Building Central Valley Model Works Turnouts: 2 Filing and Aligning the Frog Rails

Please also see my updated building method at:

Central Valley Turnout Refinements

The first step is to read the CVMW instructions and familiarize yourself with the parts of the kit and their methods of construction. While I deviate heavily from their construction sequence, you should know how the parts fit together.

Download and print (at full size) the turnout template from the CVMW website. Place and tape the template onto a flat scrap wood surface. The wood will be scorched in the process of building the turnout so please do not place the template on a surface you care about.

One of the frog rails will be for the straight path and the other will be for the diverging route. Place them in their proper place on the turnout template to keep track of their location.


Take the straight frog rail and file the inside web off the rail. You should file until half the width of the railhead remains. Place the filed rail back on the template.

Take the diverging frog rail and file the inside of the rail to the approximate angle of the frog. A sharper angle than needed will be OK but a shallower one will not work. Make sure the end of the rail point is sharp. (be careful as this will be like a knife and can hurt you if you get poked)

Place the filed rail back on the template.

Line the frog rails up on the template so the straight rail's point starts at the tip of the point on the template and slide the diverging frog rail into the straight rail so it stays in line with the path on the template. They should meet to form a sharp point. When you are happy with their position tape them in place

Next solder the two frog rails together to form the point of the frog. Don't worry at this point if the frog is not at a sharp, perfect point we will take care of that in a future step. What is important is that the rails follow their respective paths on the template exactly.