# Turnout installation in existing track



## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I am installing a passing platform siding for a small station stop that wasn't originally on my railroad plan. I can also use this to park a whole train if I choose to run something else on the ajacent mainline track.

Both of these turnouts will be in hidden locations eventually so they will be remotely controlled and care must be taken when installing these as the trackwork must be perfect to avoid derailments that pose a problem to get at.

Decide where you wish to add a turnout and lay the new turnout on the existing track and mark carefully where you will cut the original track. You only get one chance to get this right so mark carefully.










Remove the old section of track and dress the ends if neccessary with a flat jewelers file.

After that, you can install the rail joiners on one end or the other of the existing track. You may have to pop off the rail ties, or cut them away to install the joiner on the rail. The tie tops can be filed where the joiner sits to keep the rail level or you may do away with them altogether if your rail ends are secure.










The same must be done to the other end of the cut track except in this case the rail joiner must be pushed onto the rail flush with the end of it so that the turnout will fit between the cut rails.

Look carefully and you will see that I have just popped off the ties to get the joiner on the rail. You can easily push the rail back into the ties once the joiner is slid onto the turnout rail.










Install the turnout onto the joiners that are sticking out of the existing rail and lay the turnout into the opening. After carefully aligning the rails, use a small flat head screwdriver to carefully push the rail joiners onto the turnout rail until centered.










It is not neccessary or even desired to afix the turnout to the roadbed as long as the ajoining pieces of rail are secured to the roadbed or sub-roadbed.

Cut your roadbed at an angle as neccessary to fit flush next to the existing roadbed, centered on the rail. I start with the outside and then cut the inside to fit. I just find it easier to do this. Use a sharp Ex-acto knife with a #11 blade.




























Soldering helps conductivity particularly with DCC so it is recommended. While you are at it, add track drops to the buss if needed. I always add drops on both legs of a turnout.










Start laying your roadbed and track by your prefered method until finished. When using flex track on a curve, I alway cut the rails flush at the end of the section to receive the next section of flextrack.

Here, you can see that the end has been cut flush and another piece has been joined. Before radiusing the the section, tack the last tie of the preceeding section, join them together and solder them as a straight section. I can't stress this enough. It saves a lot of time and frustration trying to get rails to the correct length. It is so easy to do this way.

After they are soldered together finish laying your curve and repeat as needed. Don't forget to remove any ties that might be neccessary to get the next set of joiners installed. You don't want to have to try and remove those ties after the track is already attached to the roadbed.










I think you can see where this is going to end up...



















That's all there is to it. It took about two hours to install the turnout and lay 9 feet of track and roadbed.

It's the end of the line here until my left-hand turnout arrives this week sometime.










Locomotives and the rest of the consist traveled over the turnout like it wasn't even there. Very smooth with no problems.


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## jlc41 (Feb 16, 2016)

Nice work, good explanation and pics. Thanks for posting.


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

Very nice. That was a great tutorial.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

MichaelE;

Very nice write up and photos! I have some questions for you. Do you solder the rail joiners connecting the turnout to its mating track sections? I see you have used feed wires which is very good. Did you add any power feed jumpers across the gaps between the point rails and the non-moving part of those rails?
The advantage of soldering the turnout's joiners would be holding the rails in perfect alignment to help "bullet proof"the track in this hidden location. The disadvantage would be that it would make it difficult/impossible to remove the turnout without damage, should you ever need to repair it. Is that an Atlas custom line turnout? Do you have any means of getting good, easy access down to eyeball at track level, for this hidden turnout? Hidden turnouts are not a great thing, but inaccessible turnouts can really come up and bite you on the butt, over time. You railroad, of course.

Good luck, have fun;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The rails are soldered at the turnout entry and the legs.

It's a Peco brand #6 and I'm waiting on the left hand for the other endof the siding.

It will be possible to access the turnout, though not convenient. If I build the mountain high enough I should be able to get at it, and the other end too.


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

*Where is part 1?*

Where is the first part of the tutorial where you remove all the pre-existing ballast and clean up the roadbed?


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The part of the track I'm working on will be in a tunnel. I didn't think it neccessary to add ballast to track that won't be seen.

In one of the photos you can see where the ballast ends on the mainlines. The tunnel entrance will be some inches ahead of this.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Duplicate. What is going on with this site lately???


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