In addition to Jim Martin's comments about rail size, I believe turnout number makes a difference too. With a #5 turnout, you have a physically shorter length of rail from the throwbar to the fixed frog than is the case with say a #8. The shorter length puts more stress on the solder joint, so I am more inclined to use a hinged connection with the lower-numbered turnouts.
That said, I have about twenty #6 turnouts, code 100, with soldered throwbars that have held up for more than twenty years. I have also had 2 or 3 break in that timeframe, and when I repair them I go with the hinged technique.
Gaylord Gill
Highland, MI
---In [email protected], <bob@...> wrote:
I use the same proceedure on my layout and Jack Troxell, the originator of that system have been in operation for 25+ & 30 +years respecively without failures. Jack has all his turnouts with hinges and mine are a mixture of solid rail and hinges depending on turnout # and rail size. I go from #70 to #126 for rail sizes.
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
On 10/7/13 8:00 AM, Peter Vanvliet wrote:
Our club, the Houston S gaugers, uses handlaid code 100, also solid rail with soldered throwbars. I've been with the club for over 5 years now and we do 3 to 5 shows a year, and the modules are stored in a non-A/Ced storage unit. Not a single one has broken since I've been with the club. The modules were built in the late 1980s.
I will use this same method again for a future layout.
- Peter.
On 10/05/2013 5:26 pm, meldridge@... wrote:
Time for a final (?) decision. Should I solder the point rails to the throwbar, or solder a tab to the rails and put a screw through the tab into the throwbar? I'm most curious to hear from people that solder the rails to the throwbar. Fill in the blanks: In ____ years of operating them I've had _____ solder joints come apart.
-Michael Eldridge
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Peter Vanvliet (peter@...)
Houston, Texas
My Model Railroad Site (RSS feed)
Fourth Ray Software
Houston S Gaugers
N.A.S.G.
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