Walther Track?

[zzr1200guy]

Hey all I'm planning a Ho Free-Mo Build of two 3 or 4 ft modules I was looking at building it using Atlas code 83 but I saw the walther track and it like the look of it better I have 5 section of Micro Engineering code 83 does anyone know if the Switches are compatible with Micro Engineering?
Thank you for help and support

 

[zzr1200guy]

Bump

 

[Don Z1029]

Hey all I'm planning a Ho Free-Mo Build of two 3 or 4 ft modules I was looking at building it using Atlas code 83 but I saw the walther track and it like the look of it better I have 5 section of Micro Engineering code 83 does anyone know if the Switches are compatible with Micro Engineering?
Thank you for help and support

The Walthers DCC friendly turnouts will work with the Micro-Engineering track. I used that same combination on my last layout.

Don Z.

 

[IC-Tom1]

I have about $1K invested in the Code 83 Walthers track and turnouts. The turnouts are what sold me - no hinges on the points. I can't tell you much more, though, because I've just started on benchwork. It looks better than Atlas Code 83 flex and seems to handle well. I thought the turnouts were superior to Peco's, even. The Peco rail is really tiny, while the Walthers is more similar to Atlas in having a more substantial base in the rail cross-section. There are a couple of double-slips in my layout design, so I'll have to figure out the Walther-Peco interface anyway. I also had to resort to using an Atlas crossing in one spot where I have the double-slip in the layout design. Neither Walthers nor Peco makes anything appropriate in Code 83 for a 19 deg. crossing. It's important to me to do it as designed, because it's modelled after the entering throat to the Memphis Central train station (ICRR) back in the day.

There are some youtubers who swear by Walthers flex, but I can't remember the links off-hand. Like Don above, Larry Puckett used the Walthers turnouts with his ME flex, but that was before he tore his layout down just recently. His youtube channel is "Model Railroading" and he had maybe three videos on the Walthers turnouts - one on the double crossover. He said he would keep his videos up as long as youtube lets them stay.

I was a bit disappointed at the Walthers double crossover. Instead of the nicely molded frog with inlay rail on their regular turnouts, they used one-piece cast-metal support and rail for the frogs on the double crossover. It's weird they did it one way for the double crossover and a different way for independent turnouts. At least there are jumpers and soldering lugs, so there's no worry about a cast metal frog heat sinking the soldering iron.

 

[santafewillie]

Hey all I'm planning a Ho Free-Mo Build of two 3 or 4 ft modules I was looking at building it using Atlas code 83 but I saw the walther track and it like the look of it better I have 5 section of Micro Engineering code 83 does anyone know if the Switches are compatible with Micro Engineering?
Thank you for help and support

All brands of code 83 track are compatible with all other brands of code 83 track. It's all 0.083" tall. There are appearance differences between many of them, some have better detailing than others. One brand has thicker ties than all of the others, but I don't remember which one that is. If you use it with one of the others, you just have to shim the piece with the thinner tie slightly where it joins only. I think that I read that the thickness of a standard business card was right. All code 83 rail joiners are also compatible, but you may have to give Atlas ones a little squeeze with pliers on Peco track.