turnout help needed please


gseritt

gseritt

Well-Known Member
Hello all,

I hope that this finds you each well fed and well rested.

The plan that I'm (somewhat) using as a template for my layout calls for a qty (1) Atlas #850 left remote snap switch and qty (2) Atlas #851 right remote snap switches. They are using an 18" radius in the particular spot and I'm using a 22" in this particular spot. My layout is code 83 and will be DCC. I'm trying to sort out what turnouts I need - I'm thinking #6 but I'm not certain. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Hi Gary
If your using flex track you can use and manufacturer or size of turnout you like. I use flex track and peco turnouts in the small and medium ranges, mediums on the mainline and smalls if I have no mediums for switching to industrys. About 3 layouts back what I did when I had seen a plan that I could start with was I put the plan into xtrackcad with all the appropriate switches I needed and did a trial run with the trackplan , this helped me to find situations I would not like.
Lynn
 
As Lynnb says, you do have some choices. If you're using all Atlas turnouts anyway, they do make a snap switch with a 22-inch R curve in the diverging route -- but I'm not sure if Atlas has their distribution issues resolved yet. Peco #6 or Peco #5 should work in there OK. You might need to test a couple of options... Peco, by the way, has downloadable, full-size turnout templates so you can test out various configurations to find the right one. (But make sure when it prints out it is at 100% of size!)
 
Hey, Thank you so much, Lynn! Just for clarification - would you consider a #6 to be small or medium?
 
DairyStateDad said:
As Lynnb says, you do have some choices. If you're using all Atlas turnouts anyway, they do make a snap switch with a 22-inch R curve in the diverging route -- but I'm not sure if Atlas has their distribution issues resolved yet. Peco #6 or Peco #5 should work in there OK. You might need to test a couple of options... Peco, by the way, has downloadable, full-size turnout templates so you can test out various configurations to find the right one. (But make sure when it prints out it is at 100% of size!)
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Thank you so much, Mr. Erik! I really do appreciate it
 
Happy to help. By the way, Peco has two kinds of switches -- Electrofrog and Insulfrog. Most people who have made recommendations to me have said Insulfrog is the way to go, esp. for DCC. Also, and this is just as important IMHO, you'll want the "Peco Streamline Code 83 North American" type. The other Peco turnouts -- BOTH the code 100 and code 75, are blocky and more european in their styling, and also (I believe) are actually scaled to OO (1:76) even though they use HO gauge ...
 
DairyStateDad said:
Happy to help. By the way, Peco has two kinds of switches -- Electrofrog and Insulfrog. Most people who have made recommendations to me have said Insulfrog is the way to go, esp. for DCC. Also, and this is just as important IMHO, you'll want the "Peco Streamline Code 83 North American" type. The other Peco turnouts -- BOTH the code 100 and code 75, are blocky and more european in their styling, and also (I believe) are actually scaled to OO (1:76) even though they use HO gauge ...
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for your help. You've saved my nerves today for sure. I've already printed out the #5 templates and they look like what I need but I'm gonna print out the #6s and compare just to make sure. Thank you again!
 
I have been so pleased with Peco turnouts -- and how their machines attach -- that I decided to switch from code 70 for my visible track to code 83 for that reason alone.
 
Suzie said:
The Peco code 75 and code 100 Streamline range are H0 scale (00 scale modellers have been protesting about this for many years!) but as you say are more European in appearance with chairs for holding the rails rather than the spikes that the code 83 has.
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OK, I stand corrected on the OO/HO point (or 00/H0, if that's more correct :)) Thank you for that.

All I know is that I bought a Code 75 curved turnout a while back and it looks much chunkier than my Peco streamline units.

If you are using Peco for DCC use the Electrofrog version - the Insulfrog needs the same wiring anyway (otherwise you are liable to get shorting) so you might as well have the advantage of no dead sections. The Insulfrog versions are really only suitable for DC where they can be used to simplify the wiring when the point blades are used for power routing - power routing is not required with DCC.
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As for the Electrofrog/Insulfrog debate, well, I'll stand by the advice I've gotten from my LHS owner and that I've read elsewhere to use Insulfrogs with DCC, as they are NOT power-routing and thus need no modification outside the box.... I'll accept that everyone's mileage may vary... :)
 
Suzie said:
The Peco code 75 and code 100 Streamline range are H0 scale (00 scale modellers have been protesting about this for many years!) but as you say are more European in appearance with chairs for holding the rails rather than the spikes that the code 83 has.

If you are using Peco for DCC use the Electrofrog version - the Insulfrog needs the same wiring anyway (otherwise you are liable to get shorting) so you might as well have the advantage of no dead sections. The Insulfrog versions are really only suitable for DC where they can be used to simplify the wiring when the point blades are used for power routing - power routing is not required with DCC.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much, Suzie! What part of the UK are you in? I stayed in Hampstead for a bit. Absolutely beautiful over there and I pray that I can go visit again.
 
DairyStateDad said:
As for the Electrofrog/Insulfrog debate, well, I'll stand by the advice I've gotten from my LHS owner and that I've read elsewhere to use Insulfrogs with DCC, as they are NOT power-routing and thus need no modification outside the box.... I'll accept that everyone's mileage may vary... :)
Click to expand...

I'll study up on it. I'm still a bit out from that but I will need to be deciding at some point. Thank you, both, for your advice!
 
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