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OldRocky
PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:54 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2010 4:28 am
Posts: 4
Many (most?) model railroaders notch both the base and the head of the rail to create a smooth
line where the points meet the stock rail. The Fast Tracks procedure does not do this. Would
some one please explain the difference(s) and why the choice was made the way it is? Thanks.
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emccamey
PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:31 am 
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Location: East Texas - USA
Some do - but 'most' don't. Those doing so are simply lazy and fail to create proper points. It's not required.

I've been handlaying since 1961 and have never notched the stock rail head. In the last 8-10 years I've stopped even notching the stock rail base. I file an angled shelf on the points rail base so that the point rides into and against the stock rail just as the prototype does. Much more professional in appearance and fidelity.

-ed-

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-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.
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INprinter
PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:15 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:35 pm
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Location: Indiana
emccamey (!empty($user->lang['WROTE'])) ? $user->lang['WROTE'] : ucwords(strtolower(str_replace('_', ' ', 'WROTE'))):
Some do - but 'most' don't. Those doing so are simply lazy and fail to create proper points. It's not required.

I've been handlaying since 1961 and have never notched the stock rail head. In the last 8-10 years I've stopped even notching the stock rail base. I file an angled shelf on the points rail base so that the point rides into and against the stock rail just as the prototype does. Much more professional in appearance and fidelity.

-ed-


Can you post some pictures of how you do that? Think that would be most interesting to see. Thanks.

Inprinter

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If the light at the end of the tunnel doesn't stay at the end of the tunnel, then it is time to beat a path in the opposite direction.
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emccamey
PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 2:30 pm 
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Location: East Texas - USA
Prepare the points normally first. Then undercut the points base on an angle so that it 'snuggles' into the stock rail (without a notch).

Picture shows a sample. Note: I always have hinged points that are not contiguous to the closure rails.

First has solder points to PC tie bar (p.JPG). Second (Points2.JPG) is a hinged point toe using a soldered spike on clad removed PC tie. Both have hinged heals.

-ed-

(!empty($user->lang['ATTACHMENT'])) ? $user->lang['ATTACHMENT'] : ucwords(strtolower(str_replace('_', ' ', 'ATTACHMENT'))):
📷 Attachment lost: p.JPG
31,253 bytes, uploaded 2010-06-10 — file destroyed in an April 2019 hosting restore, before this archive was made.

p.JPG [ 30.52 KiB | Viewed 8217 times ]
(!empty($user->lang['ATTACHMENT'])) ? $user->lang['ATTACHMENT'] : ucwords(strtolower(str_replace('_', ' ', 'ATTACHMENT'))):
📷 Attachment lost: Points2.JPG
41,780 bytes, uploaded 2010-06-10 — file destroyed in an April 2019 hosting restore, before this archive was made.

Points2.JPG [ 40.8 KiB | Viewed 8213 times ]

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.
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