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Peco Spring report 2020


PaulRhB
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1 hour ago, PaulRhB said:

... they will be asking what next for the Bullhead range. 

So we, the end customers, need to let our retailer know what we would purchase.

 

My suggestion will be very simple, try a large point that abandons Streamline's fixed geometry; go for something like a B10, for a yet better product. Just as the model loco makers have dumped the old open frame motor and direct drive onto axle, it's time the dated 'fixed geometry' system saw the trash can, for a superior flexitrack system.

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Please please pretty please may we have a diamond crossing with one route curved to match one of the standard curve radii?  Ideally second / medium points radius because that would be the most common in use, I would suggest.

 

How many of us have had to adjust track spacing or delve into the dark art of hand-built crossings in order to accurately replicate a very common piece of track?  

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The new streamline code100 small radius curved points look like setrack geometry curved points? 

 

If they are drop in replacements. the unifrog/live frog options would improve running on many layouts I suspect?

 

Or do they give streamline track spacing rather than setrack?

 

Angus

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23 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Please please pretty please may we have a diamond crossing with one route curved to match one of the standard curve radii?  Ideally second / medium points radius because that would be the most common in use, I would suggest.

 

How many of us have had to adjust track spacing or delve into the dark art of hand-built crossings in order to accurately replicate a very common piece of track?  

You need a properly curved point to take advantage of a curved diamond

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33 minutes ago, Mike Storey said:

The move to Code 70 is very interesting. Just as I have bought the last bits of Code 83 for my planned layout. I wonder what that is about??

For yard tracks and lighter lines, Shortlines and smaller / older steam lines to complement the mainline code 83. 

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35 minutes ago, Mike Storey said:

The move to Code 70 is very interesting. Just as I have bought the last bits of Code 83 for my planned layout. I wonder what that is about??

It’s not a move, it’s an additional range. Code 83 replicates ‘main line’ running rails, the code 70 will be suitable for shortline use and sidings, the geometry as I understand it will be identical across the 83/70 point range.

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14 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

So we, the end customers, need to let our retailer know what we would purchase.

 

My suggestion will be very simple, try a large point that abandons Streamline's fixed geometry; go for something like a B10, for a yet better product. Just as the model loco makers have dumped the old open frame motor and direct drive onto axle, it's time the dated 'fixed geometry' system saw the trash can, for a superior flexitrack system.

The trouble is it all fits together, so anything different would not be entirely compatible.

 

Real pointwork is largely bespoke. 

The existing bullhead points seem to be a little flexible, so maybe a longer, truly flexible point will allow bespoke configurations to be modelled & would be easy to produce.

 

The OLE portals look good. Having tried building my pwn in the past, I have found it hard to make one which is robust without looking vastly over-scale.

 

As for other products, the Tactile Platform Pavoirs may be a small item but potentially very useful. I have been trying to get accurate platforms for years & the existing Wills products may be accurate, but not for anything I see regularly.

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20 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

The trouble is it all fits together, so anything different would not be entirely compatible.

 

Real pointwork is largely bespoke. 

The existing bullhead points seem to be a little flexible, so maybe a longer, truly flexible point will allow bespoke configurations to be modelled & would be easy to produce...

True, and there's no way to fully bespoke from RTL points.

 

But is 'full compatability' within a track range truly essential? Market the 'partly compatible' item as 'Advanced' or some other positive branding, with a clear explanation of the benefits and restrictions, and see how the customers take to it. We are coping with many other such 'partly compatible' situations in this hobby; most markedly couplers I would suggest.

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I do like the Bullhead medium points.  If I was seriously thinking about a new layout or replacing the track of my existing one, it would make the choice of track type easier.  Not sure whether a small point would be necessary, though.  A small point would be useful for loco release to run around loops (no wagons or carriages would go through) and loco sheds, but at a pinch, the Code 75 flat-bottomed rail ones could be used, with a bit of weathering and "careless" ballasting to disguise them.

 

Many people would like larger radius points, which would look really great on layouts that model main or secondary lines.

 

What I would like is a simple way of switching polarity for Unifrog points for the purpose of frog and DC power routing.  I know that Tortoise and Cobalt point motors do that, but I am a bit mean with money and also like to operate points by hand.  A cheap, unobtrusive, hand-operated lever with built in microswitch to attach to Unifrog points would be of great interest to me.

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3 minutes ago, Richard Lee said:

Not sure whether a small point would be necessary, though.  
. . . .

Many people would like larger radius points,

I think small radius would be equally as popular, if not more so, for smaller layouts especially with the Pecketts, Barclays and Terriers etc. Breweries, Collieries, docks & factories all had examples of smaller radii trackwork and as micros are very popular with the space available to many I reckon would probably sell more than x-large radii. The larger radii are ok for club layouts and a minority of home layouts but increasingly people don’t have the space and if they do tend to custom build flowing switches and crossings. Peco is looking for the mass market and I suspect x-large would fall into the same sales number bracket as the EM commissions and require a sponsor. 

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27 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

I think small radius would be equally as popular, if not more so, for smaller layouts especially with the Pecketts, Barclays and Terriers etc. Breweries, Collieries, docks & factories all had examples of smaller radii trackwork and as micros are very popular with the space available to many I reckon would probably sell more than x-large radii.....[snip]

Forgot about that.:blush:  There are some very nice industrial locos around, so industrial layouts are a reasonable bet now.  Must admit that my junction to BLT 'L' shape would find more use for small than for extra-large points, although I want to keep minimum radius for anything except light engines to no less than 30", ideally 3'.

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On 27/01/2020 at 20:15, Gwiwer said:

Please please pretty please may we have a diamond crossing with one route curved to match one of the standard curve radii? 

 

r/h curve or l/h curve? I agree with you about the need for diamonds with a curved route for double junctions but it needs two, not one.

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I’d like see a very tight radius OO set track curve, possibly implemented as inlaid track, somewhere between 6.5” and 9” radius to allow the truly space-starved to have a continuous run for their Barclays and Pecketts plus short wheelbase wagons.

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2 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

I think small radius would be equally as popular, if not more so, for smaller layouts especially with the Pecketts, Barclays and Terriers etc. Breweries, Collieries, docks & factories all had examples of smaller radii trackwork and as micros are very popular with the space available to many I reckon would probably sell more than x-large radii...

 

30 minutes ago, MPR said:

I’d like see a very tight radius OO set track curve, possibly implemented as inlaid track, somewhere between 6.5” and 9” radius to allow the truly space-starved to have a continuous run for their Barclays and Pecketts plus short wheelbase wagons.

There is a logic to this, in that we expect 'main line' locos and stock in reality limited to 5 or 6 chain minimum radius to operate on a minimum radius scaling just under two chains. So why not a similar reduction in model track radii for the small locos capable of negotiating curves down to about two and half chains*, and wagon stock good for one chain or thereabouts? Worth suggesting as there is now a good selection of very short wheelbase locos.

 

*That's my recollection of the minimum plain track radius that UK 0-4-0T would negotiate, someone correct me if wrong.

 

(And if it was produced how often would there be questions posted asking 'How do I get my pacific to go around the new 'inset track' curves?',)

 

 

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1 hour ago, MPR said:

I’d like see a very tight radius OO set track curve, possibly implemented as inlaid track, somewhere between 6.5” and 9” radius to allow the truly space-starved to have a continuous run for their Barclays and Pecketts plus short wheelbase wagons.

 

I'd very much agree about the desirability of inlaid track, either as an insert, or complete track sections.  

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8 hours ago, MPR said:

I’d like see a very tight radius OO set track curve, possibly implemented as inlaid track, somewhere between 6.5” and 9” radius to allow the truly space-starved to have a continuous run for their Barclays and Pecketts plus short wheelbase wagons.

 Tillig Luna tram track offers that, at a cost.

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3 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

 Tillig Luna tram track offers that, at a cost.

I tried the Luna range but to be honest the flat plastic is a bit useless unless you want tarmac and the points aren’t great for 4 wheel stock. I’m looking at replacing all the inserts with embossed foam sheet cut using the Luna parts as templates. 

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6 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

I tried the Luna range but to be honest the flat plastic is a bit useless unless you want tarmac . 

Presumably you got the bitumen/concrete ones rather than  the paving stone ones. Note your comment re the points, they do seem to be relatively cheap in comparison to the plain track being around 45% more than  a 316.5mm straight compared to normal setrack where the equivalents are around 350% more, or the plain track is very expensive.

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