walthers/shinohara complex switches

[D&J RailRoad]

Are you talking 'slips' or 'crossovers' ?

I was refering to the slips.
Ok, I was just looking at the modeltrainstuff web site. MB Klien. They have a #8 slip in code 83.

 

[trailrider]

You can get rail joiners that transition from Code 83 to Code 100 (or visa versa depending on which way you are facing...they are interchangeable in either direction). You will need to shim the Code 83 slightly to get the roadbeds to match at the juncture. That's only .017" thick, so not much of a problem.

I don't know exactly what the prototype angles are for turnouts, slip switches or crossovers, but except for some branch lines, city spurs, etc., prototype curves are much more gradual than we can handle on model pikes. Prototype curves are measured in degrees rather than radii. IIRC prototype curves are the portion of a circle swept in 100 ft. of length along the curve. Again, IIRC, the prototype considers a 23 degree curve to be pretty sharp, which, if I've calculated right corresponds to about a 34-in. radius curve. The prototypes also consider a 2 percent grade to be almost more than they can handle with any kind of load, whereas we run grades sometimes twice that and don't think much about it.

 

[Joe G]

You can get rail joiners that transition from Code 83 to Code 100 (or visa versa depending on which way you are facing...they are interchangeable in either direction). You will need to shim the Code 83 slightly to get the roadbeds to match at the juncture. That's only .017" thick, so not much of a problem.

Thanks. So with the right amount of shimming code 100 flex track and code 83 switches should work well together?

 

[trailrider]

Thanks. So with the right amount of shimming code 100 flex track and code 83 switches should work well together?

Yes. So long as the tops of the rails are even, and you don't have rolling stock with excessively large flanges on the wheels (old AHM especially).

 

[Joe G]

Are there quality code 100 switches being manufactured?

 

[trailrider]

Oh, yes. Peco and Shinohara are excellent, IMHO. I use whatever fits on my track plan, plus I do use some Atlas, again where it is most convenient and fits the plan. Which ones you use depend on the electrical system you use and how you plan to control the circuitry on diverging routes or storage spurs. Shinohara turnouts generally have continuously connected frogs, and can be used to direct the current without auxilliary contacts on the switch machines, although the use of same enhances reliability. Peco's come with either "Electrofrogs" or "Insulfrogs", the latter as the name implies are insulated from the rest of the turnout, and need to have the polarity controlled by the aux contacts on a switch machine. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Get a good book on wiring for DC or DCC.

 

[Cjcrescent]

On the prototype a #6 switch, is very, very, sharp, and is only for slow movements, generally off spurs etc. Most proto switches are much bigger with about a #12 the sharpest used on secondary lines and yards with #20's and greater used on heavier, faster, traveled lines. IIRC