Milling Switch Points on the Stoddard Hill Farm Railway

[@davedennis6042]

Wow. His precision in building miniature railroad is at the highest levels. Real railroads only dream of this precision.

[@StanFerris]

Interesting, Aaron. Thanks!

[@danielfantino1714]

I like so much the way some of you find different solutions to solve the same problem: Bill machining. Mill Brook using an angle grinder. Keith Gutshall, slightly bend the rail. From highly costly equipment to almost zero. To each one its solution. I like it !

[@gravelydon7072]

I fall in the Keith Gutshall method for the points but have gone as far as making up frogs out of cut layers of steel welded together.

[@danielfantino1714]

@@gravelydon7072 you´re too complex folks. I have no loco, car or piece of track. Hence no switch or frog ! C´mon guys...it can´t be simpler ! Remember in class when teacher was too borring....anything on our desk could come a world of magic. A simple eraser could suddenly in our mind change in a truck, a bus, a doodlebug, a ship....we all did that. That´s why we´re so smart today. That´s the magic when reading a book or listening music. We enter a world our own world where everything is possible. In my backyard i have a Little Joe helping a Cab Forward to conqueer the tunnel under Himalaya with Bombay as destination. Ya i have everything in my backyard, but no frog...well the one i have make rabit at night.... It´s so good to be a full grown as well as a child.... If Brazilian railway have been able to modify our surplus SD40 on B-B+B-B trucks on narrow gage track.... everythind´s possible.

[@gravelydon7072]

@@danielfantino1714 Hey, I wanted frogs that didn't get beat on the nose of them because I was hosting a yearly meet. Those same frogs look good to this day because even though made out o steel, I took the step of spraying them with some Chevron open gear lube before installation and then again after. It basically sealed out the moisture that could have gotten in because once dried, it became almost as hard as paint. And the tip of the nose of the frog, was made out of Type 680 welding rod ground down after welding to shape.

[@danielfantino1714]

@@gravelydon7072 Needles, frogs and diamonds are by far i think, the most complex and costly to maintain.. honest, i´m to afraid to attempt one. Prefer to buy more costly casting. So be proud of the one you did. Pure satisfaction and gratification, specially for a run day !! Everytime we conquered an obstacle, the better and more confident we become Thanks for the oil trick. Never heard about it before. Your imagination served you well. Be proud !!

[@gravelydon7072]

@@danielfantino1714 I had the benefit of having seen what had worked at a commercial operation and what had worked at a neighbor's who manufactured 1.5/1.6" scale model railroad equipment. I had two switches that had cast frogs, one switch that has welded aluminum rail for a frog, and three that have welded steel. There is no wear on the steel ones but the aluminum ones all show wear at the nose.

[@Conn653]

Maybe you could get Bill, at SHFR, to mill some new switch frogs for you. 'Borrowing' his machines beats doing it by hand.

[@daviddunsmore103]

Keep up the great work, and fascinating videos! 😃

[@rascallhunter]

Switches on the full size I work on have the track designation on the diverging target at least (some of the yard switches have it on the green “normal” target as well)

[@lindahurley-bruce7575]

I believe a red target also means that ther switch muist be returned to the Normal position after being thrown.

[@Roboticus_Prime_RC]

Oh my, that is a big stack of new rail. Pricy!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It's a 15 year old stack of rail.

[@Roboticus_Prime_RC]

@@MillBrookRailroad I was just in awe. I started researching a year ago for future garden RR setups. And got a bit of sticker shock on new rail prices. Lol I'll have to stick with HO and G for now.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@@Roboticus_Prime_RC, look for Culp Rail. It's a little smaller and a lot cheaper.

[@artillerest43rdva7]

Oh my what a great mill ! you sure need that and a lathe, with all of the work necessary to maintain and have a good running train system. do you turn the wheels your self? and the knuckle couplers are commercial items with the complete trucks? thank you for the great learning videos !

[@MillBrookRailroad]

The trucks and couplers are commercially made by Tom Bee. Look up Tom Bee couplers. Bill has the machine shop so he mills stuff like this while I usually knock it out with an angle grinder.

[@artillerest43rdva7]

oh it made me laugh the blue you have on the wheels looks just like the full size rail cars at work that had service / new wheels & bearings !

[@keithgutshall9559]

Me I would have just put a slight bend in the rail.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I would have ground it with an angle grinder, myself but you have to admit, the mill did an exceptional job.

[@keithgutshall9559]

@@MillBrookRailroad I worked as a machine

[@keithgutshall9559]

@@MillBrookRailroad I worked as a machinist and used a mill a few time,ended up being a industrial machine assembler.Had a O gage model railroad.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@@keithgutshall9559 I've run manual mills, lathes, turning centers and various CNC mills. Very satisfying to pull a part off the machine and have it within tolerance.

[@vanguardactual1]

Where does Bill buy his track, ties and other yard Rail Roading supplies from?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

His tie plates come from accu-tierailsystem.com. You can also get rail and other track supplies from there. Bill is also a manufacturer of hand built high end 2.5" scale narrow gauge equipment.