There are many different HO scale turnouts, some are good and some are not as good. What do you think is the best HO scale turnout? Have anyone ever tried fasttracks or proto 87?
Hi from Belgium,
I am an Nscale modeler whith a lot of friends modeling in HO.
As far I am concerned, the ready to run turnouts in the following brands are in general good ones, they need very little adjustements.
The Walthers line of code 83 turnouts; I beleive they are made by Shinohara give in general good reports. One well know layout with a 22 scale miles in HO is using this kind of track www.zanestrains.com
I think that the famous FSM of Mister Sellios run on the same track.
Peco new line of code 83 is a good opportunity to new coming layout as far as I know. It’s close to the scale with strong construction; may be a little to expensive unfortunately.
Tillig offer very good turnouts, it’s an European manufacturer but their line is close to the scale.
There is a lot of kit build turnouts like Central Valley or Fastrack www.handlaidtrack.com and they are all DCC ready.
I use the Fastrack system in Nscale and I beleive that their products are the best turnouts I ever seen in Nscale for running qualities and electricity continuity. The construction is the same in HO so I beleive they are top quality too.
Marc
The very best ones are going to be the ones you make yourself, especially given the skills you have displayed in the photos of your layout construction. Personally, my best turnouts are the ones I have laid in place on wood ties. They don’t cause derailments, they have live frogs, the curves “flow” through the adjoining track and turnout, and you can’t tell where the regular track and turnout join. I use geometry to fit the situation and build in place. And they are quite realistic for the era and prototype I am modeling (1900, mythical Oregon short line in the coastal mountains).
But you really didn’t define best. Is it:
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lowest derailments (what wheels should your turnouts be tuned for?)?
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least stalls and short circuits?
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lowest cost?
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most realistic appearance (what era D&RGW are you modeling?)?
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most suitable geometry for your plan?
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availability?
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least time to lay/build?
Obviously, there are trade-offs between these factors. No one turnout is going to score perfectly in all areas. So you need to prioritize what are the most important factors to you - and which ones are of little to no concern.
In my model universe, derailment avoidance is first, no stalls or short circuits is second, suitable geometry is next (due to my small space), and realistic appearance is fourth. Cost, availability, and time to make/install would be factors of little to no concern to me due to my slow progress and the small number of turnouts dictated by the small space.
All that said, I did purchase 4 Atlas code 83 turnouts (1 Snap Switch, 3 Custom Line #4s), and 1 Shinohara code 70 HOn3 #4 turnout to speed arrival at limited operations on my test layout. I al
Hi!
Your question will probably bring out some strong opinions and bias, and while it sounds like an “objective” question, it is really very “subjective”. Like the man says, “best” to one person is irrelevant to another. And, turnouts have so many different attributes, and if you are looking for a Consumer Reports (American product comparison mag) evaluation, you probably will not get it here.
I can tell you what I prefer…, that being Atlas code 100 HO Custom Line turnouts. Why??? Well, price, quality, and ready availability come to mind first, along with dependability and the switch machines that are easily available too. I’ve had some for well over 15 years, and they are still fine.
I am not saying they are scale perfect or as realistic looking as some other brands, and frankly code 100 is a bit big (I use it as I have a lot of it, and its easier for these old eyes to work with), and if I were starting out and younger, I would go for code 83.
Now let me make a disclaimer… I have NOTHING against the other turnout manufacturers, or the build it yourself ones. The folks that choose them do so because that is what they prefer. I choose Atlas code 100 as that is what I prefer.
Hey, ENJOY!
Mobilman44
I like Peco insulfrog for thier power routing ablities, nice for engine or yard tracks in a straight DC layout, saves for building a panel with block switches to isolate tracks. For the beginner, Atlas’s “snap” track turnouts are good, as are the customline other than the metal isolated frogs, although those are nice if you have a switch machine like a Tortise that can switch the polarity so the frog is powered. I think my new layout will be mainly old Atlas “snap track” turnouts due to tight budget costs. Although a few curved Walthers might be needed. Mike
That’s like asking, “Which country has the prettiest scenery?” 99% of responders will give the answer, “Mine!”
When I took posession of my present layout space I went to the LHS and bought sample Atlas and Peco turnouts (I already had Atlas snap-switches acquired at yard sales.) After testing them I tossed them and fell back on my tracklaying skills. All of the turnouts on the still under construction layout are hand laid on wood ties with spikes, soldered where necessary with a 325-watt Weller gun.
Advantages:
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Designed to fit the specific situation, I determine the rail geometry, not some manufacturer.
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In gauge, kink-free - because I won’t lay a rail that isn’t close to perfect.
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Electrically bulletproof. Open point is DEAD! No contact with anything. Frog is powered through contacts on the point actuator. Feeders are soldered into the flangeways of the frog and guard rails.
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The price is right - I can fabricate a complex terminal throat with a total materials cost less than that of a single Peco double slip.
Disadvantages:
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Don’t have all the details of a high-quality plastic-tie product - no bolt heads, tie plates, spikes with oversize heads…
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Take time to fabricate - not much for me, but a lot if you’re still on the steep part of the learning curve.
I have never used any form of jig - I learned to hand-lay specialwork long before Fast Tracks opened its doors. Aside from the soldering gun, my, ‘turnout toolbox’ consists of rail cutters, spiking pliers and a big (30x250mm) flat fine-tooth file.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I think it’s a subjective question so to speak the best for what application? I agree with the once poster that "the best one’s given your ability are the one’s you build yourself because your going to get exactly what you want. Say you need a curved turnout that is not commercially available then making your own is the only solution. I have a little experience with Fast Tracks and I like them. I am by no means a craftsmen when it comes to model railroading but I find their system very simple to use hecne thats why it works for me just call me simple.
I also agree with the poster who said he likes Atlas custom line turnouts. Depending on how much of a rivet counter or purist you are after you weather them and detail them up if thats your thing and bury them in ballast they look just fine and the price is right. I will say over all though for quality and accuracy Walthers/Shinohara are the best right out of the box. But like may of you I don’t have deep pockets so I have to use what I can afford. The majority of whats now on the layout are Atlas custom line code 83 but in the highly visible area;s I have Walthers ans several Micro Engineering turnout.
I do plan on using the Fast Tracks turnouts exclusively on the next section of layout once we brake through the wall. By then I figure I will have my techniques will be down pat and will have the need for some not off the shelf turnouts.
I think it’s one of those questions that really doesn’t have a black & while answer.
While everyone is defending thier suggestions and giving “this question is subjective” disclaimers, I’ll actually answer the question with my honest opinion. And a solid one at that.
The Atlas #4 code 100 Remote Snap Switch Part #'s 850 and 851.
Why?
1: Availability. Every hobby store has one on hand. If they don’t have a remote, then at least have a standard #4 you can swap over your parts to in order to get up and running again.
2: Reliability. They work. With chunks of ballast in then, they still throw. With glue? They still throw. They don’t short (that bad). You can run a switcher across them, or a Big Boy. And yes, I use my Rivarossi Big Boy as a yard switcher quite often.
3: Cost. Retail, $19.00=$20.00, tops. Cheaper on-line. Comes with remote, wires, track and switch, and a chunk of track to make your turnout smooth all in one package. Can’t beat the cost effectiveness.
4: Shelf life. Just check Ebay. You’ll find 30-50 of them up there right now from the 1950’s in brass rail and they STILL work. And work great.
5: Usability. Although speed and/or de-rail prone cars/loco’s might have some issue, with the proper tweaking, everything in HO will opperate without issue across a #4 Atlas. They have to, the #4 is the “standard” turnout.
6: Fun. Everyone leaves this out everytime, I think it should be #1 ALL the time. With a #4 turnout, you can pack more fun into less space. That means more yard, more mainline, more staging, more switching, more sidings, IN LESS LINEAR FEET. More fun per foot? I like it. The #8’s are great for high speed transitions, but I can put a double crossover in the space of a single #8 if
Best for you, maybe. Best for me - ROFLMAO! Best for everybody - bearing in mind that some, “everybodies,” run stiff, un-tweaked brass articulateds and trains of full-length passenger cars, auto racks and humonguboxes…
As for more fun in less space, I don’t consider cleaning up after derailments fun. And I will flat guarantee that my DMU trains WILL derail on snap-switch cross
I am fairly sure that the geometry of an Atlas Snap switch does not match that of a #4 turnout, nor that of any other numbered turnout. The snap switch was designed to replicate an 18" radius curve on the diverging route, to the best of my limited knowledge. [2c]
Actualy JSeran, you are in face “correct”, but technicaly they are interchangeable. A standard #4 turnout is almost identical in all dimentions to a “snap switch”. I have interchanged them several times, and also swaped remotes/manual machines from one to the other. Same no, interchangeable yes.
I historicaly have run my snappers hard and put them away wet. Having a roommate with a 10 year old means 329 times a weekend a switch gets run through out of position, or leaned on, or a coffee cup set on, or… you choose the abuse. So far this year I’ve had to change only 1. Since the local store was out of snappers, I just used a standard #4 minus machine. I unsoldered the rail joiners, pushed them back, pulled the nails, set the #4 right in the snappers place, slid and resoldered the joiners back into position, and snapped on the remote machine. No mess, no fuss. Rails were down a whopping 10 minutes, and I even had to de-ballast/re-ballast. Are they “on paper” the same? No, but they interchangeable in my experience, and opinion.
Chuck:
As for having issues with big brass articulateds and 86 foot high cubes… I can’t remember the last time I had a derailment with my Big Boy pulling a string of 10 OLD Athern blue box 86 ft high cubes. Possibly years? Anymore it’s about the only combo I have worked out well enough to not have issues with! Bearing in mind I model DT&I circa 1975, the 2nd most common car on the layout is an Athern blue box 86 ft. high cube. I push them through my timesaver all the time. Yes I said push a 10 car Athern blue box high cube string with the old pivoting coupler arm thing tied into the trucks. With a Big Boy sometimes, and most of the time a GP 38-2. Because it’s fun! (for me)
Are they “stock”? No. Did they derail when you looked a