NMRA gauge

[Jim Banner]

Once you have an NMRA track and wheel gauge in your hand, look at it carefully.  It is designed to check whether the track gauge (distance between the inside faces of the rail heads) is between the maximum and minimum limits.  If more than the minimum distance, the two points on the bottom of the gauge will fit freely between the rails with the gauge held at a a right angle to the track center line.  If less than the maximum distance, the shoulder outside of one of the points will not fall between the rails.  The allowable variation is about a millimeter which is a lot more than you need to take off the top corner of the inside of the sharp end of the point rail.  All that is required is a stroke or two of a fine file.  Taking metal off the outside of the point rail means you have to file the full length of the taper, assuming the outer edge of the point rail is properly matched to the inner edge of the stock rail or you have to bend the point which gives the same shape as removing metal from the inside of the point.

In practice, retaining the blunt end of the point rail and setting the point rail slightly into the stock rail gives the best results of all, even though it is not prototypical.  Unfortunately, this is much easier to do when hand laying your own turnouts than when cleaning up factory made ones.  I suspect Ken's little bump of solder accomplishes the same thing, keeping the flanges away from the blunt end of the point rail.

Jim

[Pacific Northern]

I guess if I find a piece of EZ track with a problem, I'll just replace it.

Pops-

I suggest that out-of-gauge EZTrack should be replaced by Bachmann, not you!

                                                                                                      -- D

You should check the EZ track right away, if you stockpile a bunch of track for later use you will likely be over the 30day period that applies to EZ Track and  switches.

[Jhanecker2]

Thank You Hunt the video was most informative , happen to have a Guage and do use it from time to time . J2