TEMPLOT 3D PLUG TRACK - To get up to speed with this experimental project click here.
To watch an introductory video click here.
See the User Guide at Bexhill West.
Templot5 - To join this open-source project on GitHub click here.
For news of the latest on-going developments click here.
Templot5 is now included with Templot2 - download.
The Plug Track functions are experimental and still being developed. Some of the earlier pages of this topic are now out-of-date.
For an updated overview of this project see this topic. For some practical modelling aspects of using Plug Track see Building 3D Track.
The assumption is that you have your own machines on which to experiment, or helpful friends with machines. Please do not send Templot files to commercial laser cutting or 3D printing firms while this project is still experimental, because the results are unpredictable and possibly wasteful.
The Plug Track functions are experimental and still being developed.
For an updated overview of this project see this topic. For some practical modelling aspects of using Plug Track see Building 3D Track.
The assumption is that you have your own machines on which to experiment, or helpful friends with machines. Please do not send Templot files to commercial laser cutting or 3D printing firms while this project is still experimental, because the results are unpredictable and possibly wasteful.
I'd appreciate it if anyone can look over this and offer advice - I'm really only worried about rails at the moment, I've had a bit of a play with timber shoving and concluded based on that and forum advice that it's best to leave that to last.
My plan is either to build C&L, or FDM COT track. Pretty happy with 3D printing (RC planes) but unsure our current printer is up to it. Very exciting where templot is heading, it's amazing. Thank you Martin and all helping out.
Sorry for delay in responding, but I have been out & about today enjoying fresh air & sunshine....
Having loaded your camden_1b.box file, I wondered if you are basing this on a real world situation. Assuming this is something to do with Camden in London, did you load any map tiles from the National Library of Scotland (NLS) into your background?
If so can you also post the .bgs3 file here?
What FDM printer do you have?
What is the bed size?
At the moment your control template is an REA semi-curved B6, as are the other turnouts in the background.
I have now clicked on the BIG Templot5 button in top right to swap into using Templot5, and then zoomed in on the control template.
This is showing square on (to the main road) timbering.
If I now switch on Experimental chairing ( real > Chairing > Experimental chairing ) it changes the timbering to equalised-incremental timbering. This is to accomodate the chairs on the timbers.
and zoomed in even closer, you can see why:-
So if you are sticking with B6 turnouts, I would convert them all to equalised-incremental sooner rather than later so that you can se the effect that this might have on any timber shoving required.
Thanks so much for that pointer on the timbering! Yes, supposed to be based on 1960s Camden - .bgs3 file attached. I will have a look at some of those maps as I've not been entirely convinced about the trackplan I have been using.
I have access to my son's CR-10 so have a good sized bed and if he uses a 0.2mm nozzle we can get workable chairs, but that's in PLA which won't work for me outdoors here.
Plan C occurred to me the other evening: a friend has a laser cutter with a very large bed which would accommodate the tightly linked complex of 2 crossings and 3 turnouts. I was thinking I could probably export a .DXF file, leave webs to keep the sleepers in place and build the whole thing in situ on a sheet of 3mm marine ply. Then when built, dremel out the webs to remove the trackwork in one large unit.
Thanks so much for that pointer on the timbering! Yes, supposed to be based on 1960s Camden - .bgs3 file attached. I will have a look at some of those maps as I've not been entirely convinced about the trackplan I have been using.
I have access to my son's CR-10 so have a good sized bed and if he uses a 0.2mm nozzle we can get workable chairs, but that's in PLA which won't work for me outdoors here.
Plan C occurred to me the other evening: a friend has a laser cutter with a very large bed which would accommodate the tightly linked complex of 2 crossings and 3 turnouts. I was thinking I could probably export a .DXF file, leave webs to keep the sleepers in place and build the whole thing in situ on a sheet of 3mm marine ply. Then when built, dremel out the webs to remove the trackwork in one large unit.
Templot already has a system of nibs and snibs to link laser-cut timbers. Also kerf-adjusted outlines for the sockets and timber outlines. See:
Using a 0.2mm nozzle in 0 gauge will take a very long time to print. We have been getting very acceptable results using a standard 0.4mm nozzle -- this is 0 gauge COT track (in PLA-Plus):
Templot already has a system of nibs and snibs to link laser-cut timbers. Also kerf-adjusted outlines for the sockets and timber outlines. See:
Using a 0.2mm nozzle in 0 gauge will take a very long time to print. We have been getting very acceptable results using a standard 0.4mm nozzle -- this is 0 gauge COT track (in PLA-Plus):
Thank you Martin - it was that photo that blew my mind and made me try printing a small piece. I'm not so bothered about long print times (although it's frustrating if they fail!), but our printer is quite dated now and definitely not capable of that sort of fine detail with a 0.4 nozzle. Bowden and an 8-bit version of Marlin are probably limiting factors. I'm going to be keeping a watching brief for sure and hoping someone will come up with a version of PLA that has a softening point around 75C to take direct sunlight on a 40C day.
That video will be studied for sure!
Progress is slow due to limited time available, but thanks to the tip off, I've bow got a much better map of Camden's track plan, so time to start a new templot file based on that and in 31.5mm gauge.
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TEMPLOT is Martin's hobby project. Everyone is welcome to use it and join in the ongoing developments. Thanks for visiting Templot Club.
