Alternative to Atlas #4 turnouts


S

smuggler

New Member
I started laying out my track plan last winter and had to stop when I ran out of Code 83 Atlas #4 turnouts that I originally designed into the layout. I have had twelve #4 left and right hand turnouts on backorder for almost a year now and I when I checked today I'm being told delivery isn't expected until April 2014.

Peco doesn't make a #4 turnout but will their #5 turnout closely match the Atlas product without me having to redesign the layout starting from scratch? I hate to have to go back to the design process just to substitute another manufacturer's product.

Thanks for any help or advice

Jim
 
The Atlas Code 83 #4 is actually a 'real' #4.5 so that it has some built in forgiveness for those who feel they have no practical options other than those tight turnouts, and they find that most rolling stock will negotiate their tighter diversions okay. Not the larger stuff, natch, but most of what we run in HO that is non-brass and non-ten-coupled steam will be okay. So, the Peco may....may...be a reasonable substitute. You WILL have to fudge things a bit and adjust as you go along, wether you use everything you had intended to use or not. That is true for every layout built by every builder....they never turn out as planned, and we have to improvise and revise as we go.

Note that you can shorten the longer turnouts in many cases by simply using your Xuron Track Nipper, with the planar flush face of the tines facing the turnout's center when you cut, and by cutting from the top and bottom toward the center...NEVER orient the tines up or down from the rail head or the foot. Shortening the turnout will help to retain your general track plan, but you do lose a bit of reliability, especially at higher speed approaches on the diverging route going toward the frog. You can make that approach quite reliable by using an eased curve into the turnout.
 
smuggler said:
Peco doesn't make a #4 turnout but will their #5 turnout closely match the Atlas product without me having to redesign the layout starting from scratch?
Click to expand...
Depends on the actual layout.

The first thing to know is that an Atlas Custom Line #4 turnout is really closer to a #4.6. So it is going to be slightly closer to the Peco #5 than it would be to another vendors #4. I would think they should fit pretty well. The harder part might be the length of the departing track. Atlas has always had really sort departure tracks while other brands seem to like to stretch them out. I do not know how hard it will be to shorten the departure track or not. Lengthening the straight track to 9" should not be an issue at all.
 
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Thanks for all the feedback. I guess I'm going to pick up a couple of Peco #5 and give it a shot. I think I can fudge everything together.

Thanks again
 
You may want to check the Fast Tracks #4&5 templates, i have the #5's on hand and am ordering today the #4's I sell them for $25 and can work a bit of a discount for 6 or more turnouts. Clint
 
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