Do any of you have a preference toward any brand of HOn3 track & switches? I see that Peco has track & switches, but their switches seem a bit pricey. Are they worth the extra money or are Shinohara etc. just as good? Really doesn’t seem to be any bargains on track because of the high shipping charges. Thanks
Jerry,
Longtime user of Shinohara turnouts and ME track with an extensive layout.
There’s not really much to account for the price difference in track, except for the fact that Peco’s tooling is all recent and thus they have a higher cost structure. I don’t have any hands on experience with Peco, but am told it has a T-section that is generally compatible with most other HOn3 track. When buying track, buy as large a quantity as you anticipate using and ship all at once to minimize extra charges. Keep in mind it’s only slightly too long, so shouldn’t be real expensive to ship unless the vendor is milking it for extra S&H charges.
I prefer ME because it’s available weathered and it holds its form once you shape it. The only problem right now is availability of code 70 track. ME’s tooling for it is down and and it’s very hard to find any remaining in stock. I had to go through the HOn3 grapevine network to locate two bundles myself last week and there is likely very little available in stock anywhere.
Some folks use code 55 track, but there aren’t any RTR turnouts available in code 55. ME still is producing code 55 track but you’d have to have code transitions at every turnout if using RTR turnouts, because they are all code 70. I use code 55 on some spurs and sidings, though. The difference is really only recognizable once you have things painted, weathered, and ballasted in close-up pics. Code 70 holds up a little better to cleaning and the normal wear-and-tear of operating.
Shinohara turnouts are less than perfect, but work well. The main issue you may run into is with dual-gauge turnouts, where the clearances through the frogs are such that you get a little bump going through the HOn3 side. There’s simply a visual effect, they run through just fine. I’ve stuck to them because they were the only commercially available RTR turnouts 20-some years ago when I started my layout and I have quite a bit of dual-gauge. With them also
Mike said it all…and well. I use Shinohara code 70 switches on what bit of layout I have operational and code 70 ME HOn3 flex track every where else. Like Mike, I find Shinohara switches are just OK, ME flex track is fabulous. I now have a full Fast Tracks #6 turnout construction setup and will soon be crafting and replacing the Shinohara’s with my own. This is not because the Shinoharas are bad in any way, but the hand mades are just perfect. In keeping with Mike’s advise, buy a ton of flex track and save much money on postage in multiple repeat orders.
I think, or have heard that the ME code 70 is hard to get just now due to damaged manufacturing dies.
Try not to mix code 55 and code70. It is an uphill headache you don’t want to have to deal with. If I were handlaying and spiking 100% of my track, (fat chance), I would go code 55.
Richard
I’m afraid I’m rather old school on this subject.
HOn3 switches are just like standard-gauge switches (except that they have higer frog numbers for the same included/substitution radii.) Where the adventure starts is with dual-gauge specialwork. John Armstrong rang the changes on that theme with the layout he designed (Hardscrabble and Golconda) and described in the article, To Hardscrabble, The Hard Way. While there are a few bits of dual-gauge specialwork available, the only way to get the full spectrum of switches, crossings and other odd ends (transition from three to four rail, etc) is to hand-lay them. If you wait for them to be available from Walthers or Peco you will still have holes in your trackwork when your grey beard is long enough to trip you.
That’s the best feature of learning to hand-lay specialwork. That one critical item will NEVER be out of stock.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - 1:80 scale, multiple track gauges)
Chuck,
Yeah, if you want extensive dual-gauge track with all the goodies, then learn to hand-lay.
But good design and careful hacking will go a long way for most who desire enough dual-gauge to give them a taste of it with RTR track. I have a yard (Durango) and a piece of my SG main set up to work through to the next town (Hesperus) as dual gauge. That provides access to a coal mine and ag products that folks use along the narrow gauge. I didn’t bother with trying to do a dual-gauge turntable or loop. They can be done, but the extra draws needed (available from Shinohara) just added too much complication for my taste. So my main engine terminal is 3’ only. That’s usually the biggest complication with most dual-gauge plans and once the decision is made of what to do about it, everything else tends to fall into place.
I hacked a number of dual-gauge Shinohara’s to provide HOn3 only and SG only turnouts. What’s left with careful trimming simply looks like a reduction in dual-gauge track, something fairly common because of the extra maintenance expense of dual gauge track in 1:1. They didn’t go places with it they didn’t need to and neither should the modeler, as this adds what I regard as useful complexity.
One thing I learned will result in an added SG only yard track. While NG ops in Durango are quite busy, it’s not nearly so much the case for SG. I’ve ended up needing most of the dual-gauge track to support NG ops, so have been needing a SG only track to store SG loads and MTs out of the way before they’re shuttled to industries by the yard crew. If it’s SG only, those sneaky night yard crews won’t be able to fill it up with NG cars.[;)]
Also, when designing, carefully consider which side the common rail will be on. The preference is to unload cars from that side, but either will work. Same thing at passenger stations, as you don’t want passengers alighting from NG cars, only to trip on that dang SG rail![:O]
Finally,
For a very brief and fleeting moment, I considered dual gauge trackage, but I woke up and realized I was modeling back woods NG and had little need for the mixed track. That stuff can get very nightmarish in complex yard setups. There is no classic yard on my road and no standard to narrow gauge interchange.
Yes, hand laying is the way to go in many oddball narrow gauge and mixed gauge trackwork situations. A bit of pre-planning makes all that easy to avoid.
If I ever handlayed, it would be for absolute scale look in a photogenic zone only. Maybe in a diorama or even a module if I were to ever swing that way. I envy those who can spend the seemingly endless hours and back strain spiking rail on carefully placed real wood ties.
Richard