Rob’s been in touch with a missive on his track crossover problem:

“My Far Moor Junction has seen a lot of traffic over the years.

In fact, the double-slip switch that makes it all happen has had a lot of hard use. It needs to be replaced.

Sometimes a locomotive will come through that is not quite all on the rail and hit it pretty hard. When that happens things can get bent. That is what has happened.

While I have things torn up, I decided to move my freight to down main crossover away from one of the super-elevated 180-degree curves. These are on all the express passenger lines on the 180-degree curves. The one that feeds into the crossover is too close. The rail traffic coming off the super-elevated rail needs time to settle before going through the point. Moving the crossover should accomplish this or I hope so.

I use this crossover when there is a train parked on the down main line between Howe Street Station and Far Moor Junction.

Passenger trains can still run at a reduced speed of course, but there is no disruption of service.

Anyway, it was time to renew this area and improve it incrementally. That is what the video is about, the physical track changes needed in this area.

Here is a final picture with everything put back together and ballasted.

After putting the track back together, I ran a number of locos and trains across the double slip. I noticed that my most troublesome locos were still having some difficulty traversing this new one.

I decided to take a deeper look.

I got my little level out and went over the double slip switch with it and discovered it was out of level by as much as half a bubble or more in some areas.

To fix this, I got some thick 1 mm card and cut it into 6 mm wide strips and cut those into small squares. I then inserted these under the sleepers on the low side until the double slip switch was as level as possible.

When I was done I leveled it until the bubble was between the lines. After doing this, I sent a number of locomotives and trains over it again. This time, everything ran smoothly. It is amazing what a difference it made.

I think that is why some equipment ran so rough over it these last few years. I should have checked it a long time ago but didn’t.

The funny thing is, when I installed the new cross-over, I did level it as a matter of course. Why I didn’t do it on the double slip is anybody’s guess. I think since it is such a rigid unit, it never occurred to me that it might twist a little or not just lay there level. The problem is no doubt the track coming into it and leaving it. That is level too now by the way since I didn’t stop at the double slip switch, I leveled all the way to the beginning of the superelevation in both adjacent curves.

It pays to check for level on your track and turnouts/points when you are laying your track and now and then if you are having trouble thereafter.

Rob”

“Hi Al,

Just completed a small N-Scale project over the holidays. 2X4 platform, a simple oval, paper houses, foam mountains. It’s my first N-Scale so nothing fancy just getting my feet wet on this one.

Best,

Mike”

A big thanks to Rob for sharing his thought on his track crossover – and to Mike too (who has made great use of the printable buildings).

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you stop dreaming and start doing, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.