Paul Willis
@Nick Ridgway said:
Consider also how the switches are to be actuated. A pivoting switch in any scale is going to need less force to operate than a sprung one.
One of the interesting recent developments in 4mm modelling is the Peco detailed bullhead fishplates. A simple google should produce plenty of examples, and suppliers.
Not only do they look reasonably convincing (more so if you have one of the pre-Grouping railways that ballasted well over the tops of the sleepers to hide the join at the bottom of the fishplate) but they are robust enough to use finctionally for pivoting straight switch blades. I certainly intend to try them out as a functional hinge when I next build some GER prototype pointwork.
The one thing extra that I will do is use wires to separately electrically bond the blade and rail, as I don’t trust the continued electrical continuity of a flexing hinge.
Cheers
Paul