Timely reading

I found this article very timely, as I've been considering what track to use for my next layout.  For a long time, I was going Unitrack because it has such good reliability and you can lay it down, pull it up and move it all around easily.  On my first N scale layout, I had a lot of trouble with track reliability, but I realize now that had more to do with how I laid the track than anything, not to mention the lesser quality of the engines I used. 

So now, after reading this column and looking at FastTracks, I'm really leaning toward ME Code 55 track and FastTracks jigs and just using my Unitrack for staging areas.  You can definitely see the difference here.  I look forward to more articles from you, Bernie.

Bernard: Excellent column!

Bernard:

Excellent column! I'd like to add a note to the code 40 availability. Aspen Models sells ready made code 40 turnouts, only they are very pricey!

Aspen Models

Denny,

Thanks for the update. The last time I checked Aspen Models had only narrow gauge (or is it gage) N Scale turnouts. I just checked their website, but really couldn't tell if they offered N Scale code 40 turnouts, so  I am gald you pointed that out.

As an aside,  I enjoy your layout blog. Where in Italy are you? My daughter may be in Italy this summer for school, and my wife and I might visit. She will be about 60KM north of Venice.

Ciao,

BCK

Bernard, the last time I

Bernard,

the last time I checked their website it was a lot clearer! Now it's very confused and poorly usable. However I think their code 40 turnouts are the following items:

1050 40

1051 40

they are about $37 each at today exchange rate. Aspen Model also sells three-way, double-slip switches and curved turnouts.

3-way sells for more than $80, curved are about $40 while you can get a code 40 double-slip for as low as $110

I hope your daughter will enjoy her Italy trip, I'm not actually close to Venice (I think I'm 250 miles west of it); anyway, when you get to Italy from US (or through UK), you will likely land at the Malpensa airport which is a 30 minutes drive or 20 minutes train ride from my home town which is here.

Please contact me if you like, I would be glad to meet you!

Bernie: Very helpful column!

 BCK

Thanks for the well-researched analysis.  The figures are particularly good.  The Peco sleight of hand with code 80 as code 55 was interesting, but I think you've sold me on ME or Atlas code 55.  Really helpful to know all this before I get started!

Looking forward to the next column--

Cheers,

SCS

So are you going to do N Scale?

Steve,

Good to hear from you. Are you planning to go with N Scale?

BTW I visited the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian last week. I went over my lunch break as it is only a couple blocks from my office. It was pretty cool.  The cafeteria there was good too.

BCK

N Scale definitely

 BCK

Definitely N Scale, in part because I love scenery as well as the trains.  I'm going to enjoy your columns.

....NMAI is definitely impressive.  I visited once not long after it opened.  I know one of its designers--in fact, he's an MIT grad.

This new magazine is a lot of fun, and what beautiful graphics!

Best,

SCS

Love the Track Info - Can You Do a Code 40 Follow Up?

Dear Bernie,

Don't mean to turn this into a "love fest", but wanted to take the opportunity to say thanks for all of the contributions to model railroading (articles, manufacturing, now being part of this really cool ezine).

As an N-Scale devotee also on the verge of starting a new layout, I'd really love you to do a follow up article that breaks down the info/sources/benefits & issues of using Code 40 track (besides the closer to scale fidelity) similar to this article.

Keep up the great work, I'll be looking forward to your next contribution!

code 40

 J.D,

Thanks for the note. The situation for code 40 is not very good at this point. As I mentioned ME makes a code 40 flex track, but I heard that the tooling is worn out and they are not making it anymore. I need to verify it that is still true.

Denny says that Aspen Models makes code 40 Turnouts, but I could not verify that by looking at their website. It was not easy for me to navigate.

Code 40 is so small that spiking is not an option, so you are pretty much going to need to use soldered ties or perhaps glued rails. Fast tracks will make jigs for code 40 turnouts, which can help.

That's about all there is in code 40 right now. 

If anyone else has information to share, please let us know.

BCK

Bernard, Aspen Model website

Bernard,

Aspen Model website is awfully unusable, what a pity. However, I reported in a previous post what I believe are the article numbers of code 40 turnouts together with MSRP in USD. Maybe a Google search based on that articles could give more info.

Column feedback

Hi Bernard,

The first issue of the online magazine is excellent, so keep up the good work and pass my congratulations to the team. Landed with a thump on my digital doormat though, 70+ megabytes - wow!

I enjoyed your article which was a very thoughtful survey of what's available track-wise for N scale. It was timely and useful for me as I'm currently building my first US outline layout here in the UK, having worked in 2mm finescale since 1982. I've chosen to use Atlas track in preference to the home produced Peco product for one important issue- it actually looks like US railroad track. 

For me, the scene I'm modelling has to look right, both with and without trains.  Peco track is actually a compromise which represents neither British or US track, if anything, it looks like the type of mainline track used in Europe.  I find it instantly recognisable for what it is and a jarring element in the visual side of N scale, particularly their use of code 80 blades in code 55 pointwork.

My guiding priciple is "don't model other models, model what you see in real life", or in my case for the US project, photos in books, magazines and online. A magnifying glass is your friend here.

In the past, I've always handlaid my track, both in standard and 3ft narrow gauge, using 2mm Scale Association components but for this new layout, I've chosen to use ready to lay track, so I'm on a bit of a learning curve, having never used it before. 

The 2mm finescale standards date back to about 1960, having been laid down by a pioneering father & son combination, "Pop" & Bert Groves.  Both track and wheels are carefully matched with tight but achievable tolerances. This is absolutely essential. The Association supplies a good series of materials for building track and a private consortium of members has produced "2mm Easitrac", an injection moulded sleeper (tie) base for chaired Bullhead rail. This is proving very popular and a matching pointwork system is under development. It's worth mentioning that we work to 2mm/foot scale (1:152) on 9.42mm gauge track. 

N by contrast has been riot of variation over the years but fortunately, now shows good signs of settling down to the NMRA standards. The locos I've acquired for my Rock Island project will nearly all run on the Atlas track without modification but I have had to do a little regauging here and there, combined with some reduction of the flanges on one or two older locos (skimmed down in a lathe). I've got a mix of Bachmann, Life-Like, Kato and Atlas locos, chosen specifically to match my Rock Island transition era theme. Rolling stock gets Micro-trains low profile wheels for now but I may change to metal wheels later on. So far, this all looks to work pretty well in conjunction with the Atlas track.

I agree that Code 40 rail would preclude the use of spikes or moulded spike heads.  Soldered construction is very tolerant and would even allow the use of N scale pizza cutters provided they were no deeper than 35 to 38 thou. Having looked at and tried samples of ME code 40 flex-track, I'm not sure I'd be confident in committing to use it on a layout, the spike heads look too poorly moulded on my examples.

As for the Aspen track, people who have used it for Nn3 report that it suffers from degradation over time. It's nice looking stuff but the glue bond between the ties and rails breaks down to the point where you're left with the raw components. Not good, unfortunately.

I've written a bit on N scale narrow gauge track here: http://www.zen98812.zen.co.uk/track.html and the Nn3 handbook (available from Republic Loco Works) has a lot more information for NG fans that's also relevant to standard gauge.

Well that's probably enough to be going on with.  Perhaps I need to "blog" progress on my US layout but I'm not very good at keeping up with things like that. I do have some photos online at: http://markfielder.fotopic.net/c1540498.html and here's also my British outline layout http://markfielder.photobook.org.uk/c97460_1.html

bye for now

Mark Fielder

Keep us posted

Mark,

Thanks for the reply and the additional information you posted.  I had not heard about the issue with Aspen track before.

Please keep us updated on the progress of your layout.

Thanks,

BCK

Great article!

Hi Bernard,

just finished reading your first Comme-N-tary.

Wow! It's awsome.

I'm a newbie in this hobby and just started planning my first layout. It turned out it will be in N scale (I always thought I'd go in HO) so I'm diving deep in this "new" scale.

I found your article simply perfect, I can't find enough word to tell how clear and useful it was to me.

So, what else? I hope you're going to keep us updated with more and more info and experiences on this topic and the N-scale in general.

My best regards,

Ricky4208.

Suggestions for future columns

Ricky,

Thanks for the feedback. Do you have any suggestions on what future columns might cover?

Take care,

BCK

Hello Bernard, as I wrote I'm

Hello Bernard,

as I wrote I'm an absolute beginner so any topic is interesting.

If I had to express a preference I'd like to see more on track-related stuff. I mean, differences and common features of turnouts from several manufacturers, pros-and-cons of each type based on your experience, close-up photos as in Figure 11 of you columns where you can clearly see the differences. Also, maybe it would be interesting some live tests (a video?) about how a typical car  -a 40' or a 50' feet or longer car- would perform on each one depending on the number of the turnout. I'm thinking about something similar to what Joe did in his article "New curve guidelines".

I could go on with many more topics (from locomotives to coplers, from bencwork contructon to detailing structures) but...

Probably all that may sound boring to an intermediate/advanced modeller but would be great for me

Thanks again.

Regards, Ricky4208.

 

Code 40 Turnouts

There is a code 40 turnout maker who sells through eBay.  His seller ID is jscottw and his store is called "JSW custom trains."

No affiliation, but I've bought several turnouts and they're a quality product.  He uses Fast Track jigs to make his products.

Final thought:  Code 40 does look nice.  But the most beautiful layout I've ever seen, BAR NONE, is Mike Danneman's.  And Mike uses Peco code 80.  Painted and ballasted, you really have to look close to notice it's not "scale."  

Small code rail

Using small code rail really only matters if realistic "railfan view" photos are important to you.

At typical standing distances when running trains, nicely ballasted and weathered track that uses "out of scale" rail codes will look just fine and you'll never notice.

Note that the photos Mike Danneman publishes are largely broad sweeping scenes that show off his fantastic scenery. If Mike was to take a railfan's eye view photo of the trains, the code 80 rail will not look as realistic as a similar scene with code 40 or code 55 rail.

There's really no other reason to use such small rail except low angle photos - or perhaps peace of mind that your track is also in scale.
 

Code 40 and 55 vs Code 80 Rail in N-Scale

I really wonder how important it is to use code 40 or 55 rail in N-Scale. I am sure any scene might look more realistic, assuming the viewer is both sophisticated enough and/or knowledgeable enough, to understand what he or she is looking at. However, I am more interested in trying to duplicate car float operations as they were and are being done than in using scale size rail. In addition, I am also a bit of a cheapskate in that I can't justify buying more flex track and lengths when I have so much of it not being used right now.

There may come a point in time when I'll do that but that time has no come yet.

Irv

I agree, Mike's layout looks wonderful

 one correction - he uses Peco code 55, which is of course code 80 rail with a unique "double flange" that's buried in the ties to all that's above the surface of the ties is .055" - 

Marty

ballast color helps too

One other point to consider. Mike Danneman uses Peco code 55 track. As I beleive I said in my column the major difference between Peco track and ME/Atlas code 55 is the size and spacing of ties. Since DRGW uses a black ballast, the black ties blend in and the difference is less obvious.

But, when you visit Mikes layout the overall impression is so wonderful, that trust me, even the most jaded rivet counter will have a hard time looking at the ties. His layout is easily one of the best in the US in any scale.

Couplers

Hi Bernie,

If you are searching for topics for future columns, I would love to see a roundup of N scale couplers. Currently I only have experience with MT couplers, and while they work reliably, one annoying factor is the amount of slack they introduce into a long train. Is there any way around this? Do other knuckle couplers in N have this problem too? Which ones work best with manual and automatic uncoupling? Which brands will couple with each other? Which one looks the most realistic? Perhaps a strength test, like MR did with their HO coupler article from a few years back. Thanks!

Couplers