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The latest developments on the trackwork construction after a week or two's lapse during March when business commitments overflowed into my modelling weekends and I also missed out on a Gauge 0 convention at Swindon, where I had hoped to pick up more track components from the trade stands. So, I had enough rail left to start making some point blades and that took up what time I had available this last weekend (20/21 March). Once again, the site will take a wee while to load, probably about a minute at 28.8, since it contains even more largish .JPG files. |
An overall view of the work done so far with the three way point having been fitted with all its switch blades, and the double slip closest having had all its curved road switch blades fitted, and one of the straight road switch blades.
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Another view of the three-way and the double slip.The switch blades do not have any tiebars fitted as yet. The tiebars will be situated under the trackbed with extensions through the trackbed to attach to the switch rails. Therefore, the point work can only be completed when it is mounted on its final resting place. |
An almost track level view of the three-way point.For what is a facing point in use, I could have joggled the track at the toe to provide a better seating for the switch blade tips, but I decided to forego joggling and leave the rails straight. I find I can file and shape the switch rail tips such that operation is fault free, yet there is enough "meat" in the rail section to maintain enough strength at the tip area. The switches are "A" planing and would not be used in such a situation on the prototype since they are deemed too sharp for normal mainline running, but it is the one main compromise I have had to make in the pointwork to pack everything into the space available. |
A similar view of the double slip.The blades are not hinged at all, but are fixed to brass baseplates which are tied to the adjacent closure rail. You can just discern the brass plates in front of the stubs of the obtuse crossings. Therefore operation of the blades depends on the flexing of the rail (as in the prototype) and is a perfectly feasible prospect in ScaleSeven where the tip movement is around 1mm. To lighten the load on tiebars, etc., the switch rails are pre-shaped such that they lie in place close to, or against, the stock rails with no sprung bias at all. You may note that the right hand lower switch rail in this picture is actually lying slightly off its stock rail by about 0.5mm - which is actually the optimum position. |
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