I’m in the final design phase for my new S scale Citrus Belt, traditionally, i’ve built my own turnouts, but as I only require 6 plus a single 90 degree crossing i’m considering biting the bullet and going with Tamalco code 70 turnouts, my current layout has code 100 which is too heavy for the branchline effect i’m seeking so using my existing turnouts is not an option. Any thoughts on my plan?
Dave
Personally, I think Tomalco is a little pricey for what you get, but for code 70 in S they are your only choice. Although you might call or email BKS and see if they’ll do some kits for you in code 70 at their code 83 prices.
Good luck
Paul
Personally I think hand lay is over rated, unless you are really into that kind of thing specifically and get a major rush from doing it. Good quality weathered commercial track looks very good and takes a lot less time. The only thing you can get superior results from are hand laying turnouts cause you can really customize the geometry, but I can make due well enough with commerical turnouts.
I’ve read mixed review concerning Talmalco turnouts, BK comes highly rated as does Shinohara at a fraction of the cost of Talmalco products, i’m familar with these companies from my HO days so would not hesitate to use them again. An aside, as this version will be freight operations under wire, I located a online company in England that sells assembled S scale catanary wire by the spool, what a time saving concept!
Dave
I gather this relates to switches only? But I will cover general hand laying in this response. The only handlaying that I would consider would be on a special layout of a shelf type where 100% of the track is very easy to reach. I would also consider it viable only on a small, short line, logging or narrow gauge system. Hand laying is tedious and vocabulary expanding, but produces some of the best photographic opportunities if that is a big part of the ultimate goal.
Hand laying is great for typical narrow gauge, grass filled, trackage where speeds are very slow to allow you to deliberately make some really uneven, true-to-life wobbly trackage. Check out the track starting at 51 seconds in this video. Also the rod clank on this K-28 is louder than the stack exhaust! A classic narrow gauge/logging trackage that just begs to be hand laid. The only striaght in narrow gauge is striaght down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlhY0J5-ftg
Richard
Richard you do some great modeling! Apprecaiate all the feedback to date
Some design aspects of the next generation Citrus Belt:
30 X 22 Around the walls-point-to-point with a central pennisula with 2 industries: packing house with a capacity of 22 reefers, lumber/sash/box dealer with a capacity for 9 cars, shelf depth not to exceed 14 inches along the walls, 24 inches at the pennisula which is accessible from both sides, min radius 34, 42R on the SP interchange, #8 turnouts will be standard.
The Lemcova branch diverges at Citrus Heights located on the aforementioned pennisula, south to lemcova and terminates at a lemon packing house, oil/smudge dealer, team track and freight station. If I elect to include a runaround siding at Lemcova my required turnout count would increase to 8, due to the length of this branch and anticipated traffic levels perhaps the prudent course of action to avoid long shoving moves.
The SP interchange will serve as the fiddle track, AT&SF has a miminal amount of static trackage at Citrus Heights, that too could double as a second fiddle track although no physical connection will exist as currently envisioned but could if I choose to to do so… these interchanges eliminate the need for yard trackage and associated infastructure as only one train will operate per session.
In those days (I model 1926) parent SP put money into its branchline operations, might be weed grown but the rails and ties were solid!
Dave