--- In [email protected], "Ed" <hanna...@...> wrote:
>
> Am considering hand laying my own track to save money and for bragging
> rights. I was wondering if anyone has done a calculation of the cost to build
> per turnout once you have the Fast Tracks tools and building jig.
>
> Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated....
>
Well if you use the fancy FastTracks laser cut tie strips they advertise
building costs per turnout at $19 and change on their website. If you just buy
PC board ties and regular ties plus rail from them your cost would be about $10
a switch I'd guess. If you did them the old fashioned way on all wood ties with
spikes probably about $7 per switch depending on where you buy your rail and
spikes and how close you space the spikes.If you are a real scrounger and can
find cheap HO code 100 flextrack to rip up for rail and can cut your own wooden
ties your only cost would be about $2 worth of spikes per switch.
Keep in mind that the fast track jig just holds the parts while you solder
them, so a switch built with or without the jig costs the same if the same type
of construction is used. If one wants PC board ties without a jig it's a simple
process to glue them to the roadbed in the appropriate places then solder on
the rails using a track gauge to space them. The Fast tracks process solders
the rails first then glues them to the ties then glues the whole thing to the
roadbed while the normal method glues the ties to the roadbed first then
solders the rails second. There's the same amount of materials and labor
involved but it's just in a different sequence.
If you want to build a lot of just one size switch the jig is probably worth
the trouble as it would speed up the holding process a bit but if you want a
lot of different sized switches for different spots on the layout then building
without a jug makes more sense.
In HO and N scales there are lots of choices for factory made switches so
hand building is not as appealing but in S scale the limited switch choices
make learning to hand build them a very good investment of time....dave
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