners at the center of the cross-over? I modeled in N scale for almost 25 years before recently switching to HO. Atlas Customline turnouts and flex-track. I am using block detection and signaling via JMRI 4.14 ad Decoder Pro. Digitrax DCC system for all the electronics. I have my layouts blocked for detection, and now signaling via SE8c boards from Digitrax. Am I missing something about how you wired your layout so that you don't need insulated rail joiners???

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I didn't need to insulate the crossover because it is competely within the yard and this area is not wired for block detection or signaling.

[@rgetty]

Ron, thanks for sharing this process. Can you tell me what the substance was you dipped the soldering iron into?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

It was tip cleaning and tinning solution. Here is a link. amzn.to/2TGXD9T

[@travelingwithteddyg7472]

I am new at N scale modeling and I have learned a lot from watching your videos thank you! I do have one question , which brand of tracks do you use on your layout, code 55 or code 80?

[@adamjacobson1993]

Nice video. Get yourself some rosin core solder and you won't need flux anymore. One less step.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I am using rosin core solder, but the solder still flows better with some flux added. This reduces the chance of melting ties.

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

Hi Ron, just curious as to why you didn't use any rail isolators on this segment?

[@kevinw.worthington4563]

Around the 9 minute mark you talked about a tool for putting on rail joiners, but never did show us what it was. I have a lot of trouble with putting those on. Could you share that tool please.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Yes, these went on easy so I never went and got it. It is a homemade tool that helps with stubborn rail joiners.I will share it on here right away.

[@TrainAssassin]

Hey Kevin I use a universal Atlas sidekick to install my joiners. Great thing is that its "universal" so it can be used to install other sizes/scales of joiners as well. Heres a photo, if interested. goo.gl/images/xpbVBx

[@kevinw.worthington4563]

@@RonsTrainsNThings Ron, I didn't see the tool you shared about the rail joiners anywhere. Did I miss it?

[@KutWrite]

Interesting. Why don't you need to insulate the turnout rails for the polarity change?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

There is no polarity change. These are parallel tracks. Trains are always moving in the same direction here whether they use the crossover or not.

[@michaelstonesifer4763]

What makes by Kato locomotive hesitate when it goes over a switch. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

It is probably either losing electical contact briefly over the frog or gettin a slight short as it touches the diverging rails at the frog.

[@rakeshanderson666]

Hi Ron, what number turnouts did you use here? Thanks.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

These are Peco medium radius, approximately equivalent to #6's.

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

Thats a good idea to cut off the tie clips for the turnout!

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

It works well and saves replacing the ties later. It doesn't work in every instance, but does in many cases.

[@jamesdearinger3674]

There is nothing wrong with transfer soldering like you do. I worked in the electronics industry for many years and very small parts are soldered like that using what we called 'solder dots'.

[@RickStaley]

Hello Ron, This is my first time to enter a comment; I've been watching your facebook channel for a while. I noticed on the crossover video that there was a rather large gap between sections of track and crossover switch. Do you need to go back and fill in those gaps or can a n-scale train manage the gap?

[@georgewilkinson1068]

Didn't you have to cut isolation gaps in the crossover to prevent a short circuit?

[@BALD8BIL]

Thank you very much for sharing this how to video it was very helpful considering that I will soon be doing a lot of track work question is that Atlas turnouts and will you be powering the frogs I have contacted Atlas by email several times with no reply and when I called the number they say they are closed due to weather but my number 6 turnouts that I have for my HO scale turnouts trying to figure out where I solder my frog wire and do I have to cut any track for I am using Atlas custom line number sixes again thank you very much for sharing this video was very helpful and p. S. You always have that one person or so out there that likes to criticize about how we do things we're all different and what we do in the techniques that we use could be useful for someone else that does not know. for the ones that criticized maybe they can show how to do it right wait a minute I mean their way that way we can see how good their idea is

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

On this layout I used Peco turnouts with Insulfrogs. As for where to wire the frogs, do so before installation from underneath. As for gaps, if they do not have gaps or insulation of som sort, you will need to tap each side of the frog somewhere. And of course you will need a switch or juicer to switch frog polarity when the points are thrown. As for critics, I'm always open to a good suggestion, but a very small just like to be hateful. Haters are a mark of success--everybody has them. Haters gonna hate.

[@gregbowen617]

Nicely done Ron... are the turnouts going to be powered at all?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

If you mean the frogs, not. They are Peco insulfrog turnouts.

[@gvet47]

Wondered the same thing especially with all the others on his layout. Really gives a good description of what he is going to do and why. I understand why he uses acid flux since rail is so small to clean and the makes sure residue is cleaned off.

[@gregbowen617]

@@RonsTrainsNThings I saw they are Insulfrog turnouts, I have them in my staging yard (under construction) - I was referring to point motors...will they be manually operated or Tortoise (or other brand) operated?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Ah, sorry. These are all manually thrown. I intend to install Tortoises on the main but haven't yet.

[@wernerrenfftlen6471]

Where are the DPU's stored in the North Yard?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

There are no DPUs stored in nor operating out of North Yard. North Texas is flat territory. There are locomovites for local service stationed there. They are kept on the enginen service track until needed.

[@liamcooper5202]

Ive watched heaps of your videos and am finding them very helpful but I cant stop hearing Nicholas Cage doing the vice over 🤣🤣🤣 I'm guess yous are both from the same state

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Well, I hope it National Treasure, not Raising Arizona. 🤣🤣🤣

[@liamcooper5202]

@@RonsTrainsNThings hahaha well i never said it was bad. Aleast you dont burst out in flames

[@larrytaylor7753]

The name “Rail Joiners” makes perfect sense. That’s what they are. The Brits call the “Fish Plates?” Where on earth did they get that? And “Turnouts” vs “Points.”

[@beeble2003]

Apparently, a "fish" was a wooden bar attached to a ship's mast to strengthen it, and a fishplate looks like that kind of fish in that sense. Nobody really knows why fishes are called that. It may come from the French word "fiche", which was a similarly shaped small piece of bone or ivory used basically like a poker chip would be today; perhaps also the French verb ficher, to fix. I'm not sure why points are called points (though "turnout" is used in British English, too). The earliest usage of the term in the Oxford English Dictionary is in the phrase "movable points", so it may be just that "point" was originally just being used in the sense of "location" (as in "from point A to point B") and later came to refer to the turnout itself. Or maybe it refers to the pointed tips of the switch rails.

[@jacjac5761]

Hey Ron good idea but put the crossover in the center of the line not on the end! The is because if you have to spot your company spot & drops you will have space to pocket them. And have car space on both ends to block a (classify) other cars. It's not always about destination to satisfy getting to other lines but track space. Crossovers actually been taking out for safety purposes. Overall great video!

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Hey Jac Jac, this will work, but that is a good point and would have worked great. Wish I'd have thought of that sooner. Lol.

[@ryangrider9607]

It’s fine how it is.

[@davidlangevin4568]

Ron great video. What do yiu use again to glue the track down

[@cloverdalerail1093]

I’m actually removing a double crossover to a single

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Yes, I've never been a fan of the double crossover--too many moving parts, too many chances for derailment.

[@davidjohnston8863]

Never cut anything on a turnout ,the peco joiners will slide between the rail and ties anyway

[@bigdaddy5179]

You did not mention that rail nippers have an orientation. You used them properly, but the editing of the film did not make that clear.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Yes, I did forget to mention that, and the orientation is different for N scale than for HO scale.

[@bigdaddy5179]

@@RonsTrainsNThings That I didn't know, one side cuts square and the other leaves a wedge, how does the track scale enter into it?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

@@bigdaddy5179 Yes, but also the recommend cutting N scale track vertically and HO scale track horizontally. That's what I meant.

[@stevecoster322]

You are not 'Uncle Sam' so please stop pointing at us. The word 'Soldering' has an 'L' in it so why do you ceptics almost never pronounce it? The correct word is not 'Dry' as in a bad solder joint not 'Cold' as you use. If you are going to set yourself up as an expert try to get it right. By the by one def of expert is, EX = Has been, is no more, sPURT = gush of water. So an expert is a has been gush of water...

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

A) Walk, talk, would, could, should, yolk, and a hist of other words all have SILENT "L"s just like solder. B) "Dry" and "cold" are both COMMON terms referring to a bad solder joinst--cold referring to the fact that it did not get hot enough for the solder to adhere to the metal (as I referenced in this video) and dry referring to poor or no electrical conductivity through a contact, also used in non-soldering applications in electrical circuits. If you are going to publicly criticize me and my videos, get it right.

[@crazysdk]

1. We are well aware that he is not Uncle Sam, and he never says he is. Who cares. 2. Look it up. All you have to do is type "solder" into google. It will present you with the correct pronunciation and if you click the little speaker icon it will even pronounce it for you - with a silent l. 3. According to some sources, a "dry" solder joint means not enough solder (a form of bad joint) while a "cold" solder joint means it was moved while the solder was cooling (another form of bad joint). The fact that there is no standard of usage means your accusation is baseless. 4. If you are going to comment in such a confrontational manner and accuse someone of setting themselves up as an expert, I suggest you actually pay attention. He has never claimed to be an expert. 5. Get an education. Your grammar and pronunciation are atrocious.

[@marksawyer5299]

@@RonsTrainsNThings Don't waste your time with this type of thing Ron. Take the high road.

[@dbottita]

Cold solder joint is correct. What truly amazes me is how someone sitting behind a keyboard can talk so much BS but never takes the time or effort to contribute content. If you have issue with what Ron is putting out, move along.

[@hampton400]

@@dbottita I learned to solder in 1970 and have been regularly soldering since. I never heard the term "dry", bad joints have always been "cold".