Just being inquisitive, at Scaleforum last year (2024) I purchased one of FinetraX's A6 turnout kits marketed through the Scalefour stores. On Rospeath Lane, there is one off-scene turnout within Cassette Board Two. My thought was that if this plastic turnout kit came together well but didn’t look as good as the plywood-built turnouts, I could use it on Cassette Board Two. If, on the other hand, I make a 'pig’s ear' of it, then I'll have to build a plywood or copperclad replacement.
On first inspection, it didn't look too bad. The crossing V is not assembled, which, for the price of the kit, I shouldn't have been surprised. The switch blades look very reasonable and the moulding of sleepers and chairs looked nice and crisp. I began working on it.
Being impetuous, I installed the stock rails first… then quickly realised I had no idea how to build the V. At this point I did what I should have done at the start and downloaded the instructions off British Finescale's website. The instructions are excellent running to thirteen A4 pages including many explanatory images. They walk you through each step of constructing the turnout, simply and effectively. Unfortunatelly, as these P4 kits are not available direct from British Finescale, nor is the appropriate template. Instead I downloaded the EM gauge version as a guide.
The first step is to construct the V, followed by the check rails. Both tasks require cutting one of the three rails to the required lengths, adding slight bends where needed, and threading them through the chairs on the base. I had slight difficulty in getting the knuckle of the V in the correct place on the base. Eventually, after a little fettling, everything fell into place.
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| The FinetraX P4 A6 turnout after 1 hours construction along side a GWR old-type 15ft heeled switch 1:6 turnout under construction. |
Before installing the stock rails, two pins are pushed through the supplied tie bar and placed on the base. The stock rails are then threaded through the chairs, making sure they go over the tie bar. At this juncture in the build, with only the switchblades to install, I realised it had taken me less than one hour to put it together.
Later the following day I found a spare few minutes to continue. That is all it took to fire up the soldering iron, trimmed the switchblades to the correct length before fixing them to the tie bar with a spot of solder. Job done, turnout complete.
I have heard/read negative comments about the tie bar included in the kit. In my opinion, for someone who is new to Scalefour, nervous about building their own track, the tie bar is simple and works. For more experienced modellers who have constructed their own track, it will not be a problem to use a tie bar of their choice.
It's a shame I didn't accurately record how long it took to construct this turnout. At most, I think it took just over two hours, including downloading and reading through the instructions, then searching for and finding the EM gauge template.
In my opinion these kits are an excellent option for someone who would like to try their hand at P4 but put off due to having to construct turnouts. Currently, there are only four kits available through the Scalefour stores: left and right A6, left and right B7.
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| Complete P4 A6 turnout alongside an EM Guage A5 template |
Unlike EM gauge turnouts, which can be purchased directly from British Finescale—allowing someone to try before committing to the EM Gauge Society—P4 versions require joining the Scalefour Society or finding a show where the Scalefour Society’s trade stand is present. This raises the question: is the Society missing an opportunity to attract newcomers, or is this simply the result of a commercial agreement with British Finescale?
