Patrick Hunt
Hi,
Having just attended the Missenden Abbey track building course and built my first B9 crossover from scratch, I also wanted to build some FB equivalents. Didn’t take long to find out there is next to nothing in the way of components. PECO code 82 is no longer made and the C&L and code 83 is well undersize. I persevered with the EMGS code 83 and EM Concrete Sleeper Base. It is an extremely tight fit unless you modify the rail. It only needs 0.01mm taken off the base width and you can do that by running the rail through some wet and dry. Then the rail slides in far easier.
In terms of baseplate for turnouts i am going to use PECO Pandrol and Slide baseplates, readily available, and adapt as required. The real issue is all the extra bits such as the spacer blocks and the crossing nose baseplates but where there is a will there is a way.
On gauges, the dcc concepts roller gauges, I have several sets, either do not fit or are an interference fit. The Alan Gibson check gauge fits OK but the C&L small roller gauges do not. The dcc concepts 3 point gauges are a slightly tight fit but a quick file on the outside edges will resolve the issue. For the roller gauges I will mount them in a lathe and gently file the outer edges with a knife needle file. I will then have a set of FB gauges.