I have heard the new Walthers track should hit the shelves in April. Does anyone know if it is the same tooling? I need to buy five or six turnouts and wonder if I should wait for the new stuff or just grab some old stock. I have been really happy with all the ones I have now but the new ones might be even better.
Thoughts.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Walthers has stated they are new.
The computerized renderings on the Walthers site look like they will have cast metal solid frogs.
These surely look a lot different from the Walthers/Shinohara code 83 track system.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
That post didn't age well. I researched it a little more and there is a letter in an old thread that said it is new.
https://tinyurl.com/unysru3
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Checking Walthers site just now, the turnouts show "Expected 28-Feb-2020".
https://www.walthers.com/products/layout/track-and-accessories
The new Walthers code 83 flex track is quite spendy at $49.98 for a package of 5. That's about $10 each piece MRSP. Ouch. Dunno what street price will be.
Turnouts are priced at $29.98 MRSP.
I would expect the track is all new tooling but I can't find the actual link or reference atm. The frog does look to be cast, which IMO isn't as nice as the old frogs made of stock rail.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
The manufacturing of the Shinohara track required a lot of expensive manual labor, especially for the point and frog rails.
I imagine one of the requirements for the new line of Walthers track was less labor required. Using the Shinohara tooling would require the Shinohara manufacturing techniques.
In addition to these details, each DCC-friendly Code 83 Turnout features:
Snap action points. Does that mean spring-loaded?
Solid rail points would be an improvement I would think.
What is a current jumper entering and leaving frogs?
I wonder if they are ME trackage? ME utilizes a cast metal frog.
Sounds pretty close to Peco Electrofrogs actually.
On their Code 83 at least, there are jumpers on the underside across gaps between the closure rails and the frog. You can leave them in and use as-is, with the points power routing the frog, or cut them and attach your own means of powering the frog to another wire that's attached to the frog - switch machine contacts, Frog Juicer, etc.
That flex track better be gold plated for that price. Wow. Who is Walthers trying to kid?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Except the Peco electrofrog have solid rail from the frog to the end of the turnout. I think the Walthers are insulated just after the frog.
Yeah, a lot of people have commented on the crazy high price of the flex at about $10 a stick MSRP.
riogrande5761Yeah, a lot of people have commented on the crazy high price of the flex at about $10 a stick MSRP.
I got three new boxes (30 sticks) I picked up at trains shows for $30.00 a box. I didn't need more track but I wasn't passing up that deal.
BATMANI got three new boxes (30 sticks) I picked up at trains shows for $30.00 a box. I didn't need more track but I wasn't passing up that deal.
Walthers old flex or another brand? Ten sticks a box? $3 each stick?
I have some older Walthers code 70 and it's pretty stiff. I'm planning to try Peco code 83 for visible mainline since it's supposed to be pretty easy to bend.
In the past I used Atlas code 83 and it's easy to work with but the rail profile isn't great and makes it look heavier than it should. It may comply with code 83 in height, but the top of the rail looks too wide, so from above it looks heavier.
riogrande5761Walthers old flex or another brand? Ten sticks a box? $3 each stick?
Walthers, it was brand new and recent production. The boxes were sealed with the cellophane strips around the track on the inside. I got 240 cows from the same guy for $15.00, do you know how much Woodland scenics charges for five cows?
I only use Atlas flex track and Shinohara turnouts. Atlas track is much easier to work with.
I would have passed on the Walthers flex track.
My whole layout is Walthers track and Shinohara TOs I think I have used 13 boxes and have the three on standby for expansion.
If you have used that much of the Walther/Shinohara track I am sure you have developed skills and techniques to work with it in a manner that suits your needs.
I will stick with the Atlas flex track that I am more comfortable with.
I am comfortable using both. There is a bit of a learning curve with the Walthers and in the end, it doesn't matter to me what one I'd use. I got my first three boxes cheap when a train store went out of business so I just kept on with the same brand and shopped the sales. It was easy to get 20% off so that lessened the price blow somewhat.
There is still a decent selection of old Walthers TOs at two of the train shops I visit so I am not sure I should wait for the new stuff or not, I wonder if the rail profile will match up.
On the Walthers site is says March 2020 for the flex track - are you SURE it's their own self produced stuff and not just some NOS of their previous made by Shinohara stuff?
This stuff.
https://www.pwrs.ca/product_search.php?f_Scales%5B%5D=1&f_Manufacturers%5B%5D=948&f_ProductTypes=null&f_Keywords=&f_HasSound=0&f_HasDCC=0&InStock=1
6 pieces in a box, not 5. But the real giveway is the 39" length - 1 meter - that's the Shinohara track.
Shinohara used to make Walthers track so maybe both of you are right.
The point is, it's not the NEW Walthers track that the link shows if nearly $10 a stick MSRP. It IS Walthers track. Just not the new production since Shonohara quit.
Previous COde 83 Walthers track was made by Shinohara, sold with the Walthers name on it. The flex track was, since Japan, like just about everhwere but here is a metric country, in meter lengths, which is about 39 inches. Atlas and other US (or formerly US made, in the case of Atlas) is traditionally sold in 36 inch lengths. The link to the Walthers catalog page for their new track says 36" lengths.
BATMANThere is still a decent selection of old Walthers TOs at two of the train shops I visit so I am not sure I should wait for the new stuff or not, I wonder if the rail profile will match up.
Randy, the link is the old stuff, not sure whether I should pick it up or wait for the new stuff to come out.
BATMANnot sure whether I should pick it up or wait for the new stuff to come out.
If it is what you want, I would get it now. There is no way the new stuff will be better than the Shinohara manufactured track.
If you want better detail, there are other options. If you want quality and reliable track that you already know how to use, better get it now.
I spoke with one of the Walthers people behind development of the track at last year's NMRA national convention. It's new, not a rehash of Shinohara products. Given the claimed effort to get it right, I'd expect the new track and turnouts to be superior to Walthers branded Shinohara.
Rob Spangler
There are aspects of the old Shinohara-made Walthers I liked the look of. Namely the points and frog and guard rails were all stock rail. I'm not much of a fan of cast metal frogs but with some paint you can disguise them somewhat.
BigDaddy That post didn't age well. I researched it a little more and there is a letter in an old thread that said it is new. https://tinyurl.com/unysru3
I've mostly used Walthers turnouts in the past for specialty like 3-way, double slip and especially curved. I've mostly switched to Peco for the next layout but I did hunt down a couple of DCC friendly #8 curved about a year ago while they were still easier to find.
riogrande5761There are aspects of the old Shinohara-made Walthers I liked the look of.
The old style (Non DCC Friendly) Walther/Shinohara switches are the only ones I want to use... that is unless Kadee introduces a trackage system.
They look fantastic, operate reliably, and mate with Atlas sectional and flex track no problem.
I always power the frog/inner rails with contacts on the switch machine eliminating the only electrical weak point.
I was lucky to find all I will need for my next (final lifetime) layout.
The 3-Way and Double Crossovers are the DCC Friendly versions.
that middle double x-over is the old (double crossbar) verion. You will probaby have to "putty up" the sidewalls of the K crossings (the top and bottom x-ings) to avoid shorts. I used JB weld...nail polish will work but it won't last but a few weeks/months. The left and right doubles are the new (single crossbar) versions. You won't have to putt them up. All three will require that all 4 turnouts be switched together (either divergent or straight thru) to avoid shorting at the X-crossings.
The old non-DCC friendly ones are the ones that have trouble with Tortoise machine contacts if you don't carefully align the Tortoise. If the opposite contact makes before the point rail has come away from the stock rail, short. Had this problem at the club I belonged to a long time ago. It's also the source of seveal sites that show you how to open a Tortoise and make the gap between the contacts larger.