Turnout Question

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Most of my layout is code 100 flextrack with Atlas code 100 #6 turnouts. I am not real happy with these turnouts. I have frequent derailments even though I don’t have any big steam locomotives, mostly 4 axle diesels.

Two questions:

  1. Has anyone else had trouble with these turnouts?
  2. Who makes the best turnouts?
2

Not sure about who makes the best, but plain-jane Atlas code 100 turnouts are pretty close to being the worst. I’ve heard good things about Shinohara and am fond of Peco myself. I got sick of trying to use Atlas #4’s for anything, but the much sharper Peco “Setrack” short-radius #3 turnouts work swimmingly for my 4-axle equipment.

3

PECO is my favorite also. they have a little spring in them that is between the rails that allows you to manually change the points and it is very good about holding them against the stock rail. I have had very little difficulty with any of them

4

Hi Don,

I have at least 50 Atlas #6 turnouts in service on my layout – the vast majority are not easily accessible – and I have zero problems with them.
However it is important to ensure a few things;

  1. Check gauge, guide rails, flangeways etc. with your NMRA template and adjust/file as necessary,
  2. Make sure that the switch points are being held positively in the desired position (e.g. by using the Atlas switch machine)
  3. Run your finger along the inside of the rail/switch point interface – if not smooth, file it until it is.
  4. Eyeball your vertical alignment – make sure that you don’t have any bad rail joints or a bad hump in the middle of the turnout.

As for “best turnouts” – I still vote for Atlas, for the sake of simplicity and reliability of operation, although you may want to check out Shinohara (Walthers) and/or Peco- UK.

Good luck !!

5

Thanks for all the help guys, I appreciate your time.

6

We have used a mixture of Peco, Shinohara, and Atlas #6 and #4 turnouts on the Cochise & Western Model Railroad Club’s 20 x 40 foot HO-scale layout and have encountered few problems. The main consideration with an Atlas turnout is to use a good switch machine or Caboose Industries sprung ground throw. For turnouts that can be reached to throw by hand, we use Peco, which require no switch machine, or put a Caboose Industries sprung ground throw on the Atlas turnouts. Those that can’t be reached to throw by hand have stall-motor switch machines on them – no Atlas twin-coil machines anywhere. The main problem I have noticed with an Atlas turnout is that the point rails are too blunt and sometimes need to be filed to a smoother taper. Run a finger along the inside of the rail through the switch points. If your finger feels a snag, the end of the point needs to be filed smooth.

7

I use and like Peco turnouts, I’ve used them for 20+ years with excellent results all the time. I have some Atlas turnouts in the cupboard and they don’t give me any trouble either. Do many of you guys build your own turnouts ? I read Iain Rice’ article in Feb MR and I think I should be able to do it. But whenever I’ve tried, and I am an OK modeller, I can’t seem to file accurately enough to even get past 1st base. So am I the only one who has problems ?

8

Cod100 = PECO.

9

I’d say Peco for N too. However, if you want to keep your Atlas (the’re paid for, after all) the fine tuning tips given already are a good way to fix most problems. I’ve also found that filing the point rail end to take off the 90 degree corner, blending it into the stock rail a bit helps a lot. If you can get the turnouts up from the layout, then filing the stock rail so that the point rail fits into it flush is worth the effort.