I’ve been using Atlas turnouts since the beginning of my mrr career. Now I discovered a spot on my mainline that’s highly derailment-prone, where two Altas Custom-Line code 83 turnouts are connected to each other. Would replacing these with Peco North American-style turnouts help restore reliability to this section?
T I A
PECO’s are nice but before go replacing switches, I would suggest you spend some time finding out exactly why the spot is “highly derailment prone”. Is it an S curve? Kinked track? A bump? Gauge or clearance of flanges? Is it really the switches or do the same CARS derail at that spot? Could it be the wheels or trucks?
I would want a little more info before I spent the time and $ on new switches.
Tilden
[#ditto] I think you need to find what’s causing the track problems you posted yesterday first. Otherwise, your Pecos will probably suffer the same fate.
In theory, Tilden’s right – see if you can find the issue and if it’s related to the track’s basic layout or if the issue is trackwork specific.
I’ve found that when trackwork is the problem, trying to “adjust” the bad trackwork is a good way to just make it bad in a different way or make it even worse.
The best solution for bad trackwork is to pull up the bad trackwork and replace it with more carefully laid new trackwork.
In my experience, trying to tweak bad trackwork just leads to constant frustration. When I’ve carefully replaced the bad trackwork with properly laid trackwork, the problem goes away and is no longer a headache.
Peco code 83 turnouts are better than Atlas code 83 turnouts in terms of critical trackwork dimensions like NMRA check gauge through the frog, but even the Peco turnouts don’t follow NMRA recommended dimensions completely.
(Click to enlarge)
When I replace bad turnouts, I find I now prefer a “rapid handlaid” turnout using CVT ties or FastTracks jigs, or the like (for more details, click here). Only handlaid turnouts will follow the NMRA specs completely, and thus give you the most reliable turnout performance.
The club that I operate on occasionally uses all Peco and the operation is really great without any typical derailment like some switches. Large trains of 40 to 80 cars are common without derailments and this is an important feature for good operation. They ran a 115 car Auto train with thirteen Kato units as DPU power without incident. This is one of the longest trains I have seen since each car was an 85’ scale car with the thirteen diesels as DPU’s.
OK, I didn’t really think it would be that simple [as buying a set of Peco’s]. I suspect the problem originated when I added a turnout to the pre-existing main line [which was carefully laid BTW] to serve a new lineside industry. I may have introduced a kink or two when splicing it in. As to why the defect took 2 years to show up, I haven’t a clue.
Thanx for the feedback guys, I’ll deal with this somehow. Except I don’t have the extra $$$ available at the moment for the FastTrack kits, so handlaid turnouts are NOT an option.
All my expansion/contraction kinks showed up the second year, not the first.[xx(]
I am using the atlas snap swithches and the plastics guides have a tendancy to bump some of my engines. The quality is ok but was not sure if peco would help. Only some of the engines have this issue. Some have a short but that i can fix with feeder wires on both sides of the switch.
Yes.
Peter Smith, Memphis
CSX:
If you go the Central Valley Tie kit route and order the ties from the link I post in my thread on using the tie kit, you effectively get a “jig” for $4. Heck, get two sets of ties and use one only as a jig, just in case you damage the plastic ties while building the turnout.
That’s way cheaper than the Fast Tracks jigs, and you will get an excellent looking and performing handlaid turnout much quicker than just building a turnout completely yourself without any jigs or such aids.
I don’t know why anyone would feel the CVT ties at $4 per (plus the cost of some rail and other materials) would be too expensive. Some may feel the skill needed to pull off constructing a turnout this way is beyond them, and I can understand that. But I have handlaid a lot of turnouts in my day and I have to say using the CVT ties makes getting a good turnout about as “goof proof” as it gets – way easier than unaided handlaid, and not much harder than tuning up a commercial turnout.
(And by the way, if you just plop down a commercial turnout without giving it a good tune up first, that’s not wise. Commercial turnouts all need some checking, filing, and adustments if you want them to work as reliably as possible later.)
Well, it certainly helps if I know about a less-pricey alternative, LOL! I’ve bookmarked the link, I’ll go ahead and try that CV tie kit - thanks for sharing it Joe.
Anyhoo, in the meantime I can still run trains over that spot if I take it s-l-o-w-l-y, not unlike the prototype!
31 order for all trains. Operate from MP(???) to MP(???) at reduced speed not to exceed 15MPH. Roadbed stabilization and track alignment in progress. Watch for and observe any flag signals from ground workers. P.J. First Trick DS.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - on hand-laid specialwork)