Mike Saunders presented a clinic on building turnouts from scratch using Fast Tracks tools on Sunday January 13, 2019. These tools assure proper alignment of rails during the fabrication process so that they may be soldered together in correct alignment for realistic railroad display and operation. With the several frog angles available, complex track work of just about any configuration can be built. Mike demonstrated the construction of a #6 switch with HO code 83 rail but single and double slip switches may be built, curved turnouts may be built and other complex turnouts may be built. All of the necessary tooling and track construction hardware is available from Fast Tracks. Click here to visit their web site.

Mike kicks off the talk with handouts and DVDs from Fast Tracks. Here he holds up the rail alignment jig for soldering the rails to the ties.

Here, Mike uses a tool to cut a notch in the rail web of the stock rails to allow the movable points move up against the rails.

After preparing the stock rails, Mike sets the rails in the alignment tool and tacks them to the ties with solder.