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PostPosted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 4:29 am 
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Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 2:19 am
Posts: 7
I'm building a large HO scale layout. You can read about it at www.thrutherockies.com

I use Micro Engineering track and turnouts. The track is good but I'm a little disappointed when it comes to the code 83 turnouts. I can not get my cars to run smoothly over the turnouts. I always get jumping cars. When I look at the turnouts I can see why. They are simply not that accurate (correct me if I'm wrong here). I want the locos and cars to flow very smoothly over the turnout. I did not have any problem when I used Walthers code 83 turnouts many years ago. Can someone please tell me if you have the same experience with ME turnouts? Will I get better track with Fast Track? And is is hard to build track and turnouts with Fast Track? Is it more expensive? I'm also looking at Proto 87 but I don't know anything about it. Please point me in the right direction so I can build good track in the future.


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:46 am 
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Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:48 am
Posts: 365
Location: East Texas - USA
Benny,

The ME turnouts have a quality control factor that makes their production problematical. All quality commercial ready to lay trunouts have some factor of out of conformance issues. The PECO code 83 have a consistent production of turnouts that are VERY close to correct (being only a few thousandths off in one area). The FastTracks turnouts are correct and dead on conforming when constructed to the instructions. In raw costs the FastTracks are about 25% of the costs for most quality commercial products - but you have to spend the time and effort to do the construction. The skills come very quickly and the videos from FastTracks are excellent.

Going Proto:87 is a very different approach. The specifications are very demanding, and you also have to convert all the wheel sets to P87 as well. P87 has natural constraints of demanding greater curve radius and longer trunouts. Most P87 turnouts have to be built up and constructed either by pure scratch building or with meticulous and time consuming assembly of detailed components. There are no drop in P87 wheel replacements for steam engines - but rolling stock and diesels are well supplied. P87 is a major commitment to high fidelity and requires space for layout geometry that is less compromising that 'standard' HO.

Recommend you review the FastTracks videos. Using their fixtures and developing the skills to construct turnouts will give you superior turnouts and at the lowest cost of any option when you need to produce at least 6 or more of a given turnout size.

-ed-

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.


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