PECO Announces Bullhead Track for OO

[Mike Storey]

To a certain extent, I agree, although it will be difficult to mix the existing flat bottom rail with the new bullhead as per real life, which is what many of us want to do.  New lines in flat bottom (preferably Code 82/83) and sidings etc still in bullhead (using the new track that Peco have now produced).  At the moment I use the C&L / Exactoscale product for flat bottom plain line, but that has concrete sleepers.  Matching turnouts is the biggest gap in the market and the market for these would probably be largest if it was created with timber bearers (given that concrete point and crossing work is largely confined to the 21st Century).

 

Agree. More "British looking" RTL Code 83 would be a great solution, as there really would be a noticeable difference. It is not difficult to mix 75 with 83 - I have been doing it recently. A touch with a bit of wet&dry leaves no discernible bump, and the rail joiners fit both with little effort. However, this may not be a commercial proposition for Peco. But these days, who knows?

[Joseph_Pestell]

Remember that Peco already do Code 82 FB products in their Individulay range. So they already have a good starting point.

 

I was expecting them to go that way rather than attempt BH with its problems of needing manual assembly.

[Stephen Freeman]

Remember that Peco already do Code 82 FB products in their Individulay range. So they already have a good starting point.

 

I was expecting them to go that way rather than attempt BH with its problems of needing manual assembly.

I would not be surprised if Peco come up with a solution themselves. It is perfectly possible to match up Code 143 FB and Code 125 BH in 7mm scale, using C&L fishplates or if you prefer, Peco do an adapter section. I would expect something similar eventually in 4m scale from Peco.

[raymw]

Manual assembly in the factory, using jigs , fixtures and special tooling is not the same as assembling a few point kits by hand at home. It should not be a deal breaker.

Edited January 17, 2017 by raymw

[martin_wynne]

Manual assembly in the factory, using jigs , fictures and special tooling

 

 

Edited January 17, 2017 by martin_wynne

[Limpley Stoker]

 

http://youtu.be/kKTWtk4UO0U

Will the turnouts be wireless too?

[bertiedog]

Having had the track now for a few weeks and laid some, it works fine, but there are a couple of points to bear in mind, the track is more delicate to handling before laying, and of the track  delivered 3 pieces had one sleeper with the rail section out of the chairs.

 

It pays to lay out the track on a flat surface, and look along it to see if any chairs have been missed, or popped out in handling, mine came straight from the box, three had popped out on three out of the box.

 

Being bullhead rail section, I found the rail section will snap back into place, just check  the chair is in inline as pressure is applied, or ease open with a small screwdriver. You could of course slid the whole section out and re-thread, but that is very time consuming.

 

The track is less forgiving of the state of the surface it is laid on, it follows any bumps and dips more easily than the code75 flatbottom, which is more rigid.

 

The existing fishplates for code 75 fit, but new ones are due soon, hopefully with a new plastic one for insulation, as the plastic one is very noticeable especially after paint is applied.

 

Now awaiting the points...........

[coachmann]

The track is less forgiving of the state of the surface it is laid on, it follows any bumps and dips more easily than the code75 flatbottom, which is more rigid.

 

The existing fishplates for code 75 fit, but new ones are due soon, hopefully with a new plastic one for insulation, as the plastic one is very noticeable especially after paint is applied.

 

Now awaiting the points...........

It was ever thus with C+L and SMP bullhead track (except for rail out of chairs on delivery), but the above is a timely piece of advice for anyone used to laying the old  Peco Streamline. A friend of mine said he had difficulty putting Peco Code 75 rail joiners onto the new bullhead rail, so it sounds as if the rail stem is thicker than bullhead used in other brands of track. I say this because Peco fishplates were often quite loose on bullhead and I used to squeeze them with pliers when electrical contact was lost in my pre-DCC lazy-wiring days...

Edited January 23, 2017 by coachmann

[hayfield]

It was ever thus with C+L and SMP bullhead track (except for rail out of chairs on delivery), but the above is a timely piece of advice for anyone used to laying the old  Peco Streamline. A friend of mine said he had difficulty putting Peco Code 75 rail joiners onto the new bullhead rail, so it sounds as if the rail stem is thicker than bullhead used in other brands of track. I say this because Peco fishplates were often quite loose on bullhead and I used to squeeze them with pliers when electrical contact was lost in my pre-DCC lazy-wiring days...

The thicker C&L/Exactoscale track is more robust than the thinner C&L and SMP tracks, how it compares with Peco bullhead I no not

[250BOB]

Have any comparisons been made between the Peco offering and that of  DCC Concepts.......both from a cost point of view, and quality point of view.

Bob

[Junctionmad]

Have any comparisons been made between the Peco offering and that of  DCC Concepts.......both from a cost point of view, and quality point of view.

Bob

I have all three C&L exactoscale , DCC concepts and PECO.  ( I did a review of DCC a while back) .  The Peco compares well and in fact is now my ready made bullhead of choice.  Its a bit cheaper then  the other ( though not by much , although  its likely to be discounted ) .  The chair detail is nice and unlike the exactoscale , the base webbing makes it easier to lay in nice curves , I find I have to cut the exactoscale fast track webs.

 

Its robustness is similar  as all the others, The DCC  concepts is by far the lest robust  and its now not my rail of choice as Im bamboozled as to why they went for stainless track ( everything is just more difficult. )

 

Inow now trying to building matching point work and Im in a quandary as to whether to go all plastic or ply and chair 

Edited January 26, 2017 by Junctionmad

[hayfield]

  The chair detail is nice and unlike the exactoscale , the base webbing makes it easier to lay in nice curves , I find I have to cut the exactoscale fast track webs.

 

 The DCC  concepts is by far the lest robust  and its now not my rail of choice as Im bamboozled as to why they went for stainless track ( everything is just more difficult. )

 

Inow now trying to building matching point work and Im in a quandary as to whether to go all plastic or ply and chair 

 

Could be seen as a benefit if laying straight track

 

The C&L thin base and SMP flexitracks are in my opinion less robust than the C&L/Exactoscale thicker track bases

 

If you are using plastic base plain track I would opt for plastic timbers, go for the thicker (the thin C&L ones curl up as the solvent dries) bases with Exactoscale being my preferred over C&L as both better value and the long timbers are longer than C&L's. The reason not going for the ply timbers is the joints between chair and timber being far stronger with plastic to plastic 

[Gary H]

Have any comparisons been made between the Peco offering and that of  DCC Concepts.......both from a cost point of view, and quality point of view.

Bob

 

There was somewhere on this thread a photographic comparison IIRC but its now buried in 90 odd pages of wibble.

Needles and haystacks! But first, you need to find the right haystack .  

[KeithHC]

Just as a matter of interest. I was in Cheltenham model centre yesterday looking at the new track. I said just need to see the points. I was told Peco saying Easter but not which year......

 

Keith HC

[Colin_McLeod]

Old joke.

[andytrains]

I picked up a few lengths on Saturday at the Longfield show, Kent.

I must say that I am very impressed.

Might do my new layout in 00 rather that EM.

I'll wait for the turnouts to see.

[Ben Alder]

This picture appeared in Peco's annual summary the other day. Not sure if it is of a production model or the Warley prototype but might be of interest.

 

[Coryton]

Old joke.

 

They did that with platform 8 in Cardiff Central. It did open as promised last Christmas...only originally it was going to be the one before that.

[Free At Last]

How much of the Unifrog crossing nose is plastic, looking here http://thumbs1.picclick.com/d/w1600/pict/371739193360_/PECO-HO-Scale-Code-83-6.jpg it is almost like an insulfrog.

Is this a forward step?

Edited February 2, 2017 by Free At Last

[martin_wynne]

How much of the Unifrog crossing nose is plastic, looking here http://thumbs1.picclick.com/d/w1600/pict/371739193360_/PECO-HO-Scale-Code-83-6.jpg it is almost like an insulfrog.

Is this a forward step?

 

The vee nose is metal, and can be left dead, or wired to a polarity switch, as the user prefers. I think.

 

Martin.

[martin_wynne]

This picture appeared in Peco's annual summary the other day. Not sure if it is of a production model or the Warley prototype but might be of interest.

 

It looks to be CAD artwork rather than a photo.

 

It has a spindly pre-grouping look. Timbering more widely-spaced, equalized (skewed) timbering but not centralized, short check rails with curly ends, over-long wing rails.

 

Odd if that proves to be the final design. Maybe it's just the best the marketing department could come up with for now -- which would suggest that production is not yet far advanced.

 

Martin.

[Free At Last]

martin_wynne, on 02 Feb 2017 - 22:34, said:

The vee nose is metal, and can be left dead, or wired to a polarity switch, as the user prefers. I think.

 

Martin.

Ah yes, I can see/understand that now.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Free At Last

[gismorail]

Have any comparisons been made between the Peco offering and that of  DCC Concepts.......both from a cost point of view, and quality point of view.

Bob

The DCC concepts track seems to have gone very quite at this moment in time and there has not be a great deal in the modelling press ...possibly people are awaiting point work to appear before making any firm commitments into either camp. The general feeling with the owners of shops that I purchase from is that the DCC Concepts products are somewhat overpriced. 

[gr.king]

Just as I suspected from the pictures taken at the NEC, that Peco image / rendering shows the timbers in the region of the crossing more widely spaced than elsewhere, not aiding the appearance and leaving too few of them supporting the check rails. I hope they have the intention and necessary ingenuity to change that feature for the better.

[Chris116]

I find it odd that the timbers near the crossing are further apart when in my experience they tend to be slightly closer together in that area.