HO Code 83 to code 100 connection

[trainmaster971]

I have a large older layout with code 100 rail and am thinking of doing some modification. I am looking at some curved turnouts but all that I can find that fit are code 83 rail. How do you connect them into the code 100 track?

[gandydancer19]

You generally use 'transition rail joiners'. You can buy them, or make them.

Or you can slide a code 100 rail joiner on the code 100 track, then flatten the exposed half of the rail joiner, then lay the code 80 rail on top of the flattened joiner and solder it. Of course you have to make sure it is aligned and not too high etc. etc.

[steemtrayn]

Or use this, if you can find it...

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/948-897

 

[maxman]

Or use this, if you can find it...

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/948-897

 

You can make these yourself.  Get yourself a piece of Atlas code 100 9 inch long snap track, a piece of Atlas code 83 9 inch long snap track, and a package of the Atlas 150-551 code 83 to code 100 transition rail joiners.  If you cut each piece of snap track in half, and join a code 83 piece to a code 100 piece with the transition joiners, you will end up with two of the transition tracks.  I think if you study what you are doing for a while, it will become apparent that you could cut each piece of snap track into 4-1/2 inch lengths, or 3 inch lengths, and end up with a bunch more of the transition pieces for not much more than the cost of the single Walthers item.

The joy of using this method is that Atlas, in their infinite wisdom, made the ties thicker (taller) on the code 83 pieces so that it comes out the same height as the code 100 piece.  If you are using Atlas track, you don't have to do any shimming to get the tracks to align properly.

You didn't say what brand of track you are using, but since you mentioned curved turnouts I'd guess that these are either Walthers code 83 or something else other than Atlas.  To my knowledge Atlas does not make curved code 83 turnouts.  You will have to check what the differences in track height are and probably shim the code 83 turnouts to get the tops of the rails in alignment with the old code 100.

[rxanand]

I had a somewhat similar situation on my layout. I used generally Atlas Code 83 track on my layout but I wanted to use a Walthers/Shinohara curved turnout in one spot. You would think that since both are code 83, this would be no problem.

However - the ties in Atlas code 83 track are signifcantly higher than the on Shinohara turnouts. I did consider shimming up the entire Shinohara turnout but that turned out to be awkward. What I did instead was to get some Shinohara flex track and moved the Shinohara-Atlas transition away from the immediate vicinity of the turnout. This approach has workd out well - no derailments and the track transision is pretty much invisible.

[larak]

I shimmed my turnouts up with a layer of rolled wood veneer. Worked like a charm. I thnik it's 1/64" thick. you could possibly also use masking tape.

Karl

[garyla]

Thanks for the ideas, guys.

Shinohara's products are coming painfully slow, both the WKW code 83 products and the code 100 and code 70 stuff sold under its own name.  I wonder how many customers are being driven to the competition.

[rxanand]

Shinohara's products are coming painfully slow, both the WKW code 83 products and the code 100 and code 70 stuff sold under its own name.  I wonder how many customers are being driven to the competition.

If you want curved turnouts in code 83, there seems to be few alternatives to Shinohara other than building your own. Peco does have curved turnouts in code 100 although not as wide a range.

I needed four curved Shinohara turnouts for my layout and had to call a dozen stores before I was able to get the ones I wanted. One thing that helped was that the Walthers site lists the stores that had received shipments in the recent past.