Handlaid Code 40 Crossover

Success with my first Code 40 turnout for the WR&N III inspired me to jump right into the next challenge: a crossover. This time I wanted to make it as realistic and accurate as possible, so I carefully measured an actual crossover near the passenger station in West Trenton, New Jersey, and made a tie-for-tie reference drawing.

As before, I bonded handmade PC board ties to a 1/8-inch thick styrene substrate. Rails were soldered to every tie; the solder joints were kept neat by tinning the underside of the rail base, then simply heating the rail until it bonded to the PC board. Excess copper cladding was removed to leave behind simulated tie plates.

Point construction followed similar lines to the first turnout, with brass wire soldered into holes drilled in the base of the pivot ends. However, the throwrod connections were handled entirely differently both to eliminate separate parts that had to be soldered to the points and to improve appearance.

First, the point rail was bent 90 degrees horizontally away from the stock rail. The head and web of the right-angle portion were filed away, and the point end was shaped. Then the remaining base of the rail was bent 90 degrees downward. Finally, a hole was drilled in the vertical part of the shape to accept 0.015 steel wire.

After installation into the turnout assembly, the points were both sprung to favor one route. Wire segments and lengths of wire insulation inserted into the holes in the points formed the throw rod. With the points naturally set to one route, pressing the end of the throw rod changed the route. A short length of rail soldered to a lever microswitch engaged the end of the throw rod to move the points and also set the frog polarity.

Once again, the turnout was actuated by a piece of plain spring wire connected to a Tortoise switch motor that gently pressed against the microswitch lever to change its position; there was no direct connecting linkage to the throwbar or any of its related parts. The many advantages to this approach are covered in the clinic on my first Code 40 turnout.

Construction of the crossover was completed on 7 June 1991, and it was immediately installed on the "floating doughnut." Days later I completed a crossing, also featured in this sidebar. Click the images along the side for larger versions and additional construction details.

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