Hi there
By that I mean, can they be installed right out of the package or do they need some fine tuning ?
For example on previous layouts using a different brand of turnout I used to sharpen the switch points so they fit neatly against the stock rails.
From my take of the ME turnouts the switch points seem to fit in neatly against the stock rails.
Any fine tuning tips for ME turnouts, if needed, would be greatly appreciated.
regards
Pelle Soeberg used ME's turnouts on his layout. You can email him and ask him yourself... he actually responds to emails!!! I've emailed him a number of times about Central Valley turnouts and some other things.
http://www.soeeborg.dk/contact.html
In any event, I would think that you would want to touch up the points with a file regardless, just to be safe. The only other thing I know about ME turnouts is that people often remove the spring thats in them... which is what Peco turnouts have, also, i guess? I have no personal experience with either.
Which brand of track are you using them with? I have some code 83 flex that I think is ME, and the ties are thinner than Atlas code 83. You might have to shim up the ME turnouts unless you are also using ME track.
Thanks guys for your replies.
Will certainly follow up with Pelle. Very good of you to supply his email address. Thank you.
I will be removing the spring on the turnouts to use with my Tortoise switch machines.
Sharpening the point ends sound logical.
Was just curious what others were experiencing with these turnouts. Will be using them with ME track.
cheers
Bagman,
IMHO these are great turnouts if your are looking for prefab. I have installed around 30 of the turnouts in codes 83 and 70. I have DCC friendly and older ME turnouts. The older ones get extensive mods to bring them up to DCC Friendly design. Some consider this extra work, but in my book it's just good switch wiring. I run small brass and weather the heck out of stuff, so I want bullet proof electrical contact. Your milegae may vary
The DCC friendlies are modded this way: I solder a wire to the frog (live frogs on my railroad) and solder the point rails to the closure rails (do this carefully or you'll kink the turnout). I check the rails around gaps and remove any plastic flash that is sometimes present. I remove the springs and use switchmasters to throw them. They look great when ballasted and so far I have had no problems with the code 83s. Some of the 70s needed tweaking and I am using BK turnouts for the rest of my code 70 switches (very few left to go).
The turnouts are very smooth and are some of the best looking comercial turnouts around. As far as wear goes, some of mine are in 4 years and they get pretty regular use. No problems yet, but it's a little early to tell. If buying new, I recommend DCC friendly over the older versions.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Hi Guy...
Thank you for the tips.
I will be using the DCC friendly turnouts, so your advice will be very helpful.
Just curious, what gauge wire are you using to connect the point rails/closure rails ?
It was always my intention to wire the frog to my Tortoise switch machine and have removed the spring on the turnouts for ease of operation with the switch machines.
I will be using Code 70 switches. What do you mean when you say that some of the 70's needed tweaking ?
Again, thank you for your reply
Everyone I have talked to speaks highly of the ME turnouts. I am using the DCC friendly ME code 70 turnouts and they have are as good as the Peco's but not as pricey. The new turnouts are stated as DCC friendly on the carton and have one of the diverging rails notched (insulated) near the frog. The notch has a thin piece of clear plastic in the notch that is barely noticable. Wiring is a snap.
bagmanJust curious, what gauge wire are you using to connect the point rails/closure rails ?
Not soldering any wire, just soldering the rail joiner to make a solid piece of rail. Make sure the rail is lined staight, use good flux and light touch. So far these joints have held up well. When/if they start breaking down it will be a thin stranded copper wire jumper.
bagman I will be using Code 70 switches. What do you mean when you say that some of the 70's needed tweaking ?
I must have recieved a bad batch of the code 70's. I found that there were a few turnouts where the level of the frog was too high/too low for the closure rails, resulting in jumping rolling stock. I was able to file a couple into compliance and I pulled one of the worst offenders. Check the rail head height levels through the switch with a straight edge before installing/modding... Much easier to return bad ones early in the game than to pull them later after you are running trains and discover the problem.
My guess would be that my experience with these switches was the exception rather than the rule. I have found ME's products to be of the highest quality. I have used lots of their switches and 100's of feet of their flex with great results.
.