If you learn the Fast Tracks method of hand laying turnouts, you will be able to build any configuration turnout you need. It's not hard at all and I've built over 50 turnouts for my current layout including standard left and right #6 turnouts, constant 22" radius diverging route turnouts, a constant radius 22" wye turnout, and a couple of curved turnouts. The only Fast Tracks products I actually purchased were a #6 Point/Frog Filing Tool and lots of their PC ties. I made my own jigs using pieces of 1/2" plywood. I used a thin plywood blade in a table saw to cut the grooves for the PC ties. Once you get the hang of it, the build goes fairly quickly and the finished turnouts work BETTER than commercial turnouts.
Hornblower
That's what PECO says on their web page. That's the Code 83 one, NOT the Code 100 or Code 75 ones, those are listed with different dimentions. The 83 line with North American style details is completely different from their original 100 and 75 lines.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
riogrande5761 BigDaddy Doughless The outside radius of the Peco code 83 turnout is very wide. Not according to Peco's literature: 24 & 18" http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3322&CAT_ID=3326&P_ID=17367 It is also 9 3/8" long Sometimes the literature is incorrect. For example, many have commented on the Shinohara/Walthers #8 curved turnouts. They are labeled by the manufacturer as 36" outside and 32" inside, however I 've seen muliple responses from modelers disputing that. Here is one: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3589591,3591060#msg-3591060 As for the Peco, I bought a couple of the code 100 curved and the outside radius sure looks a lot wider than 24". I've drawn curve radii with a tramel in the 32 inch and higher ranges for appeared to be closer to 30 or above. I'll be dismantling my layout this summer for a move, but I'll try to get a better estimate by over laying my Peco curved turnout on the curves I layed out. If I can remember, I'll report back with the figure.
BigDaddy Doughless The outside radius of the Peco code 83 turnout is very wide. Not according to Peco's literature: 24 & 18" http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3322&CAT_ID=3326&P_ID=17367 It is also 9 3/8" long
Doughless The outside radius of the Peco code 83 turnout is very wide.
Not according to Peco's literature: 24 & 18" http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3322&CAT_ID=3326&P_ID=17367
It is also 9 3/8" long
Sometimes the literature is incorrect. For example, many have commented on the Shinohara/Walthers #8 curved turnouts. They are labeled by the manufacturer as 36" outside and 32" inside, however I 've seen muliple responses from modelers disputing that. Here is one:
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3589591,3591060#msg-3591060
As for the Peco, I bought a couple of the code 100 curved and the outside radius sure looks a lot wider than 24". I've drawn curve radii with a tramel in the 32 inch and higher ranges for appeared to be closer to 30 or above. I'll be dismantling my layout this summer for a move, but I'll try to get a better estimate by over laying my Peco curved turnout on the curves I layed out. If I can remember, I'll report back with the figure.
My accuracy is probably off, and I should check the actual website for the exact radius. Randy said the inside radius of a Peco HO 83 is 36. It sure seemed tighter than that when I built my previous layout. I know for sure the difference between the outer and inner radius is quite a bit more than the Walthers difference and the stated Atlas difference.
- Douglas
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
That's an HOm gauge one. The Peco 83 Line curved turnout is 60" outside and 36" inside.
Edit Randy corrected me. I linked to an HOm turnout. I had never heard of HOm until this weekend in the forum.
Doug was correct
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
kacey66 Doesn`t the peco have a very wide radias ? I have some shinohara but they are not cheap.. Thanks
Doesn`t the peco have a very wide radias ? I have some shinohara but they are not cheap.. Thanks
The outside radius of the Peco code 83 turnout is very wide. I never looked it up, but its probably in excess of 30 inch radius, where as the inner radius is about 24 inches. The Shinohara has a only 4 inch radius difference between outer and inner radius, which contributes to the overall footprint of the turnout and the point rails being very long, especially the #8s.
The Atlas curved turnouts appear to be somewhere in the middle, so the differences in the geometry of all three brands might have their advantages depending upon the situation.
kacey66Doesn`t the peco have a very wide radias ?
Note that different lines of PECO HO turnouts have different specifications. The Code 75 and Code 100 differ substantially from the newer PECO Code 83. All of the PECO components are fairly compact relative to Walthers, so they may fit better in many situations, regardless of the specified radii.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
I love curved turnouts. I keep looking for the older "non-DCC" Walthers/Shinohara code 83 all metal frog turnouts. I only have a couple so far. I am sure my industrial section of my layout will be designed around the examples I find.
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-Kevin
Living the dream.
My backordered Atlas curved turnout is $18. Outside radius 30" inside radius 22'
Peco offers a number of curved turnouts. I think mine are the "small" ones and they come out about 19 and 22 inches. It's my W-S turnouts that are very wide.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I use Pecos on mine, they work a treat.
Scott
I have both Walthers-Shinohara and Peco curved turnouts on my layout, and I'm happy with both. I drive the W-S ones with Tortoises and the Pecos with Peco twin-coils.
Atlas sez 3rd quarter of this year. But does anybody really know? I expect not. I've ordered two from one of the big Internet dealers.
http://www.atlasrr.com/ordership.htm
Does anybody know when the Atlas curved turnouts will be on the market? Thanks