Hornby express points vs. Peco Settrack

[metijg]

RMWeb has been a fountain of knowledge so far and I have another question for you all. 

 

After a few iterations of track layout I have got a plan that I'm happy with, but it's not...well...perfect! Some point combination are almost impossible to navigate with certain trains and there are too many derailments. Unfortunately, I'm obliged to stay within the Hornby / Settrack paradigm so would like to know what is the better option for trouble free running:

 

1.  Upgrade the points from Hornby standard to Hornby Express points (this will be challenge from a space perspective but could be done with some compromises)  or
2.  Straight swap the Hornby points for Peco Settrack. 

 

It's a bit of an outlay, so I'd like to make the right choice..

Thanks again in advance!

Tim

 

[D9020 Nimbus]

It might help to know which trains are derailing and what the affected combinations of points are. If it isn't the radius being too tight, changing to the Express points is unlikely to help.

[Denbridge]

Best advice I can offer is to forget about using Hornby points of any description and switch to PECO. Preferably streamline. Though if you can stomach tight corners the set track points are far superior to the rubbish Hornby offerings.

[metijg]

37 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

It might help to know which trains are derailing and what the affected combinations of points are. If it isn't the radius being too tight, changing to the Express points is unlikely to help.

 

The prime candidate is the 0-6-0 pannier tank. It’s middle wheel seems to hit the frog like it’s a brick wall.

 

The Hornby Mallard was running very nicely on everything until dropped, now there seems to be some interference between the front bogie and the body, but I don’t think that’s the track.

[metijg]

9 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

Best advice I can offer is to forget about using Hornby points of any description and switch to PECO. Preferably streamline. Though if you can stomach tight corners the set track points are far superior to the rubbish Hornby offerings.

 

I’ve got a soft spot for Hornby as a company and it colours my thinking..

 

Forgetting streamline, you think that Peco settack is superior to Hornby express? Regardless of the smaller radius? Interesting stuff..

[Denbridge]

1 minute ago, metijg said:

 

I’ve got a soft spot for Hornby as a company and it colours my thinking..

 

Forgetting streamline, you think that Peco settack is superior to Hornby express? Regardless of the smaller radius? Interesting stuff..

Hornby track and points are a very poor  product which do not reflect well on the brand. PECO are far superior in build quality,  reliability and value for money.

[Pete the Elaner]

It is far more likely that the cause of poor running is out of gauge wheelset back-to-backs instead of your track. A DOGA b2b gauge costs £6 & you only ever need 1.

 

I found this was the answer to derailments with some of my models. Older Hornby models seemed more tolerant of Hornby track than Peco.

Having since checked a lot more of my stock, I have found that most RTR is poorly adjusted. Some models have a mixture of loose & tight b2bs. You would think this is as easy to get right as wrong in the factory, but sadly it seems not.

B2bs have now become the first thing I check when any of my models do not run well.

The only wheelsets which I have found to be correctly & consistently adjusted are Romford/Markits. I check every one but none have ever needed any adjustment.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Pete the Elaner

[Zomboid]

Peco setrack points are the same geometry as Hornby, so if the issue is radius related then changing won't help. Hornby express points are a different geometry, so you won't fit the same layout into the same space. You shouldn't need the "express" geometry for an 0-6-0T loco.

 

If the problem occurs on every set of points then the problem is probably the train, if it's only one or two then it's probably the track.

[DCB]

Provided the track is laid level and the tracks are lined up correctly not at an angle to each other an If the Pannier is Hornby then there is something very wrong with the loco, they should go round 1st radius.  Likewise the mallard, good chance the front of the chassis is bent up making he body too low at the front.

Back to back on Hornby is often way out, I go for 14.2mm sliding fit.  Old Pannier, and medium old Jinty, Mid 60s onwards  tyres come loose and move inward on the wheels. When this happens they are effectively scrap, early and late ones seem OK

Bachmann Panniers in my experience are marginal on 2nd radius and Hornby  and set track points have a bit of 1st radius through the blades so it ain't going to happen.  

I haven't tried Hornby express points but they don't substitute for set track points one for one anyway.   I use Peco set track track and streamline points on small layouts, I even carve up set track points for goods yards and have a bed layout with 1st radius curves, Hornby points etc.  If you can bin the Hornby points and go for streamline points , they give more room with tighter track spacing, the small radius are no longer than set track points and the Y point is a lot shorter they look better and run better and you can use Bachmann stock with no issues.

[ejstubbs]

1 hour ago, DavidCBroad said:

the small radius are no longer than set track points

 

The Streamline small radius points are 185mm long vs 168mm for the Setrack points.  More to the point, the Streamline small radius is nearly 7" larger than Setrack R2, which means that even if you use cut-down Setrack curves in combination with Streamline small radius points, they require more room.  They are in no way a direct replacement.