Rail / Tie alignment tool

thingiverse

update 3/30/18: added a version (recommended) that has a tab on one end, so that you can rest the tie you're gluing against the tab, centering it properly. I wanted to use Paul's rail and tie separate objects using silver and wood respectively, and figured an alignment tool would be handy. This tool is designed to sit over the TOP of the rail, and drops down between two ties, and will space the rail and ties both correctly in one go. I put slight notches into the rail/tie joining area, so there's no worry about gluing the alignment tool to the rail/tie if a bit of glue seeps out. Big shout out to Paul, I spent a lot of time ensuring the dimensions matched Standard Gauge, and they indeed did measure perfectly (tie size 5, 20-21" spacing), all I had to do increase the width and height of a tie to function as a spacer and allow it to cover the rail/tie/top, then use the rail/bed sections as a template to it hollow out correctly. Enjoy!