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…………......--- Sawmill Curved Turnouts -- Pt. 1 ---======================================

A curved turnout was needed for the sawmill track, a #6 -- 12"/18" radius to be exact. No problem Fast Tracks has a template for that. So I spent a day, actually about 4 hours making one. Took it to the layout to see how it would look and....................made a huge mistake. I used the RH (right hand) template instead of the LH. So that one went in the box of turnouts to use maybe someday and I spend another partial day building the LH one shown here.

In the past I've always taped a turnout/crossing template to the top of the workbench surface. Never again. It was always a pain having it in a fixed position and awkward to solder to the PCB ties if they were on the opposite side of the turnout from where you were sitting. I cut a piece of scrap plywood I had into a rectangular shape and rounded the corners with the saw and a belt sander. Also sanded the surface with the belt sander. That all took about 10 minutes but wow, how much easier it is to now to move the turnout around for soldering. Time spent was well worth it. Highly recommend doing this if you have been taping your templates down into a fixed position.

More info on the frog soldering jigs along with print file links (HERE).

The frog needed for this was a #6 so I could use my Fast Tracks #6 PointForm tool to file the frog points in a minute or so. On the next page you will see how I was also able to use it for a #10 or about any other frog angle.

I always start with the frog and work out from there as it is the heart of the turnout.

As I solder and as the solder joint is still fluid I'll push the rail down onto the tie with the screwdriver. If you stay on the solder joint too long the copper can lift off the tie. If I don't get the screwdriver quickly let the joint cool.....pick up the screw driver..........reheat the joint..........push it down.

The 3 point gauges speed things up and wish I would of gotten some sooner.

The 3 point gauges usually get the track into gauge but I always check it many places with a NMRA gauge. One of the most critical places to check is from the end of the frog point out to the stock rails on both sides. I'll get the stock rails held in place with a couple solder joints before and after the frog but then make sure it is right at the frog point before soldering the stock rails to more ties. This is probably one of the two main places where cars/engines have difficulty going through a turnout if it isn't right.

I leave a number of the turnout ties unsoldered until the very end just in case I need to move a rail in or out a touch.

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For me the closure rails in the middle can be the hardest part of the turnout build. I try and take my time with them and again I don't solder them to every tie until I'm certain that everthing is in 'gauge'.

I use Superior #30 liquid solder flux on all my soldering jobs and love it. Have it in a small bottle with the tip squeezed almost shut so I can control how much I put on. At the point I use the flux....a hot iron....and I'm on/off the solder joint as soon as the solder flows (less than a second). I wash the turnout in hot dish detergent water when done

I'm a 'function' over 'looks' person so give up a little looks when it comes to the throwbar.

This turnout is just to the right of the log dump and provides a siding to move the log cars onto so that they aren't blocking the main while unloading them. The track/ties here will be filled in to the rail tops so that trucks bringing logs to the mill can also be unloaded here.

Next up is one more curved turnout for this side of the sawmill tracks and then three more for the other side.

To be continued and a link to this whole build ( HERE ).

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