There are two ways in which you can construct a turnout from C&L components. The first one is to glue your Track Template straight on to a piece of cork or rubber underlay and build your turnout from there. When it is finished move the section to the desired place on your layout. The other way is to tape the Track Template down on to a hard surface, then glue the timbers down with, say, Fuller’s Max Bond (available from most hardware Stores), or similar.
However before you glue the timbers down you should cut all the sections of rail to size. Make certain that each rail end is square - file to remove all burrs, then put a slight angle on the base and lower sides as well as the web. Once you have bent the wing and check rails to shape, using the Track Template as a guide, you can then glue the timbers down.
The next step is to take the straight stock rail and thread all the chairs on (check template for number – remember to exclude the slide chairs as these are fitted later and each alternate chair where the check rail will be placed), then using the Track Template as a guide, glue them down. The rest of the chairs can be glued down with the aid of a straight rule, remember that the glue (butanone or MEK) bonds very quickly. The only way of removing a chair once it has been glued, is to slide a scalpel underneath the chair and cut it away from the sleeper. The alternate chairs where the checkrail will sit will need to be trimmed on the inside – this can be done now or later in Stage 5. Now that you have the straight stock rail positioned, you then thread out chairs on to the vee, trim where necessary, gauge across and glue down. Then solder the connection lead under nose of vee (use copper hook up wire). Your turnout should look like the diagram below.
