"High-Speed" Turnouts

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience with "High-Speed" (closing frog) turnouts, such as the kits available from Tru-Scale, or scratch-built as per the Sept. 1981 issue of Model Railroader? I'm starting the design phase on my first layout in a long time (over 15 years), and am seriously considering these turnouts to avoid "stutter" problems at the frog.

[sumpter250]

The "closing frog" turnouts are smooth, mechanicly, and are probably no harder to build that 'fixed'. If you are thinking of using DCC, you might want to consider fixed frog turnouts, where the frog is "dead", gapped at both ends,close to the point of the frog. the closure rails can then be tied electricly to the stock rails, and an insulated throw bar(PC bar gapped in the middle) is used. The flangeways are filled with solder, and a tool, similar to the flangeway depth guage part of the NMRA standards guage, can be used to match flanges to flangeways by scraping out excess solder to a consistent depth.
Good luck on the new layout!

[DavidH]

I actually built a few of these based on that 1981 article in the mid-eighties. I built them with code 55 rail. In operation, they are absolutely superb - incredibly smooth with no gap at the frog to stall on. HOWEVER . . . construction of the pivoting assembly is very demanding and unforgiving and determining and fixing the correct pivot point is critical. I found them just too hard to build and gave up, but if you don't mind this type of work, give them a shot, because they will deliver what you're looking for in operation.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the first-hand info, David. It seems that Tru-Scale still offers the kits (in #4, #6 and #8); unfortunately, I've spent the past week trying to get someone there to answer an e-mail or the phone to no avail, so I can't find out what code rail they offer for these kits (for reliability's sake, I'm shooting for code 83), or if they offer nickel-silver as an option.

[DavidH]

I should have clarified that I was building these things in "N". I think they'd be easier to build in a larger scale. The smaller you get, the closer the tolerances are . . .

[ACLMark]

I have scratch-built several turnouts in HO using the Model Railroader article (frog numbers 7 and above) and contrary to the article's recommendation, I used code 100 flex track (NS) and the results have been wonderful. The turnouts were fun to build and they perform flawlessly....I recommend using Caboose Industry ground throws (non-sprung) to control the turnouts. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Finally managed to get through to the folks at Tru-Scale yesterday. They still make "Hi-Speed" turnouts, in nickel-silver Code 100. They are willing, though, to go down to Code 83 on request...and I think that's the route I'll take. Fortunately, my trackplan doesn't call for anything other than standard #8, #6 and a very few #4 turnouts...with the exception of one in-curve turnout, which I may have to scratch-build.