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Andy, I am currently attempting to build my own switches using Fast Tracks. I have switches I built, an Old Pullman switch, a scratchbuilt switch built by Gordon Whitlock, Atlas switches and two switches by Brad. In every switch I have except the Brad Strong switches if you move a truck slowly across the frog the wheel will dip into the frog. His switches are by far the best out of everything I own in my opinion. Please note I do not have any switches by “O Scale Turnouts”. I have heard good things about them but don’t have an opinion.

What I was wondering since the Gordon Whitlock switch came off of a functioning layout does it matter if the wheel dips into frog? I would prefer it didn’t because the trains will run much better without that very slight hiccup. I wonder if this happens on the prototype? Or does the weight of a prototype boxcar not allow it to happen?

I actually like building switches but it does eat up a lot of my spare time which isn’t that much. So I looked online to see what switches cost these days. I was shocked at the Atlas price tag of $124/$135. When I bought mine they $49. I know a lot of 2 rail guys dislike Atlas switches but I think they are okay. I once had a small switching layout and other than one of them that was shorted I had no issues. But then I checked the Signature Switch (Brad’s) website. The same size (roughly) switch was only $84 and it is a much better Switch! I immediately ordered 2 #6 switches. I think $84 is an extremely reasonable price for a switch of this quality in today’s O scale.

Anyway, you won’t be sorry with Brad’s switches. They are well worth the money.

Last edited by Hudson J1e

Thanks Phil all good information!  I think $84 is reasonable also.  I have Brads website saved on my list of train items.  I had 5 or 6 #5 Atlas switches I bought at a great price and sold them last year since I didn't have a layout.  I had a carpet switching layout for a while, but had to take it down...then I sold them since I knew I was going to move.  They worked fine for what I used them for, but I like the look of Brads better.

I have no problem buying switches...I just want to lay my own rail...maybe one day play with making my own switch.

My question is with the numbered switches...what do they equate to in terms of radius?  I know the larger the number the larger the radius (I think), but is a #5 equivalent to ?What? radius or do they not equate that way?

Thanks Phil all good information!  I think $84 is reasonable also.  I have Brads website saved on my list of train items.  I had 5 or 6 #5 Atlas switches I bought at a great price and sold them last year since I didn't have a layout.  I had a carpet switching layout for a while, but had to take it down...then I sold them since I knew I was going to move.  They worked fine for what I used them for, but I like the look of Brads better.

I have no problem buying switches...I just want to lay my own rail...maybe one day play with making my own switch.

My question is with the numbered switches...what do they equate to in terms of radius?  I know the larger the number the larger the radius (I think), but is a #5 equivalent to ?What? radius or do they not equate that way?

Not direct relation.  A numbered switch diverges at an angle and both tracks head off in a straight line from the frog (you can certainly bend it shortly thereafter). You can sometimes find an "effective" or "diverging" radius or something of the sort listed for a given switch. A #5 is about a 50" radius, and an 11 degree angle between the legs.(https://www.handlaidtrack.com/...wnloads/tt-o-t-5.pdf), but thats just the divergence in the switch. An 8 is a 7 degree divergence but the radius jumps to 120".   The higher the number of the switch, the shallower the diverging angle and the larger the diverging radius gets.

Last edited by Boilermaker1

Which ever way you build or lay your track, hand or ready made, painting the rail first makes a huge difference. I spray the individual rails with a Rustoleum brown and then weather with diluted india ink and use separately pre-weather gray tie strips with wooden ties laid in here and there. It's [pretty effective.

thumbnail [2)F7 freight

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Last edited by Ron H
@Ron H posted:

Which ever way you build or lay your track, hand or ready made, painting the rail first makes a huge difference. I spray the individual rails with a Rustoleum brown and then weather with diluted india ink and use separately pre-weather gray tie strips with wooden ties laid in here and there. It's [pretty effective.



Or you could just start with weathered rail.

I can't take any credit for the track laying. That's the layout owner David's department. I've only laid a few inches for a new deck in a brass Overland truss bridge with full spikes and tie plates. I'm more of the electrical and signal department.

The A&O uses weathered Microengineering rail, codes 125 and 100. We have had lots of problems with the chemical treatment it received at the factory. For many years after the rail was laid, the treatment had not yet stopped. We found dark green insulating nodules growing on the rail head that had to be removed mechanically. ME had no advice regarding a way to neutralize the chemistry. We still occasionally find a new, crusty lump or two.

@Peter E B posted:

If one can make a Fast Track jig switch in about 45 minutes using about 15 dollars in material (less the price of the jig that you can easily sell for 75% of new when done) is $84 really that reasonable??

Not sure,

Peter

Wow, many years ago I calculated what the costs were in materials to build a Fast Tracks switch I got $30. I just redid the calculations and even with today's costs it came out to $17.42 (for a #6). So now I feel even better about investing in the Fast Tracks system. Someday when I build a small yard it will save me a lot of money.

45 minutes? Peter, you are very fast. It takes me much longer to complete a switch. Hopefully, as I get better at it I will get faster. Also I am using code 148 rail which takes the longest to file.

One thing though, Brad's switches are not made from Fast Tracks jigs. I can only assume he has his own jigs. You can't put a Brad Strong switch into a Fast Tracks jig it won't fit. The ties won't line up. Labor is very expensive. It is just my opinion that Brad's switches are better than a Fast Tracks switch but yes they do cost more. However compared to an Atlas switch I feel the price is extremely reasonable.

Last edited by Hudson J1e

I have never used the ME weathered rail and after reading what Bob from the A&O Signal Department said I will stick with the non-weathered rail. IIRC Fast Tracks recommends not using the weathered rail when soldering it to PCB ties and it really isn't that much extra labor to paint the sides of the rails. Thank you very much for the information Bob.

Hudson, I certainly agree with you about the comparison to atlas being reasonable as well as it being only available in code 148 which I think it too big for most small layouts.
I admit that I make more than 1 at a time  as I cut all the rail at once then do the assembly. I first one takes the longest the next ones go quicker as you’ve “relearned” the process. They average out to about 45 minutes. LOL

Peter

@Ron H posted:

Which ever way you build or lay your track, hand or ready made, painting the rail first makes a huge difference. I spray the individual rails with a Rustoleum brown and then weather with diluted india ink and use separately pre-weather gray tie strips with wooden ties laid in here and there. It's [pretty effective.

@mwb posted:

Or you could just start with weathered rail.

Weathered rail is preferable to me and it's pretty much all I've ever used. I also like to tape off and airbrush the rail using a mixture of rust and grimy black colored paints after everything is ballasted. I find a small amount of overspray bleeds through down between the ties and helps weather the ballast a bit as well.

LH_#10_points2

LH_#10_frog2

I haven't been able to find individual code 125 NS weathered rail sections for some time so have been installing non-weathered rail instead. I don't mind scavenging rail from flex track sections to build a turnout here and there, but not for a larger area of trackage. I currently have about 35' feet of rail to weather but that will need to wait until after I get caught up on some other projects. Luckily, I haven't installed these sections permanently and they're up on rollers, so all the rail is easily accessible to prep and airbrush.

IMG_4229

IMG_4123

After I get those sections caught up, I'll be installing flex track pretty much for everything else on my layout except for turnouts and bridge decks. I definitely think hand laid trackage looks better but I don't mind mixing it with flex track and think it can look pretty good. Here's a shot of the two being installed together.

IMG_0177

MicroEngineering's O scale, and the Proto48 code 125 rail they produce for Right 0 Way look very good imho, especially after ballasting and weathering. I too have never found the weathered flex track to be any more difficult to shape than the non-weathered. Here's a shot of ME's O scale flex track, (left side of photo)

IMG_0186

John

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A lot of great layouts are shown in this thread, including many finely-detailed turnouts. The A&O track is less finely detailed but makes up for that in sheer quantity. Here are a few stats regarding David's hand-laid track, all built in place:

  • 246 single turnouts
  • 11 three-way turnouts
  • 3 double slip turnouts
  • 4 lap turnouts
  • 10 diamonds
  • frog numbers from #5 to #15

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
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