I have heard the new Walthers track should hit the shelves in April. Does anyone know if it is the same tooling? I need to buy five or six turnouts and wonder if I should wait for the new stuff or just grab some old stock. I have been really happy with all the ones I have now but the new ones might be even better.
Thoughts.
Walthers has stated they are new.
The computerized renderings on the Walthers site look like they will have cast metal solid frogs.
These surely look a lot different from the Walthers/Shinohara code 83 track system.
-Kevin
That post didn’t age well. I researched it a little more and there is a letter in an old thread that said it is new.
Checking Walthers site just now, the turnouts show “Expected 28-Feb-2020”.
https://www.walthers.com/products/layout/track-and-accessories
The new Walthers code 83 flex track is quite spendy at $49.98 for a package of 5. That’s about $10 each piece MRSP. Ouch. Dunno what street price will be.
Turnouts are priced at $29.98 MRSP.
I would expect the track is all new tooling but I can’t find the actual link or reference atm. The frog does look to be cast, which IMO isn’t as nice as the old frogs made of stock rail.
The manufacturing of the Shinohara track required a lot of expensive manual labor, especially for the point and frog rails.
I imagine one of the requirements for the new line of Walthers track was less labor required. Using the Shinohara tooling would require the Shinohara manufacturing techniques.
-Kevin
In addition to these details, each DCC-friendly Code 83 Turnout features:
Snap action points. Does that mean spring-loaded?
Solid rail points would be an improvement I would think.
What is a current jumper entering and leaving frogs?
I wonder if they are ME trackage? ME utilizes a cast metal frog.
Sounds pretty close to Peco Electrofrogs actually.
On their Code 83 at least, there are jumpers on the underside across gaps between the closure rails and the frog. You can leave them in and use as-is, with the points power routing the frog, or cut them and attach your own means of powering the frog to another wire that’s attached to the frog - switch machine contacts, Frog Juicer, etc.
That flex track better be gold plated for that price. Wow. Who is Walthers trying to kid?
–Randy
Except the Peco electrofrog have solid rail from the frog to the end of the turnout. I think the Walthers are insulated just after the frog.
Yeah, a lot of people have commented on the crazy high price of the flex at about $10 a stick MSRP.
I got three new boxes (30 sticks) I picked up at trains shows for $30.00 a box. I didn’t need more track but I wasn’t passing up that deal.
Walthers old flex or another brand? Ten sticks a box? $3 each stick?
I have some older Walthers code 70 and it’s pretty stiff. I’m planning to try Peco code 83 for visible mainline since it’s supposed to be pretty easy to bend.
In the past I used Atlas code 83 and it’s easy to work with but the rail profile isn’t great and makes it look heavier than it should. It may comply with code 83 in height, but the top of the rail looks too wide, so from above it looks heavier.
Walthers, it was brand new and recent production. The boxes were sealed with the cellophane strips around the track on the inside. I got 240 cows from the same guy for $15.00, do you know how much Woodland scenics charges for five cows?[(-D]
I only use Atlas flex track and Shinohara turnouts. Atlas track is much easier to work with.
I would have passed on the Walthers flex track.
-Kevin
My whole layout is Walthers track and Shinohara TOs I think I have used 13 boxes and have the three on standby for expansion.[(-D]
If you have used that much of the Walther/Shinohara track I am sure you have developed skills and techniques to work with it in a manner that suits your needs.
I will stick with the Atlas flex track that I am more comfortable with. [(-D]
-Kevin
I am comfortable using both. There is a bit of a learning curve with the Walthers and in the end, it doesn’t matter to me what one I’d use. I got my first three boxes cheap when a train store went out of business so I just kept on with the same brand and shopped the sales. It was easy to get 20% off so that lessened the price blow somewhat.
There is still a decent selection of old Walthers TOs at two of the train shops I visit so I am not sure I should wait for the new stuff or not, I wonder if the rail profile will match up.
On the Walthers site is says March 2020 for the flex track - are you SURE it’s their own self produced stuff and not just some NOS of their previous made by Shinohara stuff?
–Randy
6 pieces in a box, not 5. But the real giveway is the 39" length - 1 meter - that’s the Shinohara track.
–Randy
Shinohara used to make Walthers track so maybe both of you are right.