N Scale #4 Turnout Jigs Tools and Tiebeds

[@robbhalverson7725]

Love your videos. I am a modeler of ho scale and also have several printers. I have printed turnout machines and buildings. Also several custom freight cars. Just started to dabble with making my own turnouts. Your videos are a big help and inspiration.

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

You're very kind! Love making curved turnouts! I have a double line with a curved crossing track planned! I find the printed jigs work better for soldering the rails, less of a heat sink and encourages quick work.

[@stevenwilson3368]

Thanks, a game changer.

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

Handbuilding tracks is just a different game! I prefer mine and I don't even ballast yet...

[@patrickd9551]

Ah nice .... FastTracks sure are great little tools, but sure gets rather expensive once you get into all the different layout options, like crossovers, curved switches, curved track, etc. That was the main reason I never got into building my own tracks, but I haven't got the space anymore and way too many other hobbies. Which also includes my 3D printer funnily enough. Perhaps one day if I decide to unbox that hobby (now if I only can remember where that box is located, probably somewhere very deep and away from little 6 year old eyes)

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

Thanks! Even worse with shipping in import duty into the EU... My layout is small, so being able to make any radius or kind of turnout really helps. Printed everything but the locos!

[@patrickd9551]

@@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922 Ah I didn't even consider the shipping costs from CA indeed. Yeah, I rarely directly import anything from that side of the world. And as I understand even shipping on the continent itself is prohibitively expensive. But thankfully we have a healthy trading economy on our side of the pond with decent shipping costs for most common goods, including model trains. Imagine importing locs and other rolling stock.

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

I've bought from Germany aat-net.de/ and my local www.modeltreinen.nl/ and some from the UK railsofsheffield.com But Brexit costs aren't cheap... Got the Micro-Trains couplers both direct from US and via Germany. Never expected to be able to design my own turnout jigs! We learn by doing!

[@WHJeffB]

Nice!!!! I went to 3D printing turnout fixtures about 2yrs ago... I'd purchased and used Fast Tracks fixtures for my HOn30 and HOn2 trackwork, but I'd moved up to Sn2 (S scale 2' gauge on HOn3 track) and needed custom frog (#6.5) turnouts for my new modules. Unfortunately Fast Tracks std turnout fixtures have gotten prohibitively expensive, but even worse they're custom work is just out of sight expensive! Designed and 3D printed (resin, not FDM) both the turnout assembly and frog soldering fixtures, as well as fixtures to machine the points and frog rails. Worked out GREAT!! I'd venture even better than the Fast Tracks aluminum fixtures, because as you've pointed out the resin doesn't absorb heat as readily as the aluminum does. Of course the resin is not as durable, but printing new fixtures is a snap... I print them flat on the build plate, so a 4mm thick fixture prints in less than an hour and I can do a few each in one printing session. At some point in the near future I plan on designing a fixture for a curved #7 turnout for HOn3... No more Fast Tracks for me.

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

I have to google those complex gauges! But 3D designed jigs is perfect for special gauges. I started with the #4 and #6 Three way. Made two #6 turnouts that I never used and at least 5 #4's total. But I made a 12x9 #6 curved turnout and never looked back! Started making HO jigs just for fun and the design challenge of the larger scale. I made my frog and point filing jig so I could do them as pairs. How do you hold the tracks etc together during the build? I designed clamps after trying blue tack for the 1st ever build. #7 turnout just sounds nice!

[@robbhalverson7725]

I am planning on trying to build my own jigs for HO scale. What pitfalls did you find when designing the jigs that I may need to lookbout for?

[@ganste8310]

Wonderful tutorial as always. I went back to see some of your first videos, and i would like to ask you if you built the switching puzzle layout with the inglenook. Also went to milan, but the osmo pocket 2 was too big for the modular layouts of different associations. The tracks and scenery were too close to prototypical, the camera kept hitting platforms and signals....just the train could pass very close. But the H0 scale video were amazing. Will share with you once i publish on the tube.

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

Thanks so much! The far side (which is going to flipped around) has the Timesaver built into it currently under the industrial buildings. The Inglenook is part of the inner yard area never built yet. The design stayed pretty constant from the original. Each piece is bespoke, so lots of wasted effort to make changes... The turnout stepper motors proved too hard to work with and fragile. Finally just got some linear servos, but still need to set them up with the arduino and motor shield. Was part of the #4 turnout process. The the camera I used in the video car is smaller. My tracks are pretty close and it fits. Love to see your videos of the expo!

[@ganste8310]

@@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922 i have a small space for layouts like you, maybe even smaller. i took inspiration from your timesaver and inglenook, and decided to make two stackable flat layouts, just to have some fun with trains. It takes a lot of time and effort to build everything diy/handmade, and since my mother was in japan for last 2 weeks, i bought trough her a "little" bit of kato trains and tracks cause is very cheap compared to europe prices (#6 turnout 10€ and 3,2€ fot remote switch). First i'm going to build the layouts with kato, test them, then make the definitive with everything handmade. I noticed that kato uses a simple solenoid to actuate the switch. I don't know about you, but i like simple reliable stuff that works, so in the future i'll try to copy kato for the switching motion. Do you prefer something prototypical like slow movement or simple stuff?

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

The really slow switching motion was what made me go with the stepper motors in the first place. The linear servos should also move slowly but much easier to program. With small shunters, like the Class 03 or Class 08, you can even use 6" radius curves to minimize the layout footprint. Can always start building a few straight track pieces and a turnout or two. I'd like to make a shelf shunting layout as well with tight curves. Did she get to PlazaJapan? Very cheap and easy shipping from them!

[@ganste8310]

@@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922 no, i bought everything from Amazon japan (unbelievable prices compared to here), and was delivered at the reception. I asked her to go to the Kato store in Shinjuku, cause i wanted a replacement chassis for the used doctor yellow that i bought a year ago from japan on ebay (motor carbon brushes almost worn out), and also bought me the glacier express bundle with loco and 3 cars. Plaza japan sells only outside japan, and as you already know apart shipping you have to pay hefty custum duties and more taxes on top (at least in italy.). Fun fact, couldn't find #4 turnouts both in the kato store and amazon. I have 2 fleischmann turnouts with the tightest radius, but my high speed trains, both japanese and europeans, have problems running on them. Will test everything again. What rails are you using for the handlaid tracks/turnouts? I buy, whenever i find, the fleischmann piccolo longest straight tracks (312 mm), i also have the peco code 55 1 yard flex track. Have you succed on bending the flex track? For kato rolling stocks a good european reseller is J-scale (ebay and website), haven't buy anything yet, but prices are lower than stores

[@handlaidtracksand3dprinted922]

May have paid import fees from Japan and forgot the pain. I didn't notice much import fee from Japan, I do from the UK oh yes! Shipping from PlazaJapan was pretty cheap. But I buy more local since I like Piko and Fleischmann locos very much. Graham Farish makes nice ones as well (UK). I've only used Micro-Engineering Code 55 rails. I bought a bunch of them when they seemed to be going out of business. Glad they survived! Just started playing with some code 100 HO just for fun and to design in another scale. Straight track and 18" & 26" curves so far. To bend the rails I have a small rail roller uploaded and a larger one as well. The code 100 worked well on the larger and code 55 on the smaller. Also making a modified larger rail roller with the two fixed rollers slightly closer together.