Anoyone know of curved turnouts that have an 18" diverging radius? Previously I’ve butchered an Atlas #4 to build one but if I can get something ready made that would be better.
The smaller Peco curved turnouts are about 17 3/4 and 20-something, as I recall. Mine are Code 100. They work great, but the rail profiles don’t match up with Code 100 Atlas flex track. This is OK, but you have to be careful with the track work. Rail joiners alone will not give you a good joint, and if you’ve got curved flex approaching the turnout, there will be sideways forces you’ll have to be extra watchful of when laying track.
Once you’ve got them installed, though, they’ll be fine.
Oh, and if you use the Peco switch machines, you will need a capacitive discharge circuit to drive them. Use the same circuit for the rest of your twin-coil machines, too. It’s a good investment.
The smallest Walters/Shinohara curved turnout (#6 or #6.5 depending on source) has consistently been measured to have an inner radius of around 18" - 20". I know the manufacturer claims bigger - but I believe the guys who have made the measurements. The W/S spec for the outer path radius appears to be correct, but the inner path measures smaller than stated.
Fred W
OK thanks guys.
There is always the Atlas curved turnout of 22"x18" manufactured in the 1970s until about 1983. One can still pick them up at swap meets and ebay from time to time. I always buy all that I find. Model Power produced one up to the turn of the century but I have only ever seen straight brass, not nickel-silver, so I don’t know if they made them or not.
will build you whatever you want in curved turnouts…
I am going to have him do an 18" radius for me and a yard ladder… all in On30 code 100…
Michael Hewitt
Hampstead, NC
You might want to be careful with the smallest Walthers. According to previous postings, the inner radius, which Walthers claims is 20", has been measured as tight as 16.5". That may be great as far as fitting it into a tight space, but your equipment may not be happy running on that radius. Just a word of caution.
- Gerhard