HO Code 83 Customline® CurvedTurnout - Left
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I wonder what the radii are.
Don:
I'm sorry for your pain, but if you want real agony try putting those prices into Canadian dollars!!
Its a funny thing. Somehow the people who write my wife's paycheques don't seem to want to pay us in American dollars. Wonder why?
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
maxmanI wonder what the radii are.
Per Atlas, they are 30" and 22" http://www.atlasrr.com/Trackmisc/hocode83curvedturnout.htm . That sounds like a big disparity compared to Walthers/Shinohara curved turnouts.
Rob Spangler
Disparity in price or curvature? Cheaper than other curved turnouts on the market, but yeah, 30/22 sounds like a set track compromise.
It's not going to hurt me because the sharp inner 22-inch inner radius is a deal breaker for me.
I prefer curved turnouts which can be used without compromising my minimum radius by much, which is why I use Walthers or Shinohara #8 curved turnouts almost exclusively - they have a nominal 36" outer and 32" inner radius (although some say the inner is tighter than that).
Even if I needed a sharper radius curve for say a yard or something, I would go to Peco first - because they offer radii larger than 22-inches on the inner curve. Yeah, 22 inches is a train set track compromise.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Don, can you clarify what you mean by "hurt"?
What's gonna hurt?
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain Don, can you clarify what you mean by "hurt"? What's gonna hurt? Rich
Good question.. Those switches will be cheaper at street price then LHS price.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
riogrande5761I prefer curved turnouts which can be used without compromising my minimum radius by much, which is why I use Walthers or Shinohara #8 curved turnouts almost exclusively - they have a nominal 36" outer and 32" inner radius (although some say the inner is tighter than that).
Jim,Must be nice to have space for Godzilla size switches and curves--but,seeing how long you waited for a layout-- good on ya!
I can only guess but my take is "hurt" is on his wallet since maybe the OP likes these new curved turnouts. Based on another Atlas turnout MBK has for MRSP $24.95 the discount is $14.99. These new code 83 curved turnouts could easily sell for $16 or so - which is very inexpensive.
I need a curved turnout for my yard but 22" radius is much tighter than I'd like to got with - I'll probably look at Peco or Walthers. I don't mind using Atlas code 83 turnouts as they are decent and more economical, but so far it's mainly the #6 turnouts which I use the most. Atlas's orientation toward trainset geometry in the curved turnouts well, limits them more to the train set layout genre. If they would make a larger radius curved turnout, I could go for that.
BRAKIE riogrande5761 I prefer curved turnouts which can be used without compromising my minimum radius by much, which is why I use Walthers or Shinohara #8 curved turnouts almost exclusively - they have a nominal 36" outer and 32" inner radius (although some say the inner is tighter than that). Jim, Must be nice to have space for Godzilla size switches and curves--but,seeing how long you waited for a layout-- good on ya!
riogrande5761 I prefer curved turnouts which can be used without compromising my minimum radius by much, which is why I use Walthers or Shinohara #8 curved turnouts almost exclusively - they have a nominal 36" outer and 32" inner radius (although some say the inner is tighter than that).
Jim, Must be nice to have space for Godzilla size switches and curves--but,seeing how long you waited for a layout-- good on ya!
To me and probably many others, Godzilla curves would be in the 4x to 5x range. Considering every modest home layout in MR magazine since the early 1980's had 30 inch minimum curves, I've always considered anything much less than is getting into the sharp range - and thats by todays standards judging by much of what I'm seeing in the model railroading world. Put a 89' flat car on even my 32-inch minimum curves, and those look sharp! So 30 or 32 inches curves are not Godzilla, but rather conventional if anything.
After more than 15 years living in small appartments etc. having the patience of Job, my loving wife made sure we could manage with some kind of trian room which, which let me tell you, in this area and a daughter in college, wasn't easy to find. The difference between townhouses without basements and those with is substantial. The 10x18' room isn't sized for a "dream layout" but with "modern" 1970's and 1980's equipement, had to go with a simple around the walls design cause even 32-inch curves look sharp under long cars.
You can do much better from buying elsewhere or not use curved turnouts.
kasskaboose You can do much better from buying elsewhere or not use curved turnouts.
Of course most don't pay MSRP since there are plenty of vendors who offer decent discounts. It appears the original post was just a quote from Atlas's website announcement - since these curved code 83 turnouts are a new run or offering. And when you consider the street price of them, for curved turnouts the price is quite economical. Sometimes curved turnouts allow you to do things with a layout that are otherwise not possible with ordinary turnouts alone.
I would like to see Kato come out with a ho curved turnout in 19 1/4" 24" curvature.
I'm not holding my breath but I can always hope.
I meant that's going to cut into the competition with those prices. (In a good way)
Competition is a good thing.
DigitalGriffin I meant that's going to cut into the competition with those prices. (In a good way) Competition is a good thing.
I agree, competition is a good thing, l but it will only cut into the competition in curved turnout categories with the geometry similar to this one since it's the cheapest available, especially in code 83. OTOH, if you need a curved turnout with radii significantly larger than 22-inches (which is a tight radius), then no, it won't be competitive.
Graham Line Disparity in price or curvature? Cheaper than other curved turnouts on the market, but yeah, 30/22 sounds like a set track compromise.
Curvature. The competetion from Walthers uses a nominal 4" difference between insise and outside radius (e.g. 36"/32", 32"/28"), although they may fudge a bit on the smaller number. Atlas describes an 8" difference. In photos, the Atlas product doesn't look much different from Walthers, though, and much of the tight radius with the latter is beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog, or remove some webbing between the ties so you can bend the rails, you're left with a broader minimum radius. The same may be true of Atlas.
wp8thsub Graham Line Disparity in price or curvature? Cheaper than other curved turnouts on the market, but yeah, 30/22 sounds like a set track compromise. Curvature. The competetion from Walthers uses a nominal 4" difference between insise and outside radius (e.g. 36"/32", 32"/28"), although they may fudge a bit on the smaller number. Atlas describes an 8" difference. In photos, the Atlas product doesn't look much different from Walthers, though, and much of the tight radius with the latter is beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog, or remove some webbing between the ties so you can bend the rails, you're left with a broader minimum radius. The same may be true of Atlas.
I have many Walthers/Shinohara Code 83 curved turnouts of all sizes. I have checked the radii different ways, including the use of the Ribbonrail gauges. Consistently, the tighter radius is 6" less than stated: e.g., the 36/32 is actually 36/30, 32/28 is actually 32/26, etc.. The outside radius is stated correctly. The smaller radius is continuous through the points and frog and beyond and not mostly beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog you will be able to broaden the radius only beyond the frog.
Dante
Dante:
I think you have a miss-print in your post.
dante the tighter radius is 6" less than stated:
but your examples suggest that the number should be 2"
dantee.g., the 36/32 is actually 36/30, 32/28 is actually 32/26, etc..
hon30critter Dante: I think you have a miss-print in your post. dante the tighter radius is 6" less than stated: but your examples suggest that the number should be 2" dante e.g., the 36/32 is actually 36/30, 32/28 is actually 32/26, etc..
dante e.g., the 36/32 is actually 36/30, 32/28 is actually 32/26, etc..
riogrande5761 kasskaboose You can do much better from buying elsewhere or not use curved turnouts. Of course most don't pay MSRP since there are plenty of vendors who offer decent discounts. It appears the original post was just a quote from Atlas's website announcement - since these curved code 83 turnouts are a new run or offering. And when you consider the street price of them, for curved turnouts the price is quite economical. Sometimes curved turnouts allow you to do things with a layout that are otherwise not possible with ordinary turnouts alone.
For a few bucks more at street you can buy a PECO switch whice IMHO is the better switch.
danteThe smaller (Walthers/Shinohara)radius is continuous through the points and frog and beyond and not mostly beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog you will be able to broaden the radius only beyond the frog.
Maybe they've changed the geometry since I got mine. I had a couple that I was substituting into existing curves of consistent radius. The inner curve was the same as my track through the points and frog, but got noticeably tighter after the frog. The outer radius was the same throughout. By either removing the rail beyond the frog or cutting the ties on the inner route so it would bend, I was able to achieve a consistent curve.
wp8thsub dante The smaller (Walthers/Shinohara)radius is continuous through the points and frog and beyond and not mostly beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog you will be able to broaden the radius only beyond the frog. ... By either removing the rail beyond the frog or cutting the ties on the inner route so it would bend, I was able to achieve a consistent curve.
dante The smaller (Walthers/Shinohara)radius is continuous through the points and frog and beyond and not mostly beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog you will be able to broaden the radius only beyond the frog.
... By either removing the rail beyond the frog or cutting the ties on the inner route so it would bend, I was able to achieve a consistent curve.
This is also my experience. I purchased several W/S #7.5 curved turnouts for my second layout, in operation between late 2006 and 2012. I soon found their inner route radius to be approximately 4 inches less than advertised, and I had to invert the turnout and cut and remove all the webbing between the ties on that diverging route. Only then was I able to pin the tracks at a wider radius after the frog, ballast, and get the radius up to what I had purchased them for.
I wasn't very happy....particularly when I purchased a single #8 later and found it had the very same problem.
-Crandell
BRAKIE For a few bucks more at street you can buy a PECO switch whice IMHO is the better switch.
I really like Peco switches, but if comparing apples to apples, ie. code 83, the discount price at MBK for their turnout is $29.99 (MSRP $40.00) vs. the Atlas code 83 curved for around $15 or 16 discount MRSP ($24.95). So it's twice the street price for a Peco.
It doesn't appear that Atlas does an HO code 100 curved turnout to compare with Peco's code 100 curve, which have a street price of $21.99 - I bought a couple of those ot use in my staging yard to maximize storage track capacity.
Dave, you're correct--my bad!
Rob,
Very possible: I don't know how old your turnouts are nor do I know how old my pre-DCC turnouts are (purchased on EBay). But all I have-old and new-are as I described. The prospective user should check, at least the older pre-DCC units.
The way I look at it, every time somebody comes out with a new turnout geometry, it's a plus for modelers. Curved turnouts, in particular, are a great addition to the track-planner's toolbox.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Yes, agree. More options is a good thing for curved turnouts. Between Atlas, Peco, and Walthers or Shinohara, we can find something that works for us. I'm thinking I may be purchasing my first code 83 Peco soon. It would be costly to build a yard with a bunch of Peco code 83 number 6 however - nice but not cheap.
selector wp8thsub dante The smaller (Walthers/Shinohara)radius is continuous through the points and frog and beyond and not mostly beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog you will be able to broaden the radius only beyond the frog. ... By either removing the rail beyond the frog or cutting the ties on the inner route so it would bend, I was able to achieve a consistent curve. This is also my experience. I purchased several W/S #7.5 curved turnouts for my second layout, in operation between late 2006 and 2012. I soon found their inner route radius to be approximately 4 inches less than advertised, and I had to invert the turnout and cut and remove all the webbing between the ties on that diverging route. Only then was I able to pin the tracks at a wider radius after the frog, ballast, and get the radius up to what I had purchased them for. I wasn't very happy....particularly when I purchased a single #8 later and found it had the very same problem. -Crandell
I am laying a few 7.5 Walthers turnouts down now and yes, the frog seems more like 24" than 28" on the inner radius. Also the radius on the outer route seems to be a bit bigger than 32". I used XtrackCad to design the layout and the templates do not match the actual track very well. I am getting them to fit OK by cutting the webbing, and glad to have them, but it would be nice if the Walthers curved turnout radiuses were closer to "as advertised".
Huntington Junction - Freelance based on the B&O and C&O in coal country before the merger... doing it my way. Now working on phase 3. - Walt
For photos and more: http://www.wkhobbies.com/model-railroad/
Very nice price. And I'm sure its typical Atlas quality. Thoughtful layout design can make these very useful, IMO.
I think the diverging radius of 22 inches is no big deal. Its usefull in starting a yard ladder or a spur for an industrial siding, where locomotives and rolling stock roll slowly anyway. The big locos can stay on the outside curve for the A/D tracks or main line and the locals and switchers can negotiate the inside curve with no problems.
The disparity in curve radii is probably not useful for merging two main lines, but that's not usually the place on the layout where space savings and a curved turnout is really needed anyway.
- Douglas
Doughless I think the diverging radius of 22 inches is no big deal. Its usefull in starting a yard ladder or a spur for an industrial siding, where locomotives and rolling stock roll slowly anyway. The big locos can stay on the outside curve for the A/D tracks or main line and the locals and switchers can negotiate the inside curve with no problems.
Yard use was something I thought of too, because of the sharp inner radius of 22-inches. In my case I want most of my yard to be able to handle 86' auto box cars, 89' TOFC flat cars and 89' autoracks, so I'm avoiding all sharp curves in the yard and keeping minimum radius to no less than 30 inches. Photo's below show where I need to add another left hand curved in the empty area on the inside - it's all code 83 here so may have to go with the Peco curved for $29.