In December of 2018 I first heard of Peco Unifrog turnouts. As near as I
can tell they have released the crossing and -perhaps- two turnouts (one
size and a right and a left). However, I do not seem to find dealers/sources
for them.
Anybody know what’s up with this? Yes, I went to Peco’s website
and couldn’t find anything “promising”. Yet they are still shipping
electrofrog and insulfrog.
I found an old thread from Dec 2018 and the thought was the unifrog was going to replace the insulfrog and the electrofrog eventually. Eventually doesn’t appear to he here yet.
You can find the N scale version at the big online retailers and either a crossing or a double slip in HO but that’s about it.
[#welcome] to the forum
Peco is releasing new UniFrog product as the tooling for insul/electrofrogs wears out. They have announced a couple more products for 2020.
https://dccwiki.com/PECO_Unifrog
Their electro and insulfrog products are still valid options, and are easy to use with DCC as well.
In HO standard gauge track, the only Peco uni-frogs I am aware of that are actually available to date are the code 83 streamline diamond and double slip tracks. The standard and curved code 83 and code 100 track is still being sold as insulfrog and electrofrog.
The new products announced for 2020 are HO Code 70 #6 and #8 turnouts which are apparently going to be availble this spring some time.
If you are waiting for other unifrog turnouts, it’s anyones guess how long it will be; holding your breath may not be a good idea.
There are some who have experienced shorts where wider metal wheel treads cross the metal rails of opposite polarity:
The new Unifrog design looks very similar and appears to have the same potential.
That said, others have reported no issue with the insulfrog at that point so probably you may have no issues like that with the insulfrog or eventually with the unifrog.
At present, products are very limited. Might be later this year they offer more unifrog products, or it may be several more years, as it’s hard to know how long the tooling of the insul/electro-frogs last.
I’m really wanting those Code 70 turnouts. My yard will have to wait. I want to use the Code 70 stuff for sidings and yards, with 83 for the main. SO far all that’s been available for 70 is the flex track.
–Randy
Here is the PDF for the Peco spring announcement:
Oh nice, 83 to 70 transition tracks, too. Now I will be all set - sloped roadbed sections (from Cascade), Code 70 track and turnouts, and a transition piece so I don’t have to try and get two different size rails lined up and held in place while soldering them.
–Randy