What turnouts do you use?


What turnouts do you use?

  • Total voters
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I like to use Shinohara for my hidden track and yards. For the mainline I make my own to fit where I need them to go.
I have built turnouts for friends and customer's when a comerical turnout was not avaiable.
I will build all of mine for the next layout due to the fact Walter's can't or won't keep the Shinohara line in stock. I have been buying turnout's off of Ebay as I need them or find what I want at the right price.
 
Mac Loco Works said:
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I will build all of mine for the next layout due to the fact Walter's can't or won't keep the Shinohara line in stock.
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Mac;

Its not that Walthers won't keep them in stock. They can't. The company in Japan makes many other things and the track is an extremely small part of their work.
They batch run them at the factory.
 
CJ, that was the excuse. but I rather doubt the validity of it and Shinohara makes them for Walthers to their specs. At one time they even said it was farmed out to a "mom and pop" shop that they did all they could do. Yeah, right! No, I think the problem is Walthers, like other companies, does not want the inventory. Otherwise, why don't they adjust their arrangement for such a hot selling item.
 
I use departmentally issued NFPA turnouts:

DSC04267.jpg


(shown here with my 2 pups, Tanker and Pumper. Pumper is standing on the rear deck of Engine 40)
 
RexHea said:
CJ, that was the excuse. but I rather doubt the validity of it and Shinohara makes them for Walthers to their specs. At one time they even said it was farmed out to a "mom and pop" shop that they did all they could do. Yeah, right! No, I think the problem is Walthers, like other companies, does not want the inventory. Otherwise, why don't they adjust their arrangement for such a hot selling item.
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Rex, as we dicussed yesterday, I'm not sure we'll ever really know.

When I was working in the hobby shop in Mobile, over 30 yrs ago, back when Lambert & Associates was the importer of Shinohara, the owner, Roy Keely, told me when I commented on shortages in a shipment of Shinohara track, that he was told by a Lambert rep that the track was just a sideline for the maker. The track was produced in batches, similar to Athearn's model production. Once, Roy also said, the shop couldn't get anything from Lambert/Shinohara except for Shinohara track spikes, for almost a year because the manufacturer didn't have any time available to make any track.

Now, this was a long time ago, and what Roy told me could have been crap. But I've also heard it often enough thru the years, with some variations in different parts of the country, that at least some part of it should be true.
 
One thing that may negate your theory is if they are maxing production runs, then how/why is it they have managed to add new Walthers Shinohara products, e.g. flex track, etc.?

A very strange thing going on this year: I have never known Walthers and their dealers to be out of almost all types of turnouts, including the double slip switches and curves.

Has anyone paid attention to the msrp cost of Atlas #6 turnouts. $16.85 That is absurd...almost laughable.
 
RexHea said:
One thing that may negate your theory is if they are maxing production runs, then how/why is it they have managed to add new Walthers Shinohara products, e.g. flex track, etc.?

A very strange thing going on this year: I have never known Walthers and their dealers to be out of almost all types of turnouts, including the double slip switches and curves.
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Shinohara flextrack isn't new unless you consider their code 83 as new. For a long time they were the only suppliers of code 70 flex, as well as code 40 dual-gauge flex and turnouts for narrow gauge modelers as well as the more common code 100.

I don't know if the designs have changed that much over the years, except to use more plastic to become more DCC friendly, whereas they used to be just "DC", no gaps, jumpers, dead frogs etc, just regular power routing turnouts and solid rail. I know that whenever they got imported by someone new, the ads would read "improved design". I never could see any difference until they did change to DCC.
 
Come up with some concrete support of your argument and not on something your were told 30 years ago. and I will be a believer.
 
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RexHea said:
Come up with some concrete support of your argument and not on something your were told 30 years ago. and I will be a believer.
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Rex;

I wish I could come up with something more concrete than that and other stories from the LHS and old ads from MR's and RMC's from the 50's, 60's and 70's.

I was hoping that someone else that possibly knows/heard something about it would come out and join the conversation, giving us new info on the subject of Shinohara.

Obviously I've struck a nerve and you're offended, for which I apologize.
 
I have been looking on the net for a contact number or email address for Shinohara. I was hopping to clear up why we can't get there product. I thought everything was on the net but no luck. If any one finds anything I would be willing to make the call.
 
Mac Loco Works said:
I have been looking on the net for a contact number or email address for Shinohara. I was hopping to clear up why we can't get there product. I thought everything was on the net but no luck. If any one finds anything I would be willing to make the call.
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I can tell you they aren't on the web. I've been looking the past two days in some of my mags from the 70's. Still see no address on them but what ads are there all have something under them not on others. "Subject to MFG availability".

At least in them days they more or less told you that you may not be able to get them.
 
Hey, you forgot Progress Rail. They make some really nice #9 turnouts.

Oh, you meant for model railroads? Never mind. :)
 
I use Atlas...next layout I amy try to upgrade although I have had no problems.

Dave, old threads are ok sometimes. I ahve not been on the forums for too long, hearing others opinions on turnouts is a good learning experience for me.

Thanks for pulling it back up!
 
I use Railway Engineering turnouts. You can get them with wooden ties applied or do it yourself to save money. It is a bit of work especially if you like to add details to your turnouts, which I haven't got around to yet. Anyway, I love them because of the no wheel drop and how quite and smooth my trains run through them.
On hidden areas of my layout, I use Shinohara and Peco. I had to fill the frogs on the Shinoharas to prevent wheel drop and I find the Pecos are too delicate/fragile for my liking.

I'd like to try Fast Tracks some day.
 
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