Switches

[Old Choo Choo]

I've been procrastinating laying track down for my garden railway for a couple of years now and finally have decided to make it happen this summer.  I have been accumulating Aristocraft Brass Track (wish I had gone stainless steel after reading the numerous postings).  This is a stupid question but I am confused as to the switches Aristocrat offers.  Could someone tell me why I would want to select a #6 manual switch (ART 30330) over the extra wide switch (ART 30370) that they sell for significantly less. In either case, I am going to start with manual switches.  It seems everyone goes with the #6 switches but they cost twice as much as the others. Thanks very much for your help.

[FJ and G]

if extra wide is #8 or #10 and it's cheaper, it's a no brainer to go with the wider ones unless you have a space problem

[Old Choo Choo]

Thanks. I thought so too but figured I was missing something as it seems everything I read touts #6 switches.

[Great Western]

Hi Old Choo Choo,

 I have Aristo brass track - like you I sometimes wish I had gotten s/steel - but that's the way it is.

 As far as switches are concerned I have the A30370 and A30380 versions - they are fine as I use the 8ft. diameter curves and they match well.  I run an Aristo RS3, Centre Cabs and Annies and I feel that the tighter ones are not that suitable unless you have short wheel base locos. Unless you are restricted for space go for the ones I mentioned, or even larger if finances are no problem.  Remember the time will come when you may want to run the larger locos.

[altterrain]

The #6 switches are more prototypic looking and work better is you have big, long rolling stock (like Aristo heavyweights or the USA aluminum cars). They are much longer than the wide radius switches. So, if you're a rivet counter or like long passenger trains, they are the way to go. If you are a regular garden railroader, the wide radius switches work just fine (even with their "toy-like" geometry some know-it-all on another forum referred to them as ). I have 13 of them on my railroad. I ground down the frogs a bit with a steady hand and a dremel tool but you can do it with a thin flat file too. I used an extra wheelset as a depth gauge. If you do not file down your frogs, your rolling stock may bounce up a bit on them which may or may not be a problem for you.

-Brian 

[Capt Bob Johnson]

The regular switches are for 4' Diameter, or 2' radius.

The X wide are for 10' Diameter, or 5' radius.

The #6 is diverging at 9.5 degrees and is not a part of a curve track section.

That is taken from the Aristo Catalog and the template for the #6.

[enginear]

Yeah I thought I was reading this post wrong at first, but Capt BOB is right. Extra wide is a 10' diameter switch. I wonder if you, like I did at first glance, thought extra wide was bigger radius than the #6 switch. It's not a #10

Extra wide= 10' diam turnout

#6 runs much bigger equipment, way bigger switch, built better ( metal frog )

[Old Choo Choo]

I want to thank everyone who has responded to my question but I am still a bit unclear. In reviewing the trackplan for the Middleboro Railroad - http://www.trains.com/grw/default.aspx?c=a&id=137o there are several switches. Would all of these require a No.6 switch?

[altterrain]

http://www.trains.com/grw/objects/pdf/middleboropdf.pdf

I don't see why it would. It says minimum radius in 5 feet (10 ft. diameter) which matches up well with the wide radius switches. Aristo even make a special section of track to go with the WR switch to make a paralell passing siding.

-Brian 

[Old Choo Choo]

Terrific. Thanks very much for your assistance.

[imrnjr]

Old Choo Choo -- no matter which of the Aristo switches you buy you need to work them over to ensure reliable operation.  I have both #6's and WRs in my railway, and have had to hand tune every one of them.  Go to Greg Elmassians site to get a good (very) overview of what is needed,  I think it's www.elmassian.com.

Good luck

Mark 

[Old Choo Choo]

Thanks Mark.  I'll check it out.

[lownote]

The problem wth switches, as I understand it, is thatt different manufacturers use different wheel profiles (the size and depth of the flange) and wheel spacings (gauge). Some makers (LGB, USA trains for ex.) use power pickup "sliders" and these can short out on some switches.

I'm a newbie to this and I can say that switches are a bit of a problem--I always hold my breath a little bit when a train goes over a switch. I have LGB 1600 switches--very close to the aristo x-wides--and a few LGB 1200 switches in a freight yard. The single most important thing, in my limited experience, is getting the switches level. The second if, again in my limited exprience, metal wheels. Metal wheels track better. They just stay on the rails better through switches. Having leveled them, and switched t metal wheels, I can generally expect everything I run on them (a mix of aristo, LGB, and Bachmann stuff) will work most of the time. Usually the problems come if I'm backing through a switch

 I have not done any of the tweaking that people recommend, though I probably will, in attempt to turn "most of the time" into "all the time"

[Old Choo Choo]

I'm trying, at least initially, to keep it all in the same family and as simple as possible.  I have Aristo brass 332 track and two inexpensive Aristo locomotives - the Rogers and the 0-4-0.  I haven't switched to metal wheels on the freight cars yet but plan to do so very soon.  I suppose adding switches and trying to start with track power conflicts with my aim to keep it simple.  When I asked a local train shop about converting my locos to battery power I was told I'd have to have a dedicated freight car for the set up and it would have to be a large one. I'm trying to stay with shorter trains until She Who Must Be Obeyed increases my land grant.

[lownote]

Track power works really well for me, and has been really simple and inexpensive to start with. I added remote control to each loco, using Aristo's 75 mhz train engineer. It took some work to figure out how to wire everything right, but now I have four locos each running independently without the hassle and expense of batteries or DCC. Track cleaning, around here, is not a big deal. I run an aristo track cleangn car around for five minutes and it's done

If I were startng over I would go with QSI remote control boards, which come wth high qaulity sound, and the airwire throttle

You could get batteries in the tender of those two aristo locos. The you'd also have to buy remote control gear. Batteries seem like a big headache to me--you need to match the batteries to the chargers, batteries lose their capacity with use, runing wth lights or sound or long trains decreases run time. But obviously they work really well for a lot of people.  

 

Keep it simple is a great idea. I would try to buy switches  and curves that are as wide as you can possibly manage

[altterrain]

I'm trying, at least initially, to keep it all in the same family and as simple as possible.  I have Aristo brass 332 track and two inexpensive Aristo locomotives - the Rogers and the 0-4-0.  I haven't switched to metal wheels on the freight cars yet but plan to do so very soon.  I suppose adding switches and trying to start with track power conflicts with my aim to keep it simple.  When I asked a local train shop about converting my locos to battery power I was told I'd have to have a dedicated freight car for the set up and it would have to be a large one. I'm trying to stay with shorter trains until She Who Must Be Obeyed increases my land grant.

This is a RCS system in an AristoClassic boxcar. The Electronic Speed Controller mounted on one door the RC receiver mounted on the other. It would have easily fit in a smaller car but its good to have some space to stretch the antenna out. The fonrt end of the car now has a sound card and speaker.

 

-Brian 

[Old Choo Choo]

Again, I really want to thank you for the advice. Everyone here has been very helpful. As soon as I get my track laid and the train running I'm going to look into RCS Given I have the brass track and my layout will be at the edge of a treeline, I have the feeling RCS will be the way to go. One step at a time.

[Anonymous]

I ground down the frogs a bit with a steady hand and a dremel tool but you can do it with a thin flat file too. If you do not file down your frogs 

Alt,

You ain't coming to my house........

Toad

[lownote]

If you're going to invest the money in batteries and remote control I'd still consider QSI and airwire. The QSI decoder combines remote control and very high quality sound in one unit. It can run on batteries or track power, and works with the Airwire trottle. I have to admit I haven't tried it, but it looks on paper like a great solution

You buy a QSI "decoder" and then a little accesory card that picks up the Airwire signals. The Airwire throttle can trigger the soundcard, so you can control horns., bells,lights etc. with the remote. One airire trottle can control multiple trains. The cost of the airwire throttle, the QSI decoder, and the airwire receiver card is less than the cost of an Aristo TE system and a Phoenix sound card.

The Aristo Train Engineer work very well for me, but if I were starting from scratch I'd buy a Airiwire throttle and QSI controlers. Adding sound is really great, ad the QSI gives you uch more control over the sound

[Old Choo Choo]

Sounds interesting. I'll certainly look into it. Thanks very much for the suggestion.

[EMPIRE II LINE]

 

Say Choo'ch,

Back to the switch question, I agree, the wide switches do work great in the yard areas......

 

 

But I'd definitely go with the # 6's on the main lines......

 

 

That way you could pull nice l-o-n-g trains and cars.......

 

Byron C.

[Anonymous]

 

Say Choo'ch,

Back to the switch question, I agree, the wide switches do work great in the yard areas......

 

 

But I'd definitely go with the # 6's on the main lines......

 

 

That way you could pull nice l-o-n-g trains and cars.......

 

Byron C.

Byron,

What did you do just MOW the place

Toad

[Old Choo Choo]

Byron, I see you have some of your mainline on a brick wall. I want to do the same. Do you have to secure the track somehow or does it just stay on without any problems? Thanks and you have a fantastic layout by the way.

[EMPIRE II LINE]

Byron, I see you have some of your mainline on a brick wall. I want to do the same. Do you have to secure the track somehow or does it just stay on without any problems? Thanks and you have a fantastic layout by the way.

 

Nah, it's all pretty much mounted/floating on 6 inch galvanized matel studs, supported by schedule 40 PVC pipe, just hammered into the ground about 4 to 6 inches, and a ladder type design from PVC sheets, to support the curves. Maybe about 30% to 40% of it is fastened with screws on some of the curves, but most of it does float, due to the extensive expansion of the rail here in the Florida sun......Been there over 2 years so far.....the bricks you see there, surround the main sump holding pond for the water features to draw from......300 gallons, 4 to 4.5 foot deep..... 

Yes Toady, in those pictures the yard had just been Manicured......nice fifty cent word there......

Byron C. 

[Anonymous]

Byron, I see you have some of your mainline on a brick wall. I want to do the same. Do you have to secure the track somehow or does it just stay on without any problems? Thanks and you have a fantastic layout by the way.

Don't let Bryon know you LOVE his track. He gets excited, he is a old man you know and his ticker just ain't good anymore

Toad