Shaping the Parts
Finish filing the stock rails
File frog assembly
Attach the turnout parts

Stock rails need to be filed about an inch and a half of the base web on
one side only starting about 1/2 inch from one end. Do the other one on
the opposite side.  ONLY REMOVE THE BASE WEB.

You can clamp the stock rail just like the points to file them
 

File the back of the frog to get rid of that large lump of solder you left.
  The solder will hold the frog up off the ties ...... no good........file it flat.
Also file the face of the frog to make sure it's flat. Not too much.

Now a secret ........... turn the file on a corner (at 45deg.') and place the file corner
in the flangeway groove and give it a few strokes.  The file will break the edge on
either side of the flangeway making the wheel flanges drop in the slot instead of
climb out.  Do both grooves.  (makes smooth frogs)

  Use your file to clean any little burrs on any of the rails. Get them smooth.
Now we have these parts.   Lay each point rail against it's stock rail to make sure
the point lays snug against the stock rail. File as necessary to make these fit nice.

 

Ok now decide on a left or a right turnout.  I'm doing a LEFT hand so if you do a RIGHT
then bend the opposite to what I say.
A left or right is determined from the point end. heading toward the frog. A Left T.O.
is straight on the right side and curved on the left.  So
PICK UP the right stock rail and hold it at the far end up to your eye. Site down the
rail and using your fingers .... tweek the rail here .... there .... to get it straight.
PICK UP the frog assembly and holding it out on the frog rails, site along the left
leg and the right leg to get the rails lined up perfectly across the frog.  Also straighten
the LEFT point rail all the way to the point end. Tweek it straight.
 Now holding the frog firmly in one hand, with your fingers (use a rag too) pull your
fingers along the RIGHT point rail giving it a gentle curve. If you get too much bend,
then pull your fingers the same but with a little pressure the opposite way to straighten
out the rail a bit.  Give the rail a gentle bend from the frog to the point.  Hold it up to
this picture on the screen to get about this much bend. Or print out the pic.

OK now pick up the Left stock rail and gently draw it through your fingers to give
it a curve. Tweek with it till it sits right over the curved point rail in the pic above.
OK now we need three pc ties.  Position them like this In fact if you print this
picture then set the parts on the picture.

Position your track gauges at 1-2 on the straight and 3-4 on the straight
then solder at 1 then 2 then 3 then 4 then 5 then 6
Now move the gauges to 6-7 and 5-8
 Solder 7 then 8.
  OK now put a gauge on the end past the points and solder 9 and 10.
Place the gaurd rails inside at 3 and 8 and solder them.
  If your spiking to wood ties then do the same sequence as above but spike where
it says solder.  Hint .... put the spike part way in on both sides of rail and then go
back and push the spikes home. Each one holds the other in line ..... rail doesn't move.
Now using your NMRA gauge check the gauge at 1-2 and at 3-4
and 6-7 and 5-8 .
   DON'T USE THE TRACK END OF YOUR NMRA GAUGE.
Not if you want the turnout to work.
 USE THE OTHER END CALLED FLANGEWAYS.
 That end is accurate .... the track end is not.
The flangeway end matches your wheels so that's what we'll use.
Make sure the gaurd rail isn't too close to the stock rail. You can widen it
by moving the end of the gaurd rail away slightly while soldering it.
The exact spacing is the distance between the two flangeway prongs.
These should pass through your flangeways.  If they don't, then move the
gaurd rail only. Don't move the wing rail. Leave it lined up with the frog.
If you got your wing rail flange-way a little tight, you can carefully move
through the flangeway with an abrasive cut off disc. BUT BE CAREFULL.
A couple of light passes is far better than gouging and grabbing.

Make sure you have a truck with accurate wheel gauge. This you can use to
test your frog flange ways. However...... if you set the rails at the spacing of
the NMRA FLANGEWAY PRONGS .... then the wing rail and guard rail
can go base to base and the flangeways will be the right width.  If your using
 Railway Engineering track gauges then the spacing will be right.
 
 

The throw-bar for the turnout is a pc board tie with a brass reinforcement strip.
 

I use rosin core solder for this and don't need any other flux. Use a flux if you want
but I do recommend you use rosin core.
Questions???? Send them to [email protected]

-Stephen Hatch

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