12-19-2010, 04:40 AM
P5se Camelback Wrote:And see ... it wasn't all that tough ...
No, it was not tough at all. In fact it was much easier than I had expected and because I like soldering things together, it was fun, too. The main reasons for building my own turnouts are availability and not being dependent on the few geometries of prefab TOs offered. Especially here in Germany it is not always that easy to get the turnouts I need without having to wait for weeks. Turnouts are expensive, so I just buy what I need for a specific layout, but when I change my plans or if a TO gets damaged, I am in trouble. I can always get the materials I need to build a TO. Even if I don’t have already cut PC ties and wooden ties at hand, I can get a piece of PC board and some strip wood. That is all I need.
Costs are another reason. A ME #6 code 70 TO costs $20.95 plus shipping (shipping rates are always a big factor when parts have to be shipped to Germany). If I use ME rails and Fast Tracks ties, a hand build TO costs about $5.
I am not sure about looks. On the one hand, (some) prefab turnouts show more details, but on the other hand most have an ugly cast metal or even plastic frog and the points are hinged. In this respect hand build turnouts look better and exactly like the real thing.
But most of all, it is fun. I am really looking forward to building a #10 Y.
Kurt