I'm not using EZ Track or any EZ track turnouts - just NS 80 together with turnouts and will be using NS 100 for my inner switch yard(s) turnouts.
I'm pondering on using a switch and accessory panel based on the one used by RickWilson - http://www.willnet.mine.nu:8083/images/misc/100_2118.jpg
Who makes good turnouts - who makes the best for less? Any no-name brands that work good for less money than brand names?
Thanks-
Rick
I use Atlas #6. If they had come out with their #8 before I started building my layout, my mainline turnouts would be #8s.
They are the least expensive of the good turnouts. Others swear by Peco and Shinahara.
Gene
We have around 200 turnout's on our club layout and chose no.6 & 8 Peco's and though yes their pricy so far they've been earning their keep delivering great performance and if theres a problem ( rarely) it was most likely was either a installation bugaboo or the most common problem .....junk between the points needing to be cleaned out ;D
The best turnouts for the lowest price are hand laid ones.
Other than those, you get what you pay for. Shinohara are good but tend to be expensive. Peco are a little cheaper and almost as good.
I use Atlas new rivetless design, many improvements over previous models.
Do the new Atlas turnouts have welded jumpers or do they still rely on the plastic to keep the jumpers in contact with the rails?
Hard to tell as the bottom is mostly covered, could be wrong but I think they are welded. It's a totally new design, greatly improved. There is virtually no wheel drop or noise in the flangeway. Other than that, I can't elaborate about the new features on the board.
Peco...Peco...PECO!! I have used various manufacturer's turnouts over the years; and I have found Peco products to be just about bulletproof. They have sprung point rails that keep the contact between point and stock rails firm. If you go to a little more expense, the Electrofrog versions will allow any short wheelbased engines to operate without stalling. Yes, they are more expensive than some other brands (partly due to the $ verses the euro exchange); but are well worth the added cost in reliability.
Ray
Peco and they are great as is using their switch motor, purchase seperately. You can also remvove the spring in the Peco that locks the rail and install tortoise machines to operate them.
I use the EZcommand track and the EZcommand remote turnouts operated with Atlas switches. I have had only one problem which was an installation problem. I am using 10 turnouts.
Don
i agree that the handlaid ones are the cheapest. it isn't hard to make your own. in fact, my cost of materials is well under $5 apiece. if you intend on building a sizeable number of them, you might want to invest in a jig from fast tracks.
http://www.haldlaidtrack.com
even if you don't want to buy a jig from them, they have templates you can print out on their site wich take the guesswork out of building track.....
for ties, you can buy them precut, but i make mine from matchstick, which cost next to nothing
Would that be "handlaidtrack"?
Gene
No, he's using track without roadbed.
Gene
"Track on roadbed" could be interpreted as any standard track laid on a separate roadbed, whereas "Track with integrated roadbed" would be similar to EZ Track but also compatible. :D
gene,
ya got me.
http://www.handlaidtrack.com
Notice that "Fast Tracks" has NMRA Warrant #2009-0001. 8)
Have you ever seen the yard he made? Bronx terminal. If you go down the page, you'll see a next section marker. All pictures can be enlarged. Great site, details and ideas. For instance, Using easy off oven cleaner to remove paint from models, safe for plastic.
http://www.bronx-terminal.com/?p=5 (http://www.bronx-terminal.com/?p=5)
That is incredible, all the parts cut with a laser.
Several years ago I assembled a large airplane kit, all the balsa, lite-ply and spruce parts were laser cut. Quite an improvement over the old "die-scrunched" kits.
No, cut by hand tools. That is an example of what the fast track system can do. It's absolutely stunning.
I was referring to the terminal building.
yes. twice to get it right
Jim Banner,
You might be surprised at all the improvements in the latest versions of the Atlas turnouts (like the last 10 years actually). The code 83 line is top notch as far as I'm concerned and I prefer them to all those "pricey" brands. The rivets are gone and the throw bar can be reversed.
Looks wise they may not seems as "accurate" out of the box, but once installed, ballasted and painted they look just a good to me as all that stuff that's costs twice as much, and, operationally they work well.
Personally I prefer the isolated metal frog which can be powered separately, a feature Atlas has always had that other are now doing to be "DCC friendly".
The PECO code 83 line is nice, but I dislike their point/spring system and the curved frogs on the code 100 line.
Another complaint I have with many "high end" commercial turnouts is the long lead on the diverging route? What is that about? This is the one thing both Atlas and PECO have right - out of the box, two turnouts connected diverging route to diverging route, should make a crossover with correct track centers and/or turnouts "stacked' should make yard leads without trimming or spacers.
I hand laid track/turnouts years ago, but now I only do that for special situations. I have a friend who does the fasttracks thing and they are nice, but by the time you buy all the jigs and the special ties/parts, its no cheaper than Atlas and takes longer.
Very happy with my Atlas turnouts and Tortoise switch machines.
Sheldon
Good point about the isolated metal frog. One of the problems with my older Shinohara turnouts is that the frog, closure rails and point rails are all connected and all change polarity when the turnout is thrown. Where the point gap is not wide enough, wheels, particularly on 8 and 10 coupled locomotives, can easily short between the stock rail and the nearby point rail. Having just the frog change polarity avoids this problem. I started building DCC friendly large scale turnouts about 8 or 10 years ago that are similar in that the point rails are permanently connected to their neighbouring stock rails while the closure rails and all metal frogs change polarity as required. I have rebuilt some balky Shinohara H0 turnouts along the same lines.
Presently I am building some 0n30 stub turnouts. I enjoy laying track and building turnouts and special appliances, such as a recent diamond that has one straight track and one curved track of a nonstandard radius set at a nonstandard angle. I have also built some odd ball turnouts, such as the one on my garden layout where the points and frog are offset from one another by about 3 feet. This puts the frog, which is strong enough to walk on and drive over, where it needs to be. And it lets the points, which are not so rugged, be out of the way of foot and vehicular traffic. Another project planned is a gantlet track over a trestle. As far as I know, nobody make the special hardware for these.
I suspect the extra length in the high end turnouts is to allow them to use spiral easements in the curves. Snap switches use no easement. NMRA compliant turnouts have a shortened easement and are a good compromise. A full spiral easement takes up a lot of extra real estate.
I like many others want to get their trains on track as quickly as possible . It takes many evenings of hand laying track before any trains can be run. Sectional track and flex track are quicker but if you want instant gratification the EZtrack is the answer. Personally I think that hand laying track is a hobby unto itself.
Don
Jim,
Just to be clear, I don't use Atlas snap switches, they are effectively a #3.5, way too sharp for anything but street industrial trackage.
Atlas makes their Custom line code 83 in #4's (which are really #4.5), #6's and #8's. My layout is exclusively #6 and #8 except for industrial trackage.
Sheldon
Quote from: pdlethbridge on March 25, 2009, 01:54:42 AM
Have you ever seen the yard he made? Bronx terminal. If you go down the page, you'll see a next section marker. All pictures can be enlarged. Great site, details and ideas. For instance, Using easy off oven cleaner to remove paint from models, safe for plastic.
http://www.bronx-terminal.com/?p=5 (http://www.bronx-terminal.com/?p=5)
that is incredible. i wouldn't have the patience to custom build something that intricate. would like to see how he intends to gap all those rails, and where he is going to put his power feeders.