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…...............--- Sawmill Turnout Install -- Pt. 3 ---======================================

Finally time to install turnouts and track on the upper level starting at the sawmill.

Designed a .....

.... new servo mount based on the one I normally use. The normal one is installed from below using a couple tools you can print than allows a single person to install the servo in a couple minutes and have it dead center on where it needs to be to throw the throwbar. The problem on this part of the upper level is that the staging yard is 10 inches below the upper level so not much room to operate in placing a servo.

This mount is secured with a single screw and is easy to install from the side vs. having to be under it. I might use some of these on the lower level also it they work out well. I'll have install pictures soon and will probably put the print files up also. I printed the part of the mount that the servo attaches to with the resin printer using Siraya Tech Build resin. It is being tapped for 2-56 machine screws that hold the servo and the limit switches. The other parts that the single screw goes in were printed with a resin printer and a filament printer. That part also has 4 holes that are tapped and are used to connect the two parts together with 4-40 machine screws.

One or two limit switches can be attached to the mounts. Most of these will get one and it will be used for the frog polarity. Two will get 2 limit switches, one for frog polarity and the other to change the crossing's frogs polarity.

The first track going down for the upper level above.

Handlaying your track gives you many more options vs. most of the commercial track one can buy. Three 3-way turnouts will be used in this area to increase track lengths in different areas.

Above jumpers have been added to power the rails just past the frog. I don't solder the turnouts to the tracks on both side but use rail joiners that do normally electrically connect these rails also to power (there are track feeds to all track sections). Not a great connection so these jumpers are there to send power in case the rail joiners aren't.

There is also a wire to the frog for polarity changes to it. That wire connects to a limit switch on the servo mount. The switch is connected to track power resulting in the frog being powered with the correct polarity.

The servos are controlled with the $2 servo controllers above. I got the idea from Dave at trainelectronics.com. I expanded on it some by adding the 10K trimmer pot. This allows one to set the throw at both ends of the servo throw. It is easy to then adjust the throw so that the points just touch the stock rails and don't overpower the throw bar. Adding the two components only takes a couple minutes and ...

..... there are print files you can download ( HERE ) for a mount that the controller and 10K pot can be connected to. More info on this along with the print file links ( HERE ).

Fast tracks sells what they call QuickSticks for some turnouts that will speed up the 'adding ties' part of a turnout build and the ties will all be perfect and perfectly spaced but add quite a bit to the price of building a turnout. I used them a couple times but too expensive for how many turnouts I need and I like some 'imperfection' in the turnout. Not all 'real' track is perfect when it comes to the ties.

I buy their individual ties that come 500 to a bag and even though they have gone up they save me a lot in building a turnout. If you stray from the most popular turnouts there are no Quick Sticks for what you are building. I designed and print some jigs, shown above, that help place ties under straight and curved turnouts. They speed things up but expect to re-glue a few as some will fall off cutting them to length and in handling. This is the part of the turnout build I like least but getting quicker at it. Links to the 3D printed tie jigs ( HERE ) & ( HERE ).

I gave up on using Pliobond which Fast Tracks recommends and use CA instead. It can be tricky to work with also. Be careful around the points so that you don't glue them where they won't throw. At times I slide these in once the turnout is down and glue them to the roadbed and not to the turnout. I have a lot of info on my site about turnout construction ( HERE ) and there are other resources out there also.

Mounted a number of $2 servos to the new style 3D printed servo bracket. Then centered the wire to the throwbar with the $2 servo controller prior to installation (couple minutes). Once the servo is mounted under the turnout the controller is used to adjust the throwbar throw so that the points just touch the stock rails and aren't overpowered by the servo (another couple minutes).

This mount was designed to be installed from the side of the layout when you can't get directly under the turnout. Here the lower level staging yard is 10 inches under the servos and in the way of mounting them from directly below. This mounting can be done in a couple minutes from the side of the layout and the throwbar piano wire will end up perfectly centered under the throwbar hole.

The extended round area on the top of the mount goes up into a 3/8" hole centering the throwbar wire. Then the single screw holds the mount & servo in place since it can't pivot with the round area up in the hole. I'll probably start using these about everywhere since one doesn't need to go under the layout to mount the servo if you can reach where the mount will go from the side. I'll put another page up with all the details and will show how easy these mounts are to use for servo installs.

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

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