Atlas track work

I believe only Atlas produces fixed-geometry track to those dimensions. I hope you can find a UK distributor, as shipping from the USA would probably cost a fortune (most dealers prefer to ship by courier rather than the US Postal System).

I use Atlas flextrack, which is cheaper than Peco in Canada, and have some of the rigid staights and curves, but I don't like the appearance of the Atlas turnouts, even in the recently improved version. (If you do buy Atlas, be sure to get the new stuff with finer rail fastenings. The old stuff was slightly over-gauge, too, for fine wheels.)

Although they are both Code 100, there is a very slight difference in rail height when joined, but I don't find it a problem.

In message , Graham Harrison writes

Mac's might not stock it, but they'll order it for you. They ordered some for me when I asked them. You'll have to buy complete packs, though.

Have a look at the attached software, it supports Atlas and Peco trackwork.

You are not limited to Atlas track. You can substitute any brand of HO track that comes in the same radii and straights. Eg, if the Atlas plan calls for 17 pieces of 18" radius track, any 18" radius track will work. It so happens that all HO track I know of will work. Unlike the UK market, there's none of that silly variation in track between manufacturers. The only catch is that some brands don't have the wider radii (eg, 22".) Also, the points may not be exact matches for Atlas points, so that passing loops, industrial spurs, etc, may not be exactly as shown on the Atlas plan.

You could use any UK brand of OO track, for that matter, but you won't get exactly the same overall length and width. But if the Atlas plan appeals to you, it's because of its arrangement of tracks. Sectional track of different geometry can be used to create a similar arrangement. How close you get to the actual Atlas plan is a matter of your ingenuity, is all.

In order to figure out whether a particular brand of sectional track will do the job, buy a straight, one each of the curves, and a pair of points, etc. Make photocopies of them. Cut them out, and arrange them as shown in the Atlas book. That way, you will find out just how closely you can duplicate the Atlas plan.

You might also find it easy to change the plan. Or even to invent one of your own. Trackplanning is a hobby in itself....

Have fun!

Peco Set-track should be close enough. I wouldn't recommend trying to lay flex track to small radii when there is a suitable train set track as the chances of creating a bend rather than a perfect curve is too great. I'd suggest the Peco Set-track turnouts for #4s and Peco Streemline 2' radius for #6s. Atlas 15", 18" and 22" radii aren't, those are the nearest rounded inch measurements.

Greg.P. NZ

Actually, all Peco Streamline points, with their 12-degree crossing angle, are 1 in 4.75. The crossing angle for 1 in 6 points is 9 1/2 degrees. The nearest Peco gets to 1 in 6 is in their code 83 range where they do 1 in 6 points, but it is difficult to use those with code 100 as they don't do a conversion track (although Shinohara do, and their code

I wasn't trying to suggest that the Peco points were those angles, I was suggesting that the Peco turnouts were similar. The geometry of turnouts isn't neccessarily the same, for example the generally accepted US style turnout has little curve at all whereas the (2'r) Peco turnouts represent turnouts with a reasonably constant curve throughout the diverging route.

Due to the room I want to put it in I will have to change the layout somewhat (from an L to a U) so I suspect I'm going to bite the bullet and use the Atlas layout as a suggestion and build somthing in Peco.

Yes, they have said so. I need about USD250 worth. At that price I'm almost tempted to spend a long weekend in Boston! By the time they import it, pay duty and ship it to me I'll probably pay round about GBP210 - if I buy it in Boston thats GBP125 (which is less than my duty free allowance and if I wait till next year that will become GBP290 so I could bring back other stuff as well). I know I can't get an air fare for GBP85 LON/BOS/LON but in February I can GBP106 fare plus 162.60 taxes (!) for a total of 286.60 so the total cost is tempting.

Greg Procter wrote: [...]

Where are you measuring the radius?

Hi Jane,

Not quite. They all have an EXIT angle of 12 degrees (except the short diamond- crossing and short Y-turnout, which are 24 degrees exit).

But only the small radius turnouts have an actual V-crossing (frog) angle of

For some detailed dimensions, see:

Martin.

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Not for the first time, the server running the templot.info database has been hacked. Apologies. Please do not visit the previously given links.

The templot.info database is privately provided by Jonathan Bayer, it's not part of my Templot web site. I'm grateful to Jonathan for providing it on his own server, but this is one hack too many. I'm now going to remove all linking from

regards,

Martin.

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"Graham Harrison" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@bt.com...

So, I went and downloaded a copy of DRail. Works for me except....

According to the Peco HO/OO Planbook there is a combination of setrack that can be used to create a triangle. DRail won't complete it. I always get a slight gap. I'm not really asking for info - I'll send Drail en e-mail but if anyone knows how to create a triangle (shortest possible sides) in Setrack other than what is shown in the planbook could they please post it?

On the bench.

In geometric terms the smallest triangle by are would be an equalateral triangle. In Peco geometry that would be a turnout plus curve(s) to make 60 degrees at each 'corner' with three same handed turnouts. Three equal length straights would complete the triangle. A perhaps more practical arrangement would be a straight base track with a left and a right turnout facing, a full 90 degree curve made up of a base turnout curve, set-track curves to complete 90 degrees followed by the straight side of the third turnout and then a freeform curve to join the two remaining turnout curves. Of course, how a triangle or "wye" is actually set out depends more on the space your layout has available and how you would like your scenery arranged.

Greg.P.

Somehow I don't think that was what Wolf meant ;-)

Wolf should know by now that after (my) nearly fifty years in the hobby I know how to measure track radius! =8^)

Regards, Greg.P.

Then you could easily have given the right answer (and radii) instead of teasing.

You don't think Wolf was teasing by asking how I measure radius???

I don't have any Atlas track handy - I've got "18 inch" and "22 inch" on hidden parts of my layout but they are on sections where I can no longer easily measure them. I did, at the time of laying measure them and I did at that time conclude that the inch measure radius was a rounded figure. In fact physically measuring set track radii is difficult because the rail ends are rarely at precisely 90 degrees so track sections pushed together will not give a constant curve. I used a trammel to create a centre line and then placed the track over that line. When I had achieved a visually constant curve with the track sections they were _not_ aligned precisely over the stated radius line, hence my comment that the inch radius is a rounding of the actual radius.

Greg.P. NZ.