Switch building

This page will show how I build my poor boy switches.

Being a cheapskate, I have trouble paying $40 apiece for frogs.  So, I figured out how to build my own for just a couple of bucks.   I build them two ways. 

Some of my frog centers are made from 1" channel iron, machined on the mill to half the angle I want the frog to be.  The two halves are welded together.  The welds are ground smooth, and a notch is ground in both ends to fit a piece of 1/8" x 1/2" flat bar.  The flat bar gives me tabs to screw to the ties.  The gaurd rails are just contuinations of the rail leading to the points.   They require a notch cut in the bottom flange that will fit over the center piece tabs.

I also have made some of the center pieces using a piece of steel plate cut to the proper angle, with 1" flat bar welded to the sides.  Notches are cut in the bottom edge for 1/2" flat bar tabs the same as the channel iron ones.

When I build the next set of switches, I'll try to post some pictures showing what the center sections look like not installed.

I've looked over a number of tracks for how they did their points.  The norm seems to be individual angles, pivoted off the ends of the rails.  I've built some like that and never really liked them.  The point rails can move around and lay over causing derailments in the switches if the pivots aren't kept tight.  They also are more complicated to build and install than the way I finally ended up doing my points.

I start with the conventional point rails, sharpened on one end.  A 1" piece of flat bar is welded between both ends of the rails.  This makes for a very rigid set of points that can never get out of gauge, or lay over.  A single pivot screw is used into a tie, leaving just enough gap between the points and the ends of the rail to be able to swing back and forth.  The switch lever end has a small angle tab screwed onto the underside with a hole drilled for the switching rod.  These have proved to be quick to build and install.  They are easy to remove if repairs or changes are needed to the switch.

If you build switches, be sure to give this method a try.  I think you will be very pleased.