Code 83 track

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Our club has code 100 trackage but we are thinking of “shimming in” a code 83 Walther’s double x-over and we would like some advice/counsel from the community out there. One question is will older engines with bigger flanges (like Bowser and in particular Rivarossi) bottom out on code 83 trackage? Many of us have older “stuff” with those bigger flanges (and Rivarossi in particular) and we don’t want those engines hippity hopping across the code 83 double. We currently have two older Shinohara C100 #6 double crossovers running with modest success but not engines make it through with “stop and gos” or just plain “stops”. And the C100s are not “DCC friendly” due to the double metal crossbars on the point rails. The Walther’s C83 double is an electrofrog on the turnouts and insulfrog on the diamond crossing frogs. The Shinoharas are insulfrog on both the turnout frogs and the diamond frogs.

Any advice/counsel is appreciated.

George T. Galyon

Olde Newburgh Model RR Club

2

The Walthers Shinohara Code 83 #6 double crossover is not an electrofrog item. It is a series of dead frogs.

In my experience, the WS Code 83 double crossover is delicate and finicky, especially the point rails.

I posted a thread about it on the MR forum.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/226314.aspx

The older deep flanged locos are not likely to take well to Code 83 rail.

If you can make the Code 100 double crossover work well, stick with it.

Shimming the Code 83 double crossover will only add to your woes.

Rich