I’m a novice, looking for advice on the best way to join ME (or Atlas) code 55 flextrack to Peco code 55 turnouts. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Sell the Peco turnout. It’s not real Code 55, it’s Code 80 track cross-dressing as Code 55 track. In fact no one should buy Peco “Code 55” track. They should be shown a lesson not to lie to their customers.
It doesn’t connect with real code 55 track (i.e. Atlas, Micro Engineering), so don’t pull your hair out trying to make it work.
Metro Red line is right that Peco code 55 is actually code 80 that is sunk into the ties a little more. It is very easy to connect the track together though. Just connect a code 55 joiner to the code 55 track and then smash one end of the joiner with a needle nose pliers. Then lay the Peco turnout on top of the smashed end and solder the joint. You can also use these code 55 to code 80 rail joiners.
I don’t recommend just giving up and selling the turnout. Peco turnouts are very solid and well made. I don’t think they are lying to their customers because the rail does protrude .055" above the ties, which makes it code 55 track. Peco turnouts are designed to be used with Peco track, but you can make it work with other brands.
Peco N scale turnouts, as well as the rest of their track, has Euro-style tie spacing. So even without the faux-Code 55 rail, this is another strike against them.
They do, however make track with North American tie spacing…but only in HO.
Peco needs to be told, “Nice try, now try again.”
I’ve heard of a lot of people (myself included) who use Peco track on their N scale layouts and don’t worry about the tie spacing.
You’re not building an arcatecchuial model or a museum display![:)][swg]
True, but there are better options out there!
Both Metro Red Line and CSXFan have hit the nail on the head; get rid of the switch a la Metro and make it work a la CSX.
Which reminds me of the old joke of the moderator listening to contrasting arguments on an issue. When the first guy had made his case the moderator pointed his finger at him and said “You’re right!” Then he heard the second guy and pointed his finger and said “You’re right!” At this point a bystander protested that they both could not be right and the moderator pointed his finger at him and said “You’re right!!”
I tend to agree with Metro; it can be done as CSX outlines but it is royal pain in the gluteus maximus and Peco should be advised to stop being lazy and develope a true code 55 track/switch system.
Many thanks CSXFan – and to all you other guys, as well. The info’s a great help. Will report back after I try some of the suggestions. I chose the Peco turnouts, by the way, because I needed a couple curved turnouts, and they were the only option, short of building my own – which may eventually happen, but all in good time. I’ll see how these look after weathering.
I bought 16 used pecos for $4 each, but they’re hiddeous though! i won’t be using them after all except maybe staging. they are solid though. if some one could make one with some robustness with the looks of an ME, they’d sell a million!
Peco’s market is the United Kingdom and Europe. The did come out with US track in HO but the potential N scale market may for US prototype may not be large enough to justify the costs.
I started in N scale in 1968 and stated using Peco80 turnouts around 1980. They were much better than anything else available at that time (in my opinion a position they held until quite recently). More recently I have used a mix of Peco80 and Peco55 to distinguish between main lines and lighter secondary lines. While most of my cars have small flanges, I still have locos with Pizza cutter wheels that I like to run.
Peco track works very well. No brand is perfect. Peco is more robust and easier to use than real code 55. The turnout sizes (small, medium, and large) are approximately equivilant to #4, #6 and #8. They were chosen as NTRAK “standard” years ago because of their reliability compared to other brands and kept as standard because of the quantity of equipment with deep. ME55 offers only #6, Atlas55 #6 and #7 and have annouced #10 (good for them). On the prototype most turnouts actually are much larger (#20 is small)
Model Railroading requires compromise. Many of us find the Peco fits our needs.