Question on the 020X 45° crossing

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I’m using RR-Track to play around with layouts, and I noticed that they have two different 020X pieces listed in their O library: prewar and postwar. Each straight on the prewar piece is 10.25" long, while each straight on the postwar piece is 11.75" long. I am familiar with the longer piece, but I’ve yet to see an example of the shorter piece – even on pieces that are asserted to be prewar.

So… Does this shorter piece actually exist, or is this a mistake in the RR-Track library? If it does exist, what does it look like (other than being shorter [:P]). And where can I get about 3 of them?

Thanks.

2

Probably the easiest or most common answer as to where to get them would have to be ebay.

I don’t know anything about the different lengths, this is the first I’ve heard of it.

3

Trust me, I’ve been giving the Spanish Inquisition to every eBay seller who offers an 020X, be it described as pre-war, post-war, or mid-war. [;)] Every one says the same thing: “11.75”.

I’m starting to think that said short version doesn’t actually exist. The bummer is that my prospective layout uses 3 of the short ones, and the design of the piece is not such that cutting them down is a simple as one might like.

4

I just measured an 027 45 crossing and it measures 10.25, so maybe your program is including both O & 027 crossings.

5

That’s what I was thinking as well, as I also measured an O27 piece. Although I’m specifically using the O (and not the O27) library, and although it makes an unambiguous distinction between pre- and post-war pieces, they may have just messed up on this one.

6

The only differences I’ve been able to find for now is that prewar crossings were painted green while postwar crossings were painted black.

7

FWIW, I’ve got a book here (Lionel: A Collector’s Guide & History Volume 1: Prewar O Gauge by McComas & Tuohy) which says that green was 1930-1933 and black was 1933-1942.

8

oh ok.