I’m looking at using the Peco code 83 Streamline Insulfrog turnouts with my Atlas code 83 track and Digitrax Zephyr. I plan on powering them with a twin coil machine. From what I’ve read so far they have #4 and #6 with #8 coming out some time this year. Does anyone use the code 83 Streamline insulfrogs and if so how are they? Another more important question is which turnout should I use to go along with my 22" radius curves, 4, 6, or 8 (when it comes out)? I only have a Bachmann 4-8-2 heavy mountain at this time.
If you have the space available for broad curves, I’d go with the #8. Remember one thing. It is always easier to have small equipment accept a #8 than it is for large equipment to accept a #4.
I just bought a peco code 83 #6 to just try it out. They currently have a code 83 #5 and #6 with the #8 supposedly coming out this summer (according to walthers web site).
22" radius curves are probably a good match for the #5 or #6 that are currently out. #5 comes closest to matching 22" radius. It’s actually a little broader than that.
22" is a little sharp for heavy steam. Most new stuff will run fine on it but they really don’t look that great. But, if you want heavy steam and 22" is the biggest you can swing, then go for it.
With 22" mainline curves the only place that would seem to justify a #8 would be a cross over. A #5 crossover might be pushing it with a 8 couple steamer.
I bought an electro frog code 83. I have one other peco, a code 100 insulfrog. I 100% recommend AGAINST the code 100 insulfrog. A PR25 metal wheel will often short on the point side of the frog. You end up having to gap the frog for reliable operation so you loose the advantage of the isulfrog which is a very short insulated section of frog.
The cod e83’s are supposed to have this fixed but I looked at one and it didn’t seem much different. Plus the insulfrogs have a plastic point where the electrofrogs have a metal point. I like that.
I’m impressed so far with the code 83 although I haven’t actually run it. It is the best turnout for being in gauge I have seen. It seems to be high quality. The gaps for converting it to a “DCC friendly” switch are pre cut with little bond wires they only need to be removed. The plastic ties are set up for soldering the stock to closure bonds that you would want to do for a “DCC friendly” conversion so it’s easy.
The only thing I’m not so happy with is the points. They are stamped sheet metal, like other HO pecos and atlas (other than the new atlas #8).
They seem to work fine but in my opinion they don’t look that great and kind of ruin what I’d say is otherwise the nicest pre fab swi
Check the Walthers catalog. I don’t know about code 83 but the code 5 medium radius is 36". A nice thing about it is that it’s 36" through the switch. You could hook a string of them together and have an even 36" curve w/ a string of tangents pinwheeling off.
An objection I have w/ US style switches is they have a couple of short straight section on the diverging side which gives you a rough equivilent of 42" w/ a #6 but it’s not a continuous curve.
Peco twin-coil switch machines need a Capacitive Discharge circuit to work reliably. The spring that holds the points against the rails needs a strong twin-coil machine. The Peco machine is very well matched to the turnout.
I like the prices at www.modelrailwaypo.com on Peco stuff. You have to order by phone, but you’ll talk to a real person right away, he’ll tell you what’s in stock, and he ships right away. They advertise in RMC.
Even though this thread is on PECO turnouts, I’m going to bring up a question that’s been touched on other threads before. I thought I probably would like to to Walther’s code 83: for one thing, they already have made #8 TO’s, and their #6 double crossover would have been perfect for the double oval that I plan on my layout.
My question is, is Walthers (Shinohara) ever going to produce turnouts again? Seems like other threads have indicated they’ve been back-ordered/out of production for a long time.
To find out, I thought I’d go to the horse’s mouth, so I e-mailed the Walthers web site about 3 months ago; they said they’d e-mail me a response within two working days–I’ve heard nothing from them!!
If you go to the walthers web site there is a pretty good on line catalog. Last time I checked (a few days ago) regular #6’s were about the only code 83 walthers turnout in stock. They do have dates on most of the others and I believe it’s June 06 so it shouldn’t be too long. 6’s have only been in stock a month or two so I expect them to run out shortly. It seems that there are 1 or 2 shipments to walthers a year and they run out of stock in a 1 - 3 months.
You can almost always get 1 or 2 from someone but finding them in quantity or at a discounted price is tough after they are out of stock at walthers.
So I gather from your comment, that when I’m ready to order my TO’s, in order to get the quantity I’ll need (about 13 for my track plan) if I want the Walthers 83 TO’s, to reliably get that number I’d probably have to pre-order them from Walther’s directly at their list price? In other words, on-line shops like Tony’s, Trainworld, etc. don’t get them or don’t get them in enough quantities?
The thing that you object to regarding US style switches is not quite fair. Have you looked at “real” turnouts lately? The 12" to the foot breed. I would have a little wager with you that you will find they resemble the US type that you don’t like with the rails going straight after the frog. Since 12" = 1’ turnouts have been around for a long time, I would guess that modellers copied the geometry from the “real” turnouts, and it was not a case of the railroads learning from us modellers.
The Peco Code 100 turnouts have the curved branch, and I think their Code 75 might also have that. Peco developed the Code 83 for the North American market, and so they took the lead of US model manufacturers. I don’t mind if it was developed for North America, I am going to use it anyway. It looks closer to the Australian prototype track style than anything else on the market.
To be honest I discovered this straight branch rail characteristic only fairly recently when I was trying to work out what radius the numbered turnouts equated to. Then I found out they really do not have a radius. The frogs have an angle, but the turnouts do not have a radius as far as I can see. More like they are equivalent to a curve of a certain radius.
I think that came from a MR article. Someone will know the URL to find a legible copy.
Turnouts usually have 2 radii. The one limiting rolling stock is the small curve between the points and the frog. This can vary even with frogs of the same number.
The other radius is the replacement radius. This is the radius you’d get if you made a curve of the same switch, or it’s the radius that you could drop the switch in directly. This is usually a huge number compared to the other one, due to all the straight bits in the turnout.
Instead of reading our ramblings, have a look at the best advice you can get: NMRA Standards and Recommended Practices. This URL will take you straight to HO turnout dimensions: http://www.nmra.com/standards/rp12_3.html
Once you get there have a poke around by going up one level and so on. It is full of good stuff.
Regarding the 22" curves. If that is all you can fit in then go with it. A suggestion though, don’t go from a straight track straight into a 22" radius circle. Make a lead in of greater radius.[:p]
While you are poking around the NMRA site have a look at RP-11 Curvature and Rolling Stock. The guys who wrote those know more than we do.[;)]
According to reviews I have read the Peco Code 83 turnouts comply.[tup]
jim
as far as the walthers shinohara) switches i have ordered and recieved about 20 in the last to months. the only one i really had to waite on was a curved switche. myself i used a lot o#5 the #6 were just to long for my space requirements
