Installing turnouts (switches)

Today I took a break from bridge and gorge work and installed some turnouts. That's railroad talk for switches. Anyway, I found that installing the turnouts on a piece of 1" styrofoam on my workbench in my man cave is way easier than leaning over the table doing it. Also, once the glue is dry (actually acrylic caulk) and the turnout is firmly cemented to the styrofoam, I can adjust the switch points easier and then ballast between the rails. Ballast is the rocks you see between rails in the real world. This might seem too early but I have found again way easier to do at the workbench sitting down than leaning over the layout. And - because turnout switch points (the moveable part) can easily be glued in one position when gluing the ballast, it is easier to prevent this at the workbench. I speak from experience. NOT fun to unglue switch points. Finally I can get the loose ballast off easily and clean the rails.

The switch motor has been installed under the styrofoam and all the wires are ready for hookup.

So what I did today was cut a hole in the layout identical to the 1" styrofoam turnout base. The layout is built on one 2" piece, one 1.5" piece, and a 1" piece on top. Once I cut a hole for the switch motor that hangs below the styrofoam, in she goes.

You might wonder why I did not ballast the sides of the rails between the ties. Well - I wait until I get the scenery done, and then do that part of the ballast last so that it is on top of the scenery material - like real life.

The ballast I am using looks like crap - because the RGS used whatever it could find to ballast the tracks - small gravel, dirt, ashes and waste from the locomotives, and anything else. Present day railroads are very particular about ballast - the RGS just never had the money. So I am using a product that looks like burnt coal byproducts mixed with some dirt.

Whew - five turnouts installed, only 13 more to go. Actually I am going to start laying track between the turnouts I have installed as that is the next logical step. I also have to finish the bridges so the track will connect. Then maybe I can run the wires and run a train a short distance.

And - blow the whistle as the engines have full digital sound. Drives our dog nuts and he howls.