With all this verbal trashing about, looking for people to make things for us...in this case various track items...it's worth reminding ourselves why most of us entered this hobby in the first place. To construct models and layouts. Track is a model, and thanks to Tim Warris at FastTracks, not a particularly difficult one to construct. Anyone needing a half dozen or more turnouts of a specific size, is dollars and reliabilty ahead if he orders the required FastTracks fixture and builds his own switches. Tim will custom mill any size turnout, for any scale and gauge, for any size rail you wish to use. You plan on building your layout with code 125, #5 turnouts? Tim will make you what you need.
And if you wish, you can pay off the cost of the fixture by building and selling turnouts to others. I'm really high on this product. Anyone with a few simple tools can build a flawlessly operating turnout and will be able to say with pride "I built it myself". BTW...no need to shim the printed circuit ties. The additional wood ties required to mount the turnout should bring it up to the same level as the rest of the track. Try it. It's fun! Jim ________________________________ From: Rance and Bente <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, February 14, 2011 2:07:33 PM Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} RTR motorized turnouts Hey Ed: I would pay $40 for such a turnout ($10/h is pretty cheap - minimum wage here is about $20!). Assume your miscellaneous includes the electrical contact switch to make it move? In any event, who wants to do it? regards, Rance ps - the electrical wiring of the various parts as Tom Stoltz is now doing would be quite nice, etc. On 2/14/2011 7:29 PM, Edward Loizeaux wrote: > > > Monte wrote: > > > "Granted, a complete track system in S scale > > > would be great, but do any of you think that > > > this would be feasible? At best I could see it > > > starting with one size switch and I guess it > > > would sell for around $40." > > If any of you know how to do this, please contact me. > > It could be a good business opportunity. > > Tom Stoltz > > $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ > > Gentlemen... > > Let's assume someone wanted to produce a new product for S scale and > make an > honest buck doing it. Let's also assume Dick Karnes was correct that RTR > turnouts with a motor attached would be a good seller. So the question > boils down to: How to do it? > > If'n I were inclined in that direction, I would look at building up RTR > turnouts using the FastTracks fixtures and also having an optional motor > that could easily be attached. With the fixtures, the only cost per > turnout > is that of rail, ties, and your labor. Most of the folks using the > FastTracks fixtures claim they can build a complete turnout in less > than one > hour. The end result is effectively a RTR turnout. Some spacer shims can > be glued to the bottom of the ties and then the rail height will exactly > match Shinohara or any other brand of flex track. The throw bar and/or > specific ties can be made extra long for accommodation of the motor > mechanism whatever it turns out to be. > > For the motor, do whatever makes sense. According to one person, American > Models has figured out how to do it with a modification to a mass-produced > HO turnout motor to provide a greater throw distance. If this approach > works for AM, maybe it is a good technique to examine thoroughly. With the > design of an adaptor, the motor should be attachable to some > longer-than-normal ties without much difficulty. Perhaps only a few tapped > holes would be needed. I'd view this as a doable thing if it is given some > thought. The motor could be attached at the factory (your basement?) or > sold separately for the customer to attach with the provided screws. > > Regarding costs, figure $3 for rail, $3 for ties, $10 for one hour of > direct > labor, $3 for the mass-produced HO turnout motor and another $1 for the > mounting adaptor and miscellaneous hardware and packaging. Everything > should be purchased in bulk directly from the manufacturer at a 40% > discount off the normal retail list price. Total cost = $ 20. Selling > price = $ 30 for a 50% gross margin. > > One last cost factor is the 50 cents "Idea Fee" payable to me for each > turnout sold. I will take payment in beer if you are short of cash. > > Let's just do it !! > > Have fun..Ed L. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
