Medina1128 My go-to manufacturer when it came to curved turnouts is Peco. I have one installed on my layout and even my Walthers 85' passengers navigate the #7 turnout. Of course, they have Talgo trucks. I don't know thing they'd make it with body mounted couplers.
My go-to manufacturer when it came to curved turnouts is Peco. I have one installed on my layout and even my Walthers 85' passengers navigate the #7 turnout. Of course, they have Talgo trucks. I don't know thing they'd make it with body mounted couplers.
All my passenger cars have body mounted couplers and most of them can take the inside curve of the Peco #7 that I recently installed. The exception is my Walthers Budd cars. I don't know why but these have been a major source of derailment problems for as long as I have had them. I don't have nearly as many problems with their smooth sided Pullman cars and I can't understand why. The Budd cars were all bought on ebay and I don't know how old they are. Maybe the more recent cars don't have the same flaws.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL How old is this original curved turnout? Code 83 or code 100? I don't remember Atlas selling a curved turnout that big?. In fact Atlas never made curved turnouts in their regular track line until the current offerings. There was a brief time MANY years ago when they sold some ROCO track items, curved turnouts, slip switches, in Atlas packaging. Are you sure the old one is Atlas? Again, how long have you had it? The problem with curved turnouts described by number is frog angle only has a little to do with possible radius. If you need really large curved turnouts you can actually cut the tie connectors and bend an Atlas #6 or #8 into a nice curved turnout. The other choice of course is to build it yourself. Sheldon
How old is this original curved turnout? Code 83 or code 100? I don't remember Atlas selling a curved turnout that big?.
In fact Atlas never made curved turnouts in their regular track line until the current offerings. There was a brief time MANY years ago when they sold some ROCO track items, curved turnouts, slip switches, in Atlas packaging.
Are you sure the old one is Atlas? Again, how long have you had it?
The problem with curved turnouts described by number is frog angle only has a little to do with possible radius.
If you need really large curved turnouts you can actually cut the tie connectors and bend an Atlas #6 or #8 into a nice curved turnout.
The other choice of course is to build it yourself.
Sheldon
I use code 83 rail. I just checked the stamp on the bottom of the turnout I replaced and discovered that it is a Shinora turnout. What made me think it was an Atlas turnout is that it has an insulated frog. All my other Shinora turnouts have powered frogs that require special wiring to allow the polarity of the frog to be flipped.
This turnout was on one of the earliest parts of the layout that I contructed about 20 years ago. What I find odd is that the Peco #7 curved turnout I replaced it with has broader curves than the Shinora #8. Even though it has been a long time, I'm fairly certain that it was advertised as a 36"/32" radius turnout. I checked the inside curve with my Ribbonrail gauges and the inside curve is not even close to 32". My smallest gauge is 28# and that is close to the inside radius of the turnout.
If I had it to do over again, I would avoid a curved turnout on the approach to my main passenger station but a reconfiguration of the track at this point would be out of the question.
I use both Walthers/Shinohara #8 curved (36/32 nominal) and Peco #7 curved (60/36 nominal). It depends on the geometry I need.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
My go-to manufacturer when it came to curved turnouts is Peco. I have one installed on my layout and even my Walthers 85' passengers navigate the #7 turnout. Of course, they have Talgo trucks. I don't know think they'd make it with body-mounted couplers. I just checked on the Walthers website and it says the 85' Budd cars will negotiate 18" curves. I'm sure they look goofy with the overhang, but I'm sure with wider curves, they should look ok.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I don't recall Atlas every having a curved turnout with 36/32" radius. OTOH, Walthers #8 has been labeled 36/32 inch from the 90's until they discontinued their old line made by Shinohara. Those may be found on the secondary market if you hunt around.
I recently had to replace an Atlas #8 curved turnout which was having frequent derailments when full length passenger cars tried to pass through the inside curve. I'm basing this on memory but I believe it was advertised as having radii of 36"/32". This past week I was in my LHS and saw their new curved turnout which now comes in a box instead of a blister pack. They don't present it as a #8 but do give the radii as 30"/22". I would need a side-by-side comparison to my #8 curved turnout to say for sure, but it seems to be the same size as what I had. If they are the same turnout, it would certainly explain why my passenger cars were derailing trying to negotiate a 22" radius curve.
Does anyone know for certain if these two turnouts have the same dimensions?