Beta point build thread by Karyn

[karyn]

Hello folks,

I'm just sorting out all the pictures then I'll make a start writing up my experience so far...

My camera (iPhone) takes huge pictures by default so I'm editing them and reducing their size for the thread.

Back soon.

[karyn]

ok, so here goes.

First, what did we get in the kit?


The frog came pre-fitted in my kit, and while there are no point blades I did get a tie bar made from PCB so I could file and solder my own from the standard rail.
I think I'll wait for the cast point blades...


Chairs.. As you'd expect, these are small and there's lots of them

Cut the chairs from the sprue with a sharp blade and you shouldn't need to file/trim any burs.

Remember, the chairs have an inside and outside (as well as a top and bottom  )

A pair of needle nose tweezers is your friend here...


Hold the chair gently by the top, the right way around.  Place over a hole and gently press into place, using the tweezers to turn the chair to the correct angle for the rail.


Slide the rail into the chair and move onto the next one.




Where the switch rail meets the stock rail, the last two chairs need to be trimmed to fit...

I've not trimmed them yet,  the empty holes show where the chairs should go.

Where the switch rails meet the frog, the holes for the chairs are slightly oval to allow a little movement to line up the rail with the frog.
This means that the chairs are loose and so I've left them off until Im ready to go over the whole build with liquid poly to fix all the chairs in place.

This shot also shows the double chairs to hold the check rails.

Another view of the frog showing more check rail chairs and the oval holes..


So...  until the cast switch blades arrive that's about all for now.


Unless I feel brave (or stupid) and try filing my own point blades...   hmmmmmm......  

[Wayne Kinney]

Hi Karyn,

Great to see your progress, hope to have the cast switch blades soon

[josephp]

Karyn, Have a go at filing switchblades. It's not the most difficult part about turnout building (and I speak as someone who is fairly ham-fisted). I think you fill find that they look better than cast ones.