I’d like to know if it’s still a challenge to find Walthers/Shinohara turn outs on the local hobby store shelves
or on line? Has the delay/back order situation gone away yet? If not are there promises from Walthers on when this will be remedied? Thanks
im not sure what you’re looking for, but theres a pair of Code 70 Shinohara curved #6 LH turnouts on eBay right now for only $10. I know those are out of stock at Walthers. As well as the #8’s, bc the same person has a #8 for $7. Thats the cheapest I’ve found.
Thanks Greg. I don’t have a track plan settled upon yet. I just want to know if Shinohara/Walthers are going to be easy to find through dealers once I do. (Late summer). I may do a bulk purchase then and want to know if I should stick with easy to always find Code 83 Atlas or if (say by this summer) Walthers switches will be readily available.
I will more likely be buying as I go and if Walthers/Shinoharas aren’t goiing to be dependably and quickly available I’ll stick with Atlas. I’m a newbie all over again at least with flex track vs. snap so I’ll likely need to
buy as I go, one layout stage at a time.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?manu=669&split=30&start=0
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?manu=948&split=30
Looks like there’s still a bad shortage form the looks of the Walthers site. Looks like they’re expecting some HO code 83 in around May-July.
Walthers is usually out of stock, but it gets new shipments several times a year. So, you can make a backorder and get the switches in several weeks or months, or search elsewhere like Caboose Hobbies and the chance other retailers have them in stock and ebay on the chance you’ll get them sooner.
Mark
So, it sounds like SNAFU all over again. This situation seems like it can only hurt Walther’s business in the long AND short run. Lots of us buy as we go (especially those who use the Koester “design elements” method of layout building as we finish one element and decide on the next. The fear that these switches can’t or won’t be found as we need them discourages their selection/use. If the situation doesn’t change on some kind of more permanent basis, by late summer or in the Fall,
I think I’ll stick with Atlas. I have confidence in the Atlas stuff but the looks do suffer a bit.
By the way, a friend has used one of the more abrasive track cleaners on his Atlas custom line switches to remove the black coating on the frogs and surrounding rail pieces. They look much closer to the look of Shinoharas. I wonder why Atlas doesn’t simply use nickel silver coating/plating.
Any idea if removing that black coating (anodizing?) will be a bad idea in the long run? (Corrosion, etc.?)
I stripped mine a couple years ago and don’t have any corrosion problems.
I’m guessing it would be too expensive to make the frogs out of solid NS. Plating them would probably wear of with time. Atlas rail is solid NS, not plated.
Capt.Grimek:
Just a thought, but you might try Bruce’s Train Shop here in Sacramento www.brucestrainshop.com . He usually has a pretty good supply of the Walthers Sinohara Code 83 turnouts.
Tom
Still waiting on our Code 83 7.5’s. Been waiting for a few weeks. LHS says Walthers notified them of impending deliveries. They just got a supply (limited) of No. 7’s two days ago.
OK, I finally gave in today. I’ve decided to go with Shinohara/Walthers turn outs after all.
The looks won me over. I like Atlas as a company and use their flex track, etc. but after operating on all of these nice layouts at other guy’s houses lately, I knew the less realistic frog on the Atlases would bug me all the time.
Guess I’m going to have to play the “locate the next batch I’ll need” game along with everyone else.
Thanks for the tips and links to finding these, Greg, Mark, TWhite and Loathar.
OK, I finally gave in today. I’ve decided to go with Shinohara/Walthers turn outs after all.
The looks won me over. I like Atlas as a company and use their flex track, etc. but after operating on all of these nice layouts at other guy’s houses lately, I knew the less realistic frog on the Atlases would bug me all the time.
Guess I’m going to have to play the “locate the next batch I’ll need” game along with everyone else.
Thanks for the tips and links to finding these, Greg, Mark, TWhite and Loathar and 4merroad.
Capt.,
My LHS has at least 50 of these in stock right now. Email me if you want his contact information.
Don Z.
Agreed. The frogs do bug me too. But on my budget(or lack of) I have to live with it.[sigh]
When I purchased all of my Walthers/Shinohara code 83 track it took eight (8) seperate sources to do it and a “want it now” listing on Ebay. It was a pain, but I got everything I needed. So to answer your question, yep, still hard to find, and IMO always will be.
Captain,
How many turnouts are we talking about here? I am curious when people bring up the availablitity issue. I am building a large double deck layout and have installed about 60 turnouts so far. These are mostly ME along with Walthers/Shinohara and some other oddball stuff. Since I started this layout, I have not been held up waiting for turnouts. I was even able to find Walthers curved turnouts a few years ago when everyone on this list and others said there weren’t any to be had. I made phone calls, bought on E bay and got some from train buddies. Walthers/Shinohara has been making this product for many years and if you are OK with older (non DCC freindly from the factory) turnouts, I’m guessing there are hundreds (if not thousands) of turnouts gathering dust on dealer’s shelves and on E Bay etc.
You haven’t decided on a track plan yet. It is rare to come up with a track plan one day and be ready to lay track the next. I would think that by the time you get to laying track, you can amass quite a pile of Walther’s/Shinohara if you look around a bit.
I started buying turnouts when I knew what brand I was going with and the dimensions I needed. I havre a turnout box. It currently has around 20 turnouts in it (at this point, mostly odds that I won’t use). The box has never held more than about 40 turnouts even at the peak of construction. Start a turnout box when you get the plan going,. You can sell or trade what you don’t use and I think you will find it to be a handy resource. Most of the turnouts in my box are high quality CV, ME, SHinohara, BK, RE etc and I rarely paid more than $10.00 per turnout, many were purchased for much less throug careful shopping…I made sport of it on Ebay and bought one of nearly everything out there just to see what they were and how I liked them. Over the top??? Sure, but hey
Loathar, I hear ya brother, on the cost factor! That was why I initially decide to keep things reasonably cost effective and I’ve always been happy with Atlas’ stuff. Now that I’m part of a round robin operations group and see the more realistic turn outs all the time and hope to have at least a couple of these guys
(and gals) over to operate on mine, one day, I just started feeling like I’d rather save costs elsewhere via
some scratch building sturctures or trees, etc. None of these guys are rivet counters, but I have to admit
feeling a certain level of prototypical look to the switches is kind of a “given” with these guys and surprisingly, me too. Who woulda thunk it? So now that I’ve finally made that decision, the finding them when/as I need them game begins.
Guy, I appreciate the sense of what you’re doing and the handiness of your switch box. My problem
is that this will be a lst serious layout for me and I have no idea (yet) of what I’ll ultimately need/use
down the road. I’m starting to lean toward design element, build and plan as I go rather than follow a published track plan, at least aside from it’s inspiration. My wife will look dimly upon my overspending
on something I won’t actually need or use (beyond a certain point) even at $10 a switch. Perhaps after I
gain some experience at looking over a space and “knowing” what will fit there, I’ll follow your lead.
I have other very expensive hobby interests (scuba diving) so I have to tow the line somewhat according to
the House Minister of Finance and well…she’s right. I do see the sense of buy a few ahead of time as you suggest and have started as of yesterday doing that. I’ll use my current minimal supply of one of everything to use as templates and then I’ll buy what is needed en mass.
Don,PM coming, thanks.
Capt. G.
i dont need them, but theres a pair of Shinohara Code 70 curved #6 turnouts on ebay going for only $12 right now. When I bought 3 of them like 4 months ago, I paid over $100!!! damn. talk about wishing I had waited, lol.
Capt., you can set-up Ebay to alert you everytime a new Walthers/Shinohara track item is added to the auctions. I do.
I prefer to control my own destiny. That’s why I went with Fast Tracks. I’m basically impatient and want what I want right now because inevitably if I wait I end up not being able to get it. Did it cost more to go Fast Tracks, sure it did. Was it worth it? Every penny. Ask yourself how much is it going to cost you in time and effort to locate those walther’s/shinohara turnouts? How much frustration will it be if you get sniped or outbid on ebay? How frustrating is it going to be to call every hobbyshop under the sun and wait weeks for an order to be shipped? If you can live with that then go for the walther’s turnouts. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying the shinohara’s are shoddy or pooly made. They are damn fine turnouts. They are just so bloody hard to come by for the average model RR’er.
-G- (in no way affiliated with FT, just a satisfied customer)
Sorry to interupt, but what’s so speical about these switches?
[D)]