Our club has elected to build the new HO layout using code 100; we would go with 83, but have several members with older European trains. We plan a double main which can be made recirculating with a double crossover.
We are looking at using the Shinohara long version (#6 frogs), and would like to ask anyone familiar with it if it works OK with most any engine, especially older engines with relatively few pickups. Are there derailment problems?
We could build up a double crossover, but it would occupy a lot more real estate.
The 2006 HO scale Walthers catalog doesn’t give the dimensions of their double crossover, which is made for them by Shinohara, and theirs is code 83 rail.
From my experience with an older Shinohara code 100 turnout, they do accommodate the deep wheel flanges.
You might also want to take a look at Peco code 100 products and see if they make a pre-fab double crossover. Making your own using four turnouts and a Peco 24 degree crossover would be just as simple, and Peco products also accept deep wheel flanges.
I constructed 2 double cross-overs on my layout, between the 2 main tracks at either end of the main passenger station (i.e. at the start of the station “throat”).
Both are out of Atlas code 100 components (#6 turn-outs, with motors and a 24deg. diamond) and they have given 8 plus years of flawless service.
You can trim the components to reduce the amount of separation (between tracks) – but you will never acheive the scale appearance of the Shinohara product.
On the other hand, you will not experience the stalling issues with Atlas, which seem to be inherent with both Peco and Shinohara (whose stock rails depend on contact between the “points” and the running rails – instead of [obtaining power] at the rotation hinges)
iNFORMATION I have indicates a 19o crossing for Atlas #6’s, AND 25o for #4’s. The key here is the resultant SPACING between tracks.
The SHINOHARA I believe is 2.25" like their Single Crossovers. 2.25" seems some what universal for parallel mains. TRU-SCALE used to make expensive crossovers on milled wood, and they were 2.25" center/center.
Shinohara (and ALL ‘power routing’) recommendations are for separate SPDT electrical feeds to the frogs - bypassing the points and metal/metal contact for power. Atlas, and other’DCC Friendly’ products, supply power to all connecting tracks, resulting in insulated joiners, if one is NOT running DCC.
TO MY KNOWLEGE only Rivarossi Engines and rolling stack had THOSE ‘cookie cutter’ flanges after 1950. It was a holdover from British OO gauge - a precurser to HO.
I have two code 100 shinohara #6’s. They work fine with mid sized steam engines. (3 and 4 drive axles / pickups). I use powered frogs to accomodate short switchers and older engines. You might do the same. Hopefully someone else has experience with larger engines.
If you get the “DCC Friendly” Walthers/Shinohara double crossover it is “all live” like Atlas and you won’t have the associated problems with the points conducting the rail power.
I just replaced my “Power routing” double crossover with the all live variety and even the shortest 0-4-0 will run through with no problems. Of course the frogs are insulated and therefore, “dead”
I have the Walthers/Shinora “DCC friendly” double slip switches and 3 way switches and have no problems with any modern era 4 or 6 axel diesel. I use all Atlas and Walthers/Shinora DCC friendly turnouts and have no power routing or other fancy wiring on any turnouts.