Great summary of the state of S Gauge track and the dilemmas we face today, Dick. One addition I would offer is that SHS makes attractive code 125(+) flextrack, and you can buy "Homabed" for roadbed specifically sized so that, when installed under SHS Flextrack, will achieve the proper height to match up with SHS sectional track and turnouts.
I explored many alternatives before deciding to go with all scale track and wheelsets. My remaining AF sits on display shelves. Roger Nulton ----- Original Message ----- From: Richard Karnes To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 7:46 PM Subject: {S-Scale List} Track Product recommedations Tim Brown (and others) -- I see that no one has risen to discuss trackage alternatives with you, so I will. Track is my thing. When I was a kid I built my own Flyer-compatible turnouts and laid my own rail on milled Tru-scale roadbed. (If you know what this is, you are over the hill ... with me!) Over the years I have used pretty much everyone's flextrack as well as hand-laying my track and turnouts (which I do now). However, also in the present time frame, I am installing all the track on another list member's layout. One of his requirements is that all track products on his layout be commercially available. This individual also had built closed-frog turnouts of the sort you describe in an attempt to accommodate both scale and AF wheelsets. Some of these have found their way to his present layout -- but will soon be replaced. (I'll tell you why presently.) My recommendation to you is to make a clean break with AF and hirail wheelsets and switch completely to scale. That means all your wheelsets must conform to the NASG/NMRA wheelset standard, AND all your track must so conform. My reason is simple: Despite all the attempts over the decades to manufacture or scratchbuilt "universal" turnouts, no one has really succeeded except S Helper Service. The reason is simple: In scale, all manufacturers follow the NASG/NMRA standards for trackage. In hirail, while there is an NMRA hirail track and wheelset standard for S, no one follows it. This drove S Helper nuts, trying to find a guard rail spacing that would accept the large variation in AF wheelset dimensions over the years as well as the wheelsets on the more modern SHS and American Models equipment. S Helper finally did away with guard rails entirely. Instead, they implemented a movable point within the frog, quite separate from (but actuated simultaneously with) the switchpoints. OK, so why am I not recommending that you switch entirely to SHS trackage products? The answer is because the trackage is all sectional, of fixed radius, and all mainline roadbed profile. Some may also criticize the small turnouts (#3 frog), but SHS has a more prototypical #5 in the wings, tro be available someday. Why do I not recommend closed-frog (movable point-frog) turnouts? Because you have a really long movable chunk comprised of two rails, three brass plates holding these together, and a pivot point whose location must be precisely positioned for both the points and the frog to align properly. And assuming that the turnout gets built and installed perfectly, you still have the problem of scale wheel flanges "picking" the gapped rail end at the frog -- in both directions. And there will be no guard rails opposite the frog to prevent this from happening. For scale, you have many options. Trackage (flextrack) is made in code 100 (the de facto S scale standard) by Shinohara (via Scenery Unlimited) and Tomalco. Both forms also manufacture turnouts to match their track. Shinohara makes #6 and #8 turnouts. Tomalco makes a lot of different sizes as well as three-way turnouts. Another firm, Trout Creek Engineering, makes "BK Turnouts." These come without ties; they are to be laid on hand-laid ties or on paser-cut tie strtip available from Tomalco. BK (Trout Creek) will, as far as I know, make up specialty trackage items to custom-fit your situation (like crossings). At the risk of incurring the ire of some manufacturers, I will close by giving you my opinion of the various track manufacturers' products: S Helper Service -- Excellent products. The relatively large rail (about 8 scale inches high) represents modern heavy-duty Northeast Corridor practice. All sectional, no flextrack. Overall height (table-top to railhead) incompatible with any other manufacturer except AF/K-Line. Shinohara -- Well made, easy to use. All code 100 (about 6-1/2 scale inches high). The #6 turnout is really closer to a #4-1/2. The frog is a bona fide #6, but the turnout is too short, and thus its radius is quite tight. The Shinohara #8 is right on. Tomalco -- Excellent flextrack, more finely detailed and more accurate mainline tie spacing that Shinohara. Available in code 100, 83, and 70. Turnouts come glued to laser-cut wood tie strip, mostly in gauge. Heating the rail with a soldering gun while you move your track gauge close behind will correct gauging problems. BK -- Nicely done, properly gauged. Must spike these down, then remove the "straps" (brass wires soldered across the rails to maintain gauge until the turnout is spiked down). White Oak Turnouts -- I am told these are no longer made, but you might find some available -- maybe from Tom Hawley (who is on this e-list). These, in my opinion, were the best turnouts ever made for S scale despite some cosmetic compromises (no spike heads, black ties). Each tie is a strip of PC board. Each rail segment is soldered to every PC tie it touches. The gauging is perfect. The PC cladding is properly gapped for regular DC operation (but some alterations in gapping are required for DCC). The only downside is the installation, and that's minor. A cardstock shim must be placed beneath each turnout so as to match the table-top-to-railhead height with Tomalco, Shinohara, and BK turnouts. In closing let me say that there are lot of hirail people out there who will tell you that hirail is easier to work with; that scale wheels and track are subject to derailment problems. But if you ask the relatively few of us out here who actually have scale trackage, we will tell you that that's a myth. If you follow the standards you will have no problems. Buy a track/wheel gauge from the NASG, and make sure all your track and all your wheelsets conform to it. Dick Karnes [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! 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