Well, Minnesota received a huge snow storm and I get stranded in the sunshine,
my bad luck. If I were at home, this opportunity would allow me more basement
time. Fortunately for me, Steve Doyle keeps me informed about all the things
he is getting done.
Saw the note about Shinohara (sp) turnouts. Bob is correct, like flex track,
the rail may pop out of the ties over time and use. I know of turnouts on my
railroad and Dave Hamilton's that have been in use 30 years with out this
issue. If you keep your track and points clean, there is no contact issue, I
don't like to rely on the rail for contact any more (see part one for why) and
a part of my ongoing maintenence is to tie the point and stock rail together
electricaly and isolate the frog, powering it with the tortose, blue point or
other method. My latest is the hex frog jucier which is the most simple. When
I do this on the Shinohara turnouts, I use one PC board tie for the points, one
to tie the point and stock rail together and one to isolate and power the frog.
At times I add a couple more which makes the assembly even stronger. One spot
I particuarly like to add the tie is the end of the turnout where there is the
most stress. These tuenouts were built as most HO turnouts were some years
ago, the HO turnouts have been updated, note these. Some say these are Scenery
Supply exclusives but there was an importer in Canada who sold these, SU may
only have the US exclusive. I have a photo at home of what I do if you would
like to see it. The number "6" isn't correct, people say it is a 5 or 5-1/2.
They work great in a freight yard or siding, I hear a 60 foot passenger car
doesn't look good going through them, no suprise there, long passenger cars
don't look particularly great going through a number 8, it is just part of the
compromise we make because of space limitations.
Over the years, there have been may stones thrown at the Shinohara turnout so
they are easy to find at a low price, 15 minutes of work and you have what is
commonly called a DCC friendly turnout. The best operating turnouts I have are
built with "Fast Tracks" jigs but like anything else, they are subject to
missuse or assembly error like bad solder joints.
Enjoy,
Ken Zieska
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