I soldered 24 gauge phone wire feeders to the tabs on the points and thread them through the ties. I use some PC board ties cut in elsewhere in the turnout and I attach the feeder wires to those so the points get attached electrically to the correct rails.

I TOTALLY get it why commercial switches are so expensive!

I am just starting to use these, but it seems there is more work than needed when you put these turnouts together.

Where do you find steel rail? Hey – how do you attach wiring to steel rail?

Dan

As you point out, there are lots of ways to build turnouts. I’m modifying my method as I go along but the Central Valley points look like they work well so I’m probably going to stick with them as is. I am using a few PC Board ties to help give strength, maintain alignment, and make electrical hook up easy.

MEK is BAD stuff but it’s in lacquers and some plastic cements (see Wikipedia Methyl ethyl ketone ). The key precautions are to not allow skin contact (wear gloves, eye protection (always!)), actively ventilate your work area, and wear a respirator if you can still smell fumes despite ventilation.

Build hard!
Dan

I have also ordered some turnout kits from the proto 87 store as a comparison. They have not arrived yet.