Working with Rokuhan Switches, Part 3: Notching Track

Rokuhan Z Scale roadbed switches are marvels of engineering. The fact that the switch machine is built into the roadbed is remarkable in itself; however, there's far more to it than meets the eye. The more you know about them, the more powerful and versatile they can be. This comprehensive clinic has four parts: Part 1 shows how to control them; Part 2 details what power routing means to layout design; this part shows you how to notch track that's connected to the switch; and Part 4 details the process of making them non-power routing.

Rokuhan and Micro-Trains switches share the same geometry. This means the roadbed material on one of two tracks joined to the frog end of the switch must be trimmed back in order for both tracks to fit. The one that requires trimming is always the one connected to the straight route.

Micro-Trains offers a pair of pre-notched tracks to solve this problem, whereas Rokuhan does not. Some modelers perceive this as a disadvantage for Rokuhan, because they're forced to modify the track themselves. However, the advantages of Micro-Trains' pre-notched track are limited. Most notably, they are only available as 110mm straight tracks, and the chances of a track plan calling for a 110mm straight connected to every switch is extremely slim. Consequently, more often than not, a modeler using Micro-Trains track is forced to notch the track themselves anyway.

The process of notching the track is really quite simple and painless, and you can even use your choice of tools. Once you've done it a few times, it becomes second nature and goes very quickly.

The material you need to remove in order to make the notch is shaded pink in the image below. The cut starts at the very end of the first tie, and tapers off to the bottom edge of the roadbed at the fourth tie.

Note that the cut is not exactly vertical; it also angles inward toward the bottom, like this:

The first step is to remove the rail joiner. You should be able to pull it out with your fingers; if you can't get a good enough grip, you may need to use a needle-nose pliers.

Then comes the choice of tools. You can use a sharp modeling knife, a razor saw, or a flush cutter. (You could also use a Dremel tool with a cutoff disc, but that's a bit overkill for this application.)

Using a Knife

The advantage of using a knife is that almost every modeler has one. The disadvantage is that it takes the most time to perform the cut. Score the roadbed along the line with the tip of the blade, then run the blade through the cut repeatedly until you've made it all the way through the plastic.

Using a Razor Saw

A razor saw offers the advantage of making a perfectly straight cut without any effort. Hold the saw at the required angle—don't forget to also angle it inward—and gently saw through the roadbed. It should take less than ten seconds to complete the cut.

Using a Flush Cutter

A flush cutter looks like a wire cutter, but it's subtly different: the jaws are ground to produce a perfectly clean cut on one side. They're sometimes called "rail nippers" since they're quite frequently used by modelers for cutting track. The advantage of using a flush cutter is that you can make the notch literally in two seconds flat. Hold the flush cutter with the smooth sides of the jaws facing the rails, set them on the proper angle, and then squeeze.

Once you've completed the cut, this is what you'll have:

Now you simply need to replace the rail joiner.

The modified track can then be joined to the switch without interfering with the other track.

Rokuhan posted a video on YouTube demonstrating the sharp knife method. Rob Kluz published a short article in the May/June 2011 issue of Ztrack Magazine showing the razor saw method.

My personal preference is the flush cutter method. I recommended it to the ZoCal group, since they had to lay 108 switches for a huge yard module unveiled at the National Train Show in Sacramento (photo below courtesy of Jeff Merrill), and understandably they needed the most time-efficient process. They reported that it worked perfectly.

I think you'll find the minor annoyance of having to notch the track is more than compensated for by the many advantages of Rokuhan track, particularly their extraordinary switches.

More Information

To learn more about working with Rokuhan switches, please begin with Part 1.

Copyright © 2007-2013 by David K. Smith. All Rights Reserved.