Shinohara scissors crossing

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Just zis Guy, you know? - 14 Jul 2010 23:18 GMT

I finally got round to mounting this. Comments: the sleepers are (as
expected) narrow for UK outline, they are HO code 83 I think, this can be
kludged of course. Joining was easy using standard fishplates, but I had to
file out a short section in the middle so I could Z-bend it to get the rail
tops level. It's the thickness of a piece of 300gsm card, not exactly a
problem to make up, I think I will solder as well for stability. No centring
springs so you're going to want Tortoise motors and remote mounts (available
as a pair but you need two additional remote kits), these work fine and are
reasonably tolerant of the inevitable small difference between the throws of
the various blades. Ballasting is a bugger, though, you have to be more
careful than you'd believe. I recommend cutting out the additional card
under the thrownbars (code 100) or filing down the bed under the throwbars
(code 75/whatever).

Is it easier than building a scissors crossing from stock components? Yes.
Is it easier than scratch building? Also yes. But it's not exactly
straightforward and not cheap either.

I will post some pictures when I get round to it.

Oh, also, from the "playing trains" department, I have to report that I
absolutely love the Seuthe smoke generators. Watching an 8F steaming into a
tunnel - well, I love it.

Guy

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Greg.Procter - 18 Jul 2010 05:30 GMT

> I finally got round to mounting this. Comments: the sleepers are (as
> expected) narrow for UK outline, they are HO code 83 I think, this can be
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> tunnel - well, I love it.
> Guy

It's possible to build a scissors crossover from Peco trackwork.
I built one using 4 2' radius turnouts and a 24 degree crossing.
The rurnouts need trimming back - basically the curved route rails
from the turnout frog need to be removed and the Peco crossing
outer rails replace them. The curved stock rails need to be shortened
further so that the crossing inner rails and end frog(s) have somewhere
to be.
Some rail fixings on the curved route need removing as do the sleepers
beyond the turmnout frog(s).
The major hurdle to get over is thinking that the rail ends of the
turnouts and crossing need to be aligned.
Problem number two is to avoid having any two short pieces of rail
connecting.
Problem number three is the wiring - actually it's relatively
simple - treat the crossing as a separate block wired to the four
turnout frog switches and then limit the point positions
so only one crossing route at a time can exist.

52mm track spacing is possible.

Greg.P.

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Jane Sullivan - 18 Jul 2010 10:45 GMT

>> I finally got round to mounting this. Comments: the sleepers are (as
>> expected) narrow for UK outline, they are HO code 83 I think, this
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
>
> 52mm track spacing is possible.

That sounds too fiddly to me, especially as my layout is outdoors and
has to suffer the rigours of the UK weather as well as birds defecating
on it. I've got three Shinohara scissors, and they all work well.

> Greg.P.

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Jane

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Greg.Procter - 26 Jul 2010 02:42 GMT

>>> I finally got round to mounting this. Comments: the sleepers are (as
>>> expected) narrow for UK outline, they are HO code 83 I think, this
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
> has to suffer the rigours of the UK weather as well as birds defecating
> on it. I've got three Shinohara scissors, and they all work well.

Yes, it is fiddly, but I didn't tell the whole story:
I wanted the scissors between two tracks entering my main station.
The turnouts of the station side of the sissors crossover are double slip
points and the whole is on a gentle curve as the incoming tracks turn 180
degrees so the scissors forms a transition curve. I can't see Shinohara
ever doing that formation! The whole is mounted on it's own piece of MDF
as it would probably fall into it's component parts if I tried to pick it
up. (I should have mentioned that earlier) The individual turnouts etc
will never be able to be reused in other formations. :-(
Still, if I'd used over the counter turnouts without trimming, my station
platforms would be about one coach long rather than seven.

Greg.P.

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Model Forum / General / Railroads / July 2010

Shinohara scissors crossing