I am starting my second layout and on the first I used all Peco switches with manual throws. I want to use Tortoise (or similar) switch motors this time around. I used Peco last time because I liked their compact design. I will use #6 switches all around and wondered if anyone has opinions on the other brands, I have never used any other brands. Thank you in advance.
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My favorite brand is Micro-Engineering, which, in my opinion, has slightly better and more detailed track. Very good rail cross-section. It has both code 70 and code 83. Switch sizes are #6 and #5. Excellent frog design, fully insulated, but you can easily power the frog with contacts on a Tortoise.
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I tend to go with turnouts from the same manufacturer I’m using flextrack from - that said, I’ll mix and match most any manufacturer’s turnouts or trackwork component into a layout when I need something specific, such as a curved turnout or a specific type of diverging route that the track maker doesn’t make. I often use Peco track and turnout for mainline work, but will use Micro-Engineering track for spurs or branch lines, as you can “distress” it easily to get that less-maintained look. Walthers makes a good selection of curved turnouts as well, and I’ll use those interchangeably with the rest of my track as needed.
Once you paint the track and ballast it, it all works together nicely.
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I prefer Peco turnouts because they are very reliable and they don’t require a turnout switch/motor if you don’t want one. I had 4 or 5 Microengineering code 70 turnouts on the previous layout and I found them to be rather unreliable as far as points breaking off. I had over 100 Peco turnouts and no issues.
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Peco 83 are bullet proof. They seldom seem to be out of stock anywhere when you order them and they seem to last forever I wouldn’t change
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As part of a large club with approximately 1800ft of mainline our standard is Peco switches, Atlas track. Extremely reliable.
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Thank you so much for all the responses, they are super helpful. I have a number of other questions on other aspects of a layout and will post more soon, Thank you again, these forums have been super helpful over the years.
My layout has a mix of the different brands accumulated over the years, and all the current ones work very well but tend to be on the fragil side. I do use the “old-stand-by” Atlas turnouts for situations where maintenence or replacement will be difficult, because they are pretty much bullet-proof. These have the ugly pot metal frog (painted black which wears off) and which either-way does not match the rail color.
I’ve found that to power the frog, the easist way is to use a hobby knife to slightly ream out the hole in the tab at the frog, stuff the end of stranded wire into the hole from the bottom with then fill the hole from the top with a small glob of solder. I’ve heard that the intention was to tap the hole and use a small screw to secure the wire, but I’ve never seen an instruction for that.
Jim
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I’m going with PECO. I could hand lay, but I decided time is not on my side so PECO it is. This way I can get a mainline up and running quickly. I can always hand lay additional switches later as I build yards, sidings, etc. I’ve already laid some track using Peco c83.
Has anyone used the Rapido Rail Crew switch machines with Peco turnouts?
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You can still use your peco turnouts. snap the cover off the little box with a screwdriver and take the spring out. put the cover back on.
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OK, but the cover is now on the underside on newer ones, so there is the need to decide if it will be manual or not before installation.
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