I am now going to show you how I build turnouts using C&L plastic sleepers and chairs, the method is exctaly the same if you use Peco or Exactoscale parts. Also the plastic sleepers can be replaced with Plywood sleepers, which are much easier to obtain.

AS in the copperclad turnout construction I glue the plan to a building board, I then tape a piece of tracing paper over the plan and a line of double sided tape about 3mm (as thin as you can cut it) wide over the ends of the sleepers, to hold them in place during the build.

Turnout sleepers come in a pack of 5 sprues, you just cut off the ones you require and stick them to the plan.

Making the crossing is the hardest part of the build, but its just a few simple steps that anuone can do. However its much harder to explain than do

Make the V by filing 2 pieces of rail at one end, build a simple jig by sticking 2 thin strips of hard wood to an off cut of timber at the correct crossing angle. Then on another plan cut 2 bits of scrap brass shim (waste from etched kits). Lay them on the plan, put the V on top and solder them to the V

Cut the 2 crossing rails (oversize) and bend to shape, then checking the straight bit is in line with the straight part of the V and the bent part has the correct distance from the V. When happy solder 2 more bits of brass shim to the crossing rail, then follow the same process fitting the other crossing rail. I always make the rails longer than needed, once you are happy with it mark and cut to size

With the hard bit done the rest is so easy. The V is glued in place, one chair on each rail at one end and 2 chairs on each rail at the other, The V will now be held firmly in position. The other chairs I fit at the end of the build, just cut them in half and glue them on, but you could do that now.

I now fit the straight stock rail, slide the chairs on but leave out the slide chairs and 2 normal chairs where the check rail goes. You must use gauges to set the rail in position opposite the crossing, then glue the 2 chairs at the other end using the plan as a guige. Once those chairs have set glue the others in place using a straight edge (steel rule) to check all is in line.

The second stock rail can now be fitted, you must make a slight bend in thr rail between the 2nd and 3rd rail(remember the SET point in the copperclad building instructions) then gently bend the rail to roughly the correct curve. Omiting the same chairs as on the other stock rail, glue the chairs in place opposite the ctossing using gauges and leave to set. Then fit the 2 gauges at the other end, do not glue yet but glue the other chairs in place using the plan as a guide, then glue the last 2 chairs keeping the gauges in place till set.

Fit the first 5 slide chairs in place both sides, but not the first 3 ones till after the tie bar has been soldered to avoin the heat damaging them.

I will post the rest of the build later, sorry the pictures are at the bottom of the thread but I cannot find out how to post them with the text

File the switch blades and then cut to length, Then the 1st switch rail is glued into place, the first 3 chair base plates have to be cut back on both the stock and switch rails as they over lap each other.

Then do the same with the other switch rail after bending to shape

The next photo is of the check rails, cut and bend to shape. Fit 2 chairs to it, they have to have their base plates cut back as do the 3 chairs they but up against.

When building in EM & P4 you need to use check rail gauges, but in 00 the flangeway gauge is all you need. You can see that the stock rail has 2 chairs missing and the check rails 3 missing

Third photo shows the chairs being cut in half and glued against the rail

Forth photo shows a piece of scrap shim soldered to the stock and switch rail for electrical continuity, do both. I have included in the photo the jig I use to solder up the V's

The last photo shows the tiebar in place and all the remaining chairs fitted. Now all there is to do is to test it.

I have ised the thin (1.06mm)C&L sleepers which matches their flexi track. They do a thick (1.6mm) sleeper which matches the height of Peco Streamline.

I will do another thread about parts available, and plan to build a crossover soon using the Ply and Rivet method in P4, happy to show some photos of the build if anyone is interested.

I hope this has been of interest and may encourage others to build their own track