Picture AConstruction . . .Part I
Picture A
Begin by cutting ties on the bandsaw (or purchasing them ......eg. from Marcway Models, Sheffield, England) and making piles of the various lengths required . . . . from 9'-0'' to 16'-6''. I use a box that has 16 compartments to hold them. Use single sided copper clad circuit board if you can, double sided produces a raggy edge on the bottom copper layer.
Mount your drawing onto the flat board using photo fixative spray (this allows the paper to lie flat and can be easily peeled off later).
Tape a flat edge down along the edge line of the turnouts on the straight side and glue the various ties required (copper side up of course) onto the plan using PVA. Allow to set.
Picture A
Rail Filing Jig
Below is a diagram of the rail-filing jig I use to hold the rail in order to file tapers on point blades, frog vees, planed rail edges on frog rails and check rails, and the under-cutting required on the stock rails in order to allow the point blades to make a snug fit. Panel pins are hammered into the wood in pairs (as close to the edge of the block as possible) which allow the rail to be held firmly on its side while filing takes place. A G-clamp arrangement is required to hold the jig down on the bench.
Picture B
Lay the straight stock rail first. Provision needs to be made for the snug fitting of the point balde. Mark off where the point blade will touch the stock rail and file a tapered and angled under-cut using the rail filing jig. Slant the file so that the rail head does not show a file notch. The undercut taper should be greatest at the toe of the point and narrow down towards the heel. You can see where the undercut is filed by the absence of the flat bottom on the rail. Note it begins at the L.H.S. of the first of the two 15ft ties.
Solder in place, using a straight edge as a guide. I find a 25 watt iron with a medium tip (I use Antex irons) is perfectly adequate. Always use the minimum solder to do the job, use liquid flux applied with a small brush and allow the solder to creep under the rail.......you do not want a lump of solder to remain at each joint........remember this is American trackwork (no chairs).
Picture B
Picture C
First step in making the frog vee is the long point. This is filed at the end of the filing jig. Try to get as close as possible to the actual angle of the drawing. Keep offering it up to the drawing 'til correct (practice will help get very close). Remove 2-3cm of the flat bottom of the rail on the side where the short point rail will be soldered to enable a snug fit. Solder in place using track gauges using the drawing as a guide to position the point of the vee (Note: it should be over a tie, not a gap). The gauge I use for this is a home made one......a 16.5mm flat brass bar, 4mm thick and 5cm long.......the base is chamfered each side to accommodate the flatbottom of each rail.
Picture C
Picture D
Now make the short point of the frog vee.........same as before, but file the other side. No need to remove any flat bottom this time. Place the gauge as shown, aligned with the drawing , place rail in position to make a good vee and solder. Fill in any gaps with solder and finish with a file to get a nice, sharp vee.
Picture D
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