In a nutshell...What brand of turnouts do you use and what do you like/dislike about them?
I have some Atlas turnouts on my layout that have given me a little trouble in the past, I am thinking I am going to have to replace them (Naturally they are hard to reach). I would like to get some info on various turnout brands before I decide what to replace them with. I have come to think here on these forums that the Paco is one of the best.
What do you think??
Thanks. Mike
My personal favorite for HO scale code 100 and code 83 is Peco. Walthers/Shinohara and the new Atlas code 83 products, which are both made in China, are practically identical and are much better than the Atlas code 100 turnouts.
the dinwitty brand... my home brew stuff...
I've been happy with my atlas customline code 83's. What sort of trouble have you been having? I sharpened the points and added jumpers between the points and the stock rails on mine. I operate on a layout with Peco code 75's, which I like, but Peco's are more expensive. The perfectionists among us would have you building your own, maybe with Fastracks jigs.
Jim
dinwitty wrote: the dinwitty brand... my home brew stuff...
- almost. Mine aren't branded. They also get built to fit the desired track geometry, not vice versa - which is the biggest PRO.
The second big pro is cost - not much more than an equvalent length of flex track. Third is the fact that rail joints get located where I want them, not at the ends of a manufacured turnout. (More than a few of my stock rails are full three foot or one meter lengths.)
The cons? Time is one (it does take longer to shape rails and assemble them into a turnout than it does to open a package and plunk down a commercial product.) The other is that shaping the rails into a turnout and anchoring them to the ties takes a small amount of easily-learned skill.
Just my . Other opinions may differ.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
With some "interventions", they should all work quite well. I use Peco Code 83 Insulfrog #6 in my yard, and have several curved Code 83 W/S #7.5 and a single cruved W/S #8.
The Pecos have an overcentre spring in the throwbar, so it has a semi-snap feel to it as it gets past the centre point of its throw...cool.
My best turnouts, though, are handlaid using Fast Tracks jigs. I also built two custom ones in place, a curved wye and a very long #9-10? 'cuz that's what I had to do. Building the Fast Tracks #8's let me build the custom ones.
Can you give an indication of the scale and style of your Atlas turnouts. The brain trust has lept to the conclusion that you are asking about HO, but you didn't mention scale in your initial post.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
I've used especially the new Peco code 83 turnouts. All frogs are powered. I like critters!
But I use a lot of scratch build turnouts. And my latest try: Central Valley.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
I'm in Code 100 HO. I use a mix of Atlas and Peco, with mostly snap-switches because I'm space-limited and need the tighter radius turns.
I really have no complaints about the Atlas turnouts mechanically or electrically, although I've begun to see some stalling by engines with poor pickup characteristics, like my P2K SW7 with traction tires.
I got my first Pecos because I needed curved turnouts, and Atlas doesn't make those. I was immediately sold on them. The spring-held points are very solid and reliable.
To me, the biggest disadvantage of the Atlas turnouts is that above-table switch machine. The Peco one, which mounts directly to the underside of the turnout, is nicely hidden. The two different machines are designed specifically for their respective turnouts, though, and you can't interchange them.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I'm sorry for the lack of details. I am in HO using Atlas code 100 snap switches. On certain occaisians a loco will derail at one of the turnouts everytime if going into the turnout, I can turn the train around and run it the other direction and it will do fine. I can run another loco and it will do fine running both directions. Sometimes the loco sounds like the wheels are hitting something causing a ''thud'' and other locos might or might not do this.
I have looked and looked at the turnouts in question and cannot see anything out of the ordinary. If I decide to go with Peco, will they replace my Atlas turnouts by simply replacing them or will I have to move the track some to line up with the Peco turnout?
If you need more info, just ask, I can post a pic of the turnouts if you like. Thanks. Mike
I'm another fan of roll-your-own. Even thought I use the Fast Tracks Jig. It's worth the time and effort.
You just can't get the QA from a factory. Yeah, I know you trade the hour of building time them for the money you save--but I spent that much time "tuning" my store bought turnouts.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
mikesmowers wrote: I have looked and looked at the turnouts in question and cannot see anything out of the ordinary. If I decide to go with Peco, will they replace my Atlas turnouts by simply replacing them or will I have to move the track some to line up with the Peco turnout?
Changing from Atlas Snap Switches to Peco will require new trackwork because they are not the same length or degree of divergence. Atlas Snap Switches are the worst you could have picked, except perhaps for something even cheaper such as Model Power, even if you are crammed for space. The rivets that Atlas uses to fasten the point rails are notorious for losing electrical contact or allowing the point rail to wobble from side to side because of poor quality control.
Turnouts are the only trackwork with moving parts, and will nearly always be the first thing to fail or cause derailments. I avoid cheap turnouts because they are too prone to failure.
mikesmowers wrote: On certain occaisians a loco will derail at one of the turnouts everytime if going into the turnout, I can turn the train around and run it the other direction and it will do fine. I can run another loco and it will do fine running both directions. Sometimes the loco sounds like the wheels are hitting something causing a ''thud'' and other locos might or might not do this.
On certain occaisians a loco will derail at one of the turnouts everytime if going into the turnout, I can turn the train around and run it the other direction and it will do fine. I can run another loco and it will do fine running both directions. Sometimes the loco sounds like the wheels are hitting something causing a ''thud'' and other locos might or might not do this.
I like the Atlas Custom line Code 83. I think they look good and you can't beat the price.($8.75)
Cons- I think the point rail throw bars are a little weak. Some of mine have required tweaking to make work consistently.
I use W/S exclusively code 83 and love them, but QA is always an issue with non-home built turnouts (I wish I had known about Fast tracks back then...). Always check the turnout with a NMRA gauge... I learned the hard way and had a double crossover that caused me trouble for like 6 months..only to find out that it was out of gauge at one point...fixed and now my trains can run though it problem free at FULL speed!!!
Brian