I believe both AM and SHS offer semi-scale turnouts that are an enormous improvement on AF turnouts, although they are not inexpensive enough to possibly tempt an HO or N scale modeler to move up to S scale. A similar problem prevails even in O scale, where the market is rather larger: Atlas DOES offer fairly scale (although fairly heavy rail) turnouts starting at $50 per, as I recall (never bought any myself), which does afford ready-to-install track system there if one doesn't mind the cost. In the past year or so San Juan had introduced both On3 flextrack AND #6 turnouts (ready for either hand-throw or machine), both well-reviewed, with the turnouts going for $25 each. This is a major breakthrough, as previously one generally hand-laid track (PSC offers more traditional flextrack but no turnouts), and just about all the turnouts I can think of were only rail, ready to be spiked in place. Hard to guess whether the On3 market is larger than S scale... Actually, both Shinohara (Scenery Unlimited) and PBL offer Sn3 flextrack and turnouts ready-made and matched. Which, I suppose, brings us back to the conundrum that the S scale market is probably too small to offer the economies of scale that those used to smaller scales would find attactive. Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co.
> Where does one start in this conversation? I agree with Dave that motorized > is potentially a separate but related issue. If we confine ourselves to > 'scale' - code 100 or smaller there is Shinohara #8 and #6 on plastic ties. > The #6 has issues and perhaps providing 'assistance' to retool it may be a > place to start. Tomalco has it's own glued to wood ties thus avoiding > tooling for ties altogether and that allows for multiple rail weights. Quite > clever but weathering is required to blend the wood switch ties to the > plastic flex ties. > > Otherwise the scale/gauge seems too balkanized for an economically viable > solution. What constitutes 'scale'? Is SHS' fine effort to bridge the gap > from hi-rail to scale to be left out? A suite of switches, crossings and what > not would greatly increase it's appeal to many considering their flex track > product. > > Hi-rail wise SHS has it's #4, AM has it's 27" radius for code 148 as does Am. > S-Gauge for it's code 172. Gargraves has it's own switches and etc. > > Heading down to the basement to start fabrication of another turnout for a > passing siding. #8 BTW. > Ben Trousdale > > --- In [email protected], "ctxmf74" <ctxm@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], tennsgauge@ wrote: > > > > > > I agree completely with Dick on the need for flex-track-compatible > > > motorized turnouts. The lack of this is bound to turn away a number of > > > converts. > > > > Well, HO and N gaugers would certainly want flextrack compatible turnouts > > if they were thinking of switching to S but they wouldn't want them > > motorized. All scale modelers are used to installing their own switch throw > > mechanism , either a tortoise style motor or a bluepoint hand throw or a > > caboose ground throw typically. Motorized turnouts are more from the three > > rail O or Kato unitrack realm. A line of flextrack compatable code 100 DCC > > ready scale turnouts in #5 and #7 frog angles similiar to the Atlas or > > Microengineering HO product would be a nice place to start....dave > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [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! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
