| 595 | HO Code 83 Customline® CurvedTurnout - Left |
$24.95 |
|---|---|---|
| 596 | HO Code 83 Customline® Curved Turnout - Right | $24.95 |
I wonder what the radii are.
Don:
I’m sorry for your pain, but if you want real agony try putting those prices into Canadian dollars!![:'(]
Its a funny thing. Somehow the people who write my wife’s paycheques don’t seem to want to pay us in American dollars. Wonder why?[sigh]
[swg]Dave
Per Atlas, they are 30" and 22" http://www.atlasrr.com/Trackmisc/hocode83curvedturnout.htm . That sounds like a big disparity compared to Walthers/Shinohara curved turnouts.
Disparity in price or curvature? Cheaper than other curved turnouts on the market, but yeah, 30/22 sounds like a set track compromise.
It’s not going to hurt me because the sharp inner 22-inch inner radius is a deal breaker for me.
I prefer curved turnouts which can be used without compromising my minimum radius by much, which is why I use Walthers or Shinohara #8 curved turnouts almost exclusively - they have a nominal 36" outer and 32" inner radius (although some say the inner is tighter than that).
Even if I needed a sharper radius curve for say a yard or something, I would go to Peco first - because they offer radii larger than 22-inches on the inner curve. Yeah, 22 inches is a train set track compromise.
Don, can you clarify what you mean by “hurt”?
What’s gonna hurt?
Rich
Good question… Those switches will be cheaper at street price then LHS price.
Jim,Must be nice to have space for Godzilla size switches and curves–but,seeing how long you waited for a layout-- good on ya!
I can only guess but my take is “hurt” is on his wallet since maybe the OP likes these new curved turnouts. Based on another Atlas turnout MBK has for MRSP $24.95 the discount is $14.99. These new code 83 curved turnouts could easily sell for $16 or so - which is very inexpensive.
I need a curved turnout for my yard but 22" radius is much tighter than I’d like to got with - I’ll probably look at Peco or Walthers. I don’t mind using Atlas code 83 turnouts as they are decent and more economical, but so far it’s mainly the #6 turnouts which I use the most. Atlas’s orientation toward trainset geometry in the curved turnouts well, limits them more to the train set layout genre. If they would make a larger radius curved turnout, I could go for that.
To me and probably many others, Godzilla curves would be in the 4x to 5x range. Considering every modest home layout in MR magazine since the early 1980’s had 30 inch minimum curves, I’ve always considered anything much less than is getting into the sharp range - and thats by todays standards judging by much of what I’m seeing in the model railroading world. Put a 89’ f
You can do much better from buying elsewhere or not use curved turnouts.
Of course most don’t pay MSRP since there are plenty of vendors who offer decent discounts. It appears the original post was just a quote from Atlas’s website announcement - since these curved code 83 turnouts are a new run or offering. And when you consider the street price of them, for curved turnouts the price is quite economical. Sometimes curved turnouts allow you to do things with a layout that are otherwise not possible with ordinary turnouts alone.
I would like to see Kato come out with a ho curved turnout in 19 1/4" 24" curvature.
I’m not holding my breath but I can always hope.
I meant that’s going to cut into the competition with those prices. (In a good way)
Competition is a good thing.
I agree, competition is a good thing, l but it will only cut into the competition in curved turnout categories with the geometry similar to this one since it’s the cheapest available, especially in code 83. OTOH, if you need a curved turnout with radii significantly larger than 22-inches (which is a tight radius), then no, it won’t be competitive.
Curvature. The competetion from Walthers uses a nominal 4" difference between insise and outside radius (e.g. 36"/32", 32"/28"), although they may fudge a bit on the smaller number. Atlas describes an 8" difference. In photos, the Atlas product doesn’t look much different from Walthers, though, and much of the tight radius with the latter is beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog, or remove some webbing between the ties so you can bend the rails, you’re left with a broader minimum radius. The same may be true of Atlas.
I have many Walthers/Shinohara Code 83 curved turnouts of all sizes. I have checked the radii different ways, including the use of the Ribbonrail gauges. Consistently, the tighter radius is 6" less than stated: e.g., the 36/32 is actually 36/30, 32/28 is actually 32/26, etc… The outside radius is stated correctly. The smaller radius is continuous through the points and frog and beyond and not mostly beyond the frog. If you cut the turnout down close to the frog you will be able to broaden the radius only beyond the frog.
Dante
Dante:
I think you have a miss-print in your post.
but your examples suggest that the number should be 2"
Dave
Probably a brainfart in wording but I totally got his point. He was just adding on to what Rob was saying about the Walthers code 83 (made by Shinohara for Walthers) and Walthers code 70 and code 100 curved turnouts - point being that the inner radius was a bit tighter than labeled by the manufactueres. Example, Shinohara labels it’s #8 Curved as 36" outer, and 32" inner radius, but the inner is actually closer to 30" inches, so it’s 6" less than the outer and 2" less than labeled. Thanks.
BTW, I’m ok with that, as I just wanted to keep my minimums as high as possible so long cars and engines would operate as good as possible due to radii where I used curved turnouts.
For a few bucks more at street you can buy a PECO switch whice IMHO is the better switch.