Some of you --
I have just returned from a 16-day vacation and have processed through an
amazing number of S-Scale Yahoo digests. There was one particularly disturbing
thread (to me), the one advising a newbie as to S scale turnout recommendations.
This is a SCALE e-list. Granted that there are AF and hirail members here, but
nearly to a man (woman?), all who have previously chimed in have stated that
they are here to learn things from the scale side of S. In fact, a few have
said they are afraid of posting anything "tinplatey" because of possible
backlash.
That said, I am providing some backlash here.
The newbie (I forget his name-- sorry!) is coming from HO. As such, he is
familiar with the implicit concept that anything he ever bought in HO was
compatible with anything else he ever bought in HO. This is because everything
in HO corresponds to NMRA track and wheel standards. Suggesting hirail and
hybrid turnouts as possibilities for this fellow just opens the door to
confusion and frustration. He obviously has no American Flyer S equipment, so
the ability to run AF and AF-compatible equipment is not a factor for him.
To the new fellow: Stick with Tomalco and Shinohara turnouts. You can get
Tomalco turnouts in several sizes and with either code 100 (main line) and 83
(yards). Be prepared to check the gauge as you lay them because the rails are
glued to the wooden ties. If not in gauge, heat the offending rail with a
soldering gun, reposition it as necessary, then hold until cool. Spike the
rails in place once the turnout is installed.
If you opt for Shinohara turnouts, avoid the No. 6 -- It is too short, and
therefore the curved route is too sharp. The No. 8 is good.
Be aware that if you use DCC, the Tomalco turnouts are available as
"DCC-compatible" for the asking, no extra charge. This means that the points
and closure rails are grounded to the stock rails, and the frog is electrically
insulated from the closure rails. By contrast, the Shinohara turnout is
difficult to make DCC-friendly because the throwbar is metal.
Finally, if you are into customizing your trackwork, Bob Nicholson's
suggestions
are worth heeding. He uses HO turnouts as raw material, lenghtening and
widening them to S dimensions. You don't have to construct your own points,
frogs, and guard rails. This works because HO and S flangeway standards differ
by no more than one hundredth of an inch -- close enough for government work,
as
they say...
Dick Karnes
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