Shinohara code 83 turnouts with ME track?

Your issue won't be so much with any possible mismatched rail profile, solvable with a little filing, but rather with the poor assembly tolerances of the Shinohara product over the results who know you can get from the Fast Tracks built turnout. Yes, the fixtures are not cheap, but ask yourself, "how much is reliability worth?".

Its been awhile, but I seem

Its been awhile, but I seem to recall that the ME rail was also thinner then the Walthers stuff.

Blayne, with a little work on

Blayne, with a little work on the front end you could easily use your existing Fastracks templates to build this double crossover. The only thing you will need to do is use a Fastracks paper template for the center diamond. Should be fairly easy to cobble together. 

Compromises and cobbling

Joining the finer ME rail to another brand, as noted above, is your most expedient approach. I've done something similar where I transition from Atlas flex to ME rail - in my case, I used a short length of ME rail soldered into an Atlas joiner, which was in turn soldered to the Atlas rail. A compromise joint, of sorts. 

Building the center diamonds is something I've done on a paper template. Not easy, but I was able to apply what I learned from building on Fast Tracks fixtures to make it doable. The following link goes to photos I took during the build, which you may find useful.  I chose this route for the same reason you're asking the question - I was having trouble justifying the cost of a fixture for limited use, and wanted to remain consistent with my track work. 

http://goodman312.zenfolio.com/p1058566081​

Another option would be to build two single crossovers end to end, if space allows. 

this is what I cobbled

this is what I cobbled together by working with the paper templates and a little creativity. 

By the way Matt, very nice crossing.

Crossing aesthetics

Neil,

it needed some cleaning up, but functions fine. One of the two I built should have been a curve,  it I was t courageous enough to take that on. Kudos to you for executing that on yours - it looks good. 

Blayne, you should give it a try. Worst case, you have a soldered mess of rail, but with new experience gained!

Tracks?

You can sort of see off to one side that I used a Shinohara curved turnout in HO on my On30 layout (there’s another one right past this one out of frame). Each end of these curved ones is connected to ME On30 flex track, all of which is code 83. I had zero problem laying them all together or having problems with connections.

I know it’s not exactly your question, but rails are rails and the only difference I have is the tie profile under the ME track.

"with a little work on the

    Yeah, if you've figured out how to use the fast tracks jig you should be able to figure out how to make a diamond crossing. Perhaps a commercial crossing could even be found to eliminate this problem?  Thinking about this stuff is usually harder than doing it :> ) ......DaveB

Thanks for all the

Thanks for all the suggestions!  It would be fun to try and build a crossover using the turnout template. 

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Blayne

You can always sell the

You can always sell the fixture on eBay when you're done. 

Randy

My experiences in Code 83

Once a year I get to use a layout built with code 83 Walthers-Shinohara switches and Micro Engineering track.  The experience reaffirms my personal decision to never use Shinohara switches, and to strongly recommend others not to use them.  I highly recommend you explore using the Fast Tracks jigs or similar to build what you need.  I've been told the Peco code 83 rail section is pretty close to ME, and should work together better.

The rail profiles are different, which almost requires soldering to keep things in place.  Walthers joiners do not hold the ME rail well, and ME joiners don't like to slide onto Walthers rail.  One can file the rail to a point, but then the ME joiner spreads out too far to hold things in alignment.

The code 83 rail section differences are similar to prototype issues with differing rail sections/profiles.  Off the top of my head for 90 lb rail there are 9020 & 9040 sections, and CNW 100 is real close.  The angle bars (joiners) and tie plates won't interchange, so the MOW crews have to keep supplies of each. 

Give it a try....

Since my track spacing was wider than the Fast-tracks double-crossoverover jig (and it is WAY expensive), I just used my plain #6 turnout jig and frog/point tool to build a double crossover. The frog tool can be used to make all the other frogs needed for the crossover. I used full width PC ties for much of it. It was a challenge, but it works great. Fast-tracks turnouts give the smoothest operation I have ever had in a turnout. I can back any length train through in any direction with no derailments. The wiring is a real bear, too, but if you check the Fast-track web site there are very good schematics there for Tortoise contact wiring to make every rail live for the selected route. Go for it!

Double Croosover

I use the Fast Track jigs building switches my layout, still in progress. I would use your #6 jig and built you switches part of the crossovers with extra length on the turnout rails and then purchase a couple of quick stick laser cut crossovers and lay the 4 switches on the quick stick, then place the paper template where the crossover would be and  built your crossover. Connect all the pieces together and you'd have you crossover, on a crossover quick stick 

Just an idea

Dave

Mount Joy, PA

That's what I use

Late to the game here, but I use Walthers-Shinohara Turnouts with ME track and I have no issues. I do file the tips of the rails where they meet to ensure a smooth transtion, but it works well for me.