PECO Announces Bullhead Track for OO

[martin_wynne]

You'd probably get away with using a conventional FB Code 75 fishplate and just solder it where the join is to BH. Probably be OK I reckon.

 

Peco have said below that it connects to Code 75 FB using the existing joiners. That will be necessary until a full range of turnout sizes, slips, crossings, etc., become available in bullhead (if ever?).

 

Click image to see in better quality.

 

© PECO / Railway Modeller

 

Martin.

[Gary H]

Peco have said below that it connects to Code 75 FB using the existing joiners. That will be necessary until a full range of turnout sizes, slips, crossings, etc., become available in bullhead (if ever?).

 

Click image to see in better quality.

 

 

Thanks for that Martin, very useful pictures.

I now have the transition from American outline to U.K outline in my head but for me, Il more than likely opt for E.M as my track standard this time around.

I also need to dust off my (very limited)  Templot skills after a 10 year absence , not sure how that'll work out yet to be honest.  

[martin_wynne]

I also need to dust off my (very limited)  Templot skills after a 10 year absence , not sure how that'll work out yet to be honest.

 

Hi Gary,

 

The first thing is to get the latest version -- it's free. 10 years makes a big difference.

 

See: http://templot.com/downloads/download_previous.htm

 

Martin.

[bertiedog]

The current joiners fit the bullhead perfectly in a mechanical sense, and have the top surface aligned, although there is a tiny bit more give in the joint than with flatbottom, which the current fishplates are really designed for.

 

So mixed track is catered for, and is needed with the lack of points, bar kits, so far. Soldering to join is an option , but the heat will get at the plastic, meaning removal of the webbing under the rail near the joint, and pulling back two or three sleepers, then doing the soldering, and then slide the sleepers back into place. Using 148deg solder helps a bit, as does clamping on fine jawed pliers as heat sinks.

Same applies to attaching feeds to the rails, the sleepers must be moved along from the heat.

 

I would say protection from heat is more important with bullhead than the better gripped flatbottom rail section, heat may loosen the grip in the chair a bit.

 

Although there is a special bolt detail fishplate announced by Peco to be coming soon, no mention has been made of an insulating version with bolt detail, or at least a bit finer to go with the bullhead section rail.

 

Stephen

[alfsboy]

Its very bendy track .It easily goes down past a 6 inch radius .At present mine is connected to some code 75 Peco switches and represents the "rest of America" fiddle yard and not permanently stuck down ..Cant wait for some medium radius switches to match it .

[Bernard Lamb]

I'm certain that its the same height to match their current code 75 FB but being as the rail foot is wider on FB anyway, I cant see it fitting directly to BH rail without a special fish plate.

You'd probably get away with using a conventional FB Code 75 fishplate and just solder it where the join is to BH. Probably be OK I reckon.

Don't tell too many people, or the purists might find out, but many people have been using C & L or SMP track with Peco code 75 FB points and joining then with standard Peco joiners for years with out any problems. No need for solder.

Bernard

[bertiedog]

Well, we all knew any points to go with the new bullhead track would take a while, but it seems now not that long, but details are beginning to surface about the prices as they are hand assembled in a different manner to the other points, and trade rumours say about the £30 level as RRP.....good value against other Bullhead kits etc, but priced higher than usual for Peco Streamline etc. As it is ready to use it must be a good buy, and it's only direct competitor will be the RTR DCC points once they are issued.

Stephen

[chris p bacon]

 trade rumours say about the £30 level as RRP.....good value against other Bullhead kits etc, but priced higher than usual for Peco Streamline etc. 

That's higher than I thought it might be, although what it actually retails for might be very different to the RRP

[sp1]

Well, we all knew any points to go with the new bullhead track would take a while, but it seems now not that long, but details are beginning to surface about the prices as they are hand assembled in a different manner to the other points, and trade rumours say about the £30 level as RRP.....good value against other Bullhead kits etc, but priced higher than usual for Peco Streamline etc. As it is ready to use it must be a good buy, and it's only direct competitor will be the RTR DCC points once they are issued.

Stephen

Just curious- where did this information come from?

[bertiedog]

Just curious- where did this information come from?

Both from two shops and a trade source I have known for 40 years! The shops imply it was talked about by Peco reps who are saying the price will be due to hand assembly.

 

Stephen

[sp1]

Both from two shops and a trade source I have known for 40 years! The shops imply it was talked about by Peco reps who are saying the price will be due to hand assembly.

 

Stephen

Thanks.

I might just hold off laying any track until these are available!

[bertiedog]

Easter time is the rumour for the first supplies, I assume Easter 2017!

The track seems widely available, if the shops have ordered it.......

Edited December 29, 2016 by bertiedog

[gr.king]

For those who have been tuned in since the NEC show or earlier, and for those who have read earlier posts, the possibility of a price premium on account of hand assembly shouldn't be a shock.

 

 

Cost of pointwork is going to prove interesting, as I'm told that it may require a lot of hand assembly.

[Dick Turpin]

Having come thus far and waited so long for these I don't think price should be an issue for most. It all seems relative to projected prices for some of the forthcoming premium locos and stock to run on it. As sales volumes increase prices may be expected to decrease perhaps reflecting savings that might made through production of larger volumes. Fingers crossed.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Dick Turpin

[Godfrey Glyn]

Easter time is the rumour for the first supplies, I assume Easter 2017!

The track seems widely available, if the shops have ordered it.......

 

Paul has plenty of the new track in stock at Alton Model Centre, I am impressed enough to have invested in a box. Methinks we need to reassess the standards for the Staplegrove Modules!! 

 

all the best

Godfrey

[hayfield]

For those who have been tuned in since the NEC show or earlier, and for those who have read earlier posts, the possibility of a price premium on account of hand assembly shouldn't be a shock.

 

If the new track has to be hand assembled, whilst costing more in labour costs, tooling costs must be far less. Whilst have little knowledge in the production process and costs a thought comes to mind that if there is no automated process involved and the initial introduction is well received, further models may be forthcoming reasonably quickly

 

As for cost, trackwork is perhaps the last part of railway modelling where prices as well as detail have not got better and increased in price.  

[Joseph_Pestell]

At last, we have some real information to work with. The most interesting, to me anyway, is that Peco intend to retain their standard 12 degree geometry for the BH range.

[coachmann]

Peco HO Streamline was defunct years ago because it simply failed to keep up with the stuff that was mass-produced to run on it. Track is the bedrock of one's set-up and so I feel £30.00 to £50.00 for chaired "British- appearance" points is a good investment on which to run ever more super-detailed locos and rolling stock.

Edited December 29, 2016 by coachmann

[hayfield]

Peco HO Streamline was defunct years ago because it simply failed to keep up with the stuff that was mass-produced to run on it. Track is the bedrock of one's set-up and so I feel £30.00 to £50.00 for chaired "British- appearance" points is a good investment on which to run ever more super-detailed locos and rolling stock.

 

Coachman

 

At last some who do not rubbish the idea of both having decent track to the scale being modelled, and not dependant on rock bottom prices

 

I think it was only 2 or 3 years ago when the subject of better looking 00 gauge/scale track was aired, so many posts declaring those who bemoaned H0 track (for 00 gauge use) as being elitists, and if anyone mentioned hand building that was it.

 

Despite many others either bringing or thinking of bringing 00 gauge/scale track to the market, these again were treated as lepers, and that if anything differed from Peco 00/H0 universal, it was both wrong and not needed.

 

As for paying over £10 for a point, well there were far too many other more important model railway things to buy, rather than needlessly wasting money on track. A whole new theory was introduced as to why 3.5 mm scale track looked better under 4 mm scale locos and rolling stock.

 

Thankfully those detractors have by in large kept away from this thread, Its as if now Peco have entered this market its made 00 track respectable. Hopefully both RTR and kit built track can happily live together as they do with locos, coaches and wagons 

[Joseph_Pestell]

Peco HO Streamline was defunct years ago because it simply failed to keep up with the stuff that was mass-produced to run on it. Track is the bedrock of one's set-up and so I feel £30.00 to £50.00 for chaired "British- appearance" points is a good investment on which to run ever more super-detailed locos and rolling stock.

I think that price level will mean that it is a very niche product that they will not sell much of. And retailers may well hesitate to invest in stocks of it.

 

In a sense, not a big problem in that production will be limited by the need to make by hand. I wonder whether they might sub it out to another firm.

[martin_wynne]

If the reports of "hand-assembled" Peco pointwork are true, it is entirely possible that Peco could provide it as a kit, at a significantly lower price.

 

Martin.

[Dick Turpin]

I think that price level will mean that it is a very niche product that they will not sell much of. And retailers may well hesitate to invest in stocks of it.

I totally disagree. In fact I expect they are going to struggle to keep up with demand once the range is in shops and expanding. Who is going to plump for inferior alternatives that look awful in comparison just because they are cheaper, not me for a start. As Coachmann says, it’s an investment!

[Joseph_Pestell]

If the reports of "hand-assembled" Peco pointwork are true, it is entirely possible that Peco could provide it as a kit, at a significantly lower price.

 

Martin.

That would be a very sensible option.

[Joseph_Pestell]

I totally disagree. In fact I expect they are going to struggle to keep up with demand once the range is in shops and expanding. Who is going to plump for inferior alternatives that look awful in comparison just because they are cheaper, not me for a start. As Coachmann says, it’s an investment!

RMWeb members are not typical of the wider model railway community, many of whom are still quite happy with Setrack. They are not going to pay £30+ for points when, to them, acceptable alternatives are available from around a tenner.

[Budgie]

If the reports of "hand-assembled" Peco pointwork are true, it is entirely possible that Peco could provide it as a kit, at a significantly lower price.

If they provide their points and crossings as kits, then sooner or later people are going to want to use them as a basis for making their own customised trackwork. Peco have already planted the seeds of this idea by publishing Graham Nicholas's 3-part series Permanent Way Matters in the August to October 2016 Railway Modeller.