Peco O Gauge Set Track

[Northroader]

I'm whinging, that's too long! ----(Swindon Swedes????)

Edited June 26, 2017 by Northroader

[Nearholmer]

Have a look at the template; a lot of the length is plain track, which you could chop-off. You could loose 90mm easily, if you needed to squeeze turnouts up against one another.

 

K

[Northroader]

Yes, it is possible, I suppose with the tight curvature they increased the track centre spacing for a crossover. It would be nice to have them as they've got the moulded chairs and so on, which would mix in well with the Peco flexitrack I have surplus. Still, off now for a week's holiday, I'll probably be struck by another bright idea before I get back.

[BG John]

After many redesigns to fit different baseboard sizes, I think I've got the final plan for my O gauge layout. I did a really cut down version using Set Track points, but this plan is a little larger, so I've got the minimum radius up to 48" (well almost, as Templot told me that one bit is 47.something inches). With all this excitement over Set Track points, mine will look large radius in comparison, which is great .

[Coldgunner]

Hattons now has ST-U750 and ST-U751 in stock for £43 each. I've ordered one of each so hopefully will be here soon.

Edited June 26, 2017 by Coldgunner

[davefromacrossthepond]

Coldgunner,

 

Let us know your opinion of them.  (Like you needed to be told that lol)

 

Dave

[Coldgunner]

Well they've arrived today, pretty much as I expected them to be really.

 

 

They come in the box as such, pretty well protected...

DSC_0373 by Coldgunner, on Flickr

 

DSC_0374 by Coldgunner, on Flickr

 

DSC_0375 by Coldgunner, on Flickr

 

DSC_0376 by Coldgunner, on Flickr

 

DSC_0377 by Coldgunner, on Flickr

 

They obviously match the length and radius of the straight/curved set-track parts. This does mean my Turbomotive, my only pacific, will not navigate them. But my smaller loco's will not have a problem, nor will my rolling stock. I've not yet tested my much heavier Mamod Telford going across them, but I suspect that will be identical. Live frog of course and the build quality seems decent enough. I hope Peco keep bringing out new bits as its decent enough stuff for me to use for temporary layouts.

 

edit: I've run an SM32 wagon over them and the frog is too shallow, so they do bounce.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Coldgunner

[Dava]

My order for 4 points arrived from Tower today, £167.80 delivered. I managed to get to the workshop to give them a demo.

I'm off work and post-op [see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/124001-post-ops/#entry2767177 so this was a bit of therapy.

 

I opened the boxes. All the points and some bits of track fit in a compact 36x15" space on the workbench.Great for microlayouts!

 

 

Not only that, they all ran from one pair of power connectors. Ideal for DCC.

 

The centre spacings are 16cm. To reduce this you can cut up to 5 sleepers length off the rail ends.

 

 

The angle means you get plenty of clearance early in the radius.

 

 

Small locos and long wheelbase stock are fine.

 

 

No buffer lock!

 

 

Compared with a Marcway 48" point - same length but sharper curve.

 

 

Overall I recommend these - they bring the fun back into Gauge 0 with the potential for instant micro-layouts! They are ideal for those of us who run industrial, shunting and light railway operations. Just what we've been waiting for. They are well designed and made in England to the standards we expect from Peco. They dont like coarse scale wheels. 

 

Now what to build with them?

 

Dava

Edited June 28, 2017 by Dava

[Coldgunner]

What carriage is that Dava?

[MarcD]

My order for 4 points arrived from Tower today, £167.80 delivered. I managed to get to the workshop to give them a demo.

I'm off work and post-op [see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/124001-post-ops/#entry2767177 so this was a bit of therapy.

 

I opened the boxes. All the points and some bits of track fit in a compact 36x15" space on the workbench.Great for microlayouts!

 

4 points.jpg

 

Not only that, they all ran from one pair of power connectors. Ideal for DCC.

 

The centre spacings are 16cm. To reduce this you can cut up to 5 sleepers length off the rail ends.

 

Centre spacing.jpg

 

The angle means you get plenty of clearance early in the radius.

 

2 diesels.jpg

 

Small locos and long wheelbase stock are fine.

 

Terrier point.jpg

 

No buffer lock!

 

Buffers.jpg

 

Compared with a Marcway 48" point - same length but sharper curve.

 

Peco 42 Marcway 48 compare.jpg

 

Overall I recommend these - they bring the fun back into Gauge 0 with the potential for instant micro-layouts! They are ideal for those of us who run industrial, shunting and light railway operations. Just what we've been waiting for. They are well designed and made in England to the standards we expect from Peco. They dont like coarse scale wheels.

 

Now what to build with them?

 

Dava

Ouch!!

[Dava]

What carriage is that Dava?

Its a Slaters GWR brake end which I bought painted in NBR brown, the longest w/base vehicle I had.

[Dava]

 In #409 I gave these points a positive review. Further testing since then has shown faultless running with RTR and six-coupled locos, but a problem emerged with some 0-4-0 locos with Slaters wheels.

 

My scratchbuilt 'Peckett' 1289 derailed on every point. This loco runs on driving wheels made for 21mm gauge using a 32mm gauge axle and has finer treads and flanges. I already knew that it needed spacer washers fitting between the wheel centres and axle ends to compensate for the fine flanges, so not a huge surprise if disappointing.

 

Next was the Y8 0-4-0T which runs on standard Slaters wheels and axles, it consistently derailed on one point. 

 

 

Finally the 02 shunter, again on Slaters wheels, did exactly the same thing. This has one axle compensated but this made no difference.

 

 

This happens consistently on one RH point but not the others, however measurements show no visible difference.

 

 

Looking at the point, the reaon appears to be this. The stockrail inner edge is machined away to accommodate the straight switchrail partway along the curve. Meanwhile the curved stockrail rests on simulated slider chairs, but is flexible and the chairs dont stop it from flexing slightly out of gauge. 

 

I'm sure this is correctable with some modifications to the switchrail slider chairs, its just rather concerning to find it occurring with common short wheelbase locos using standard wheels. As I said, RTR locos and others such as Sentinels with longer wheelbases don't seem to be affected.

 

I'll probably contact the Peco Technical Advice Bureau next week to see if anyone else has found this. 

 

Dava

[Nearholmer]

Is the point "in tolerance" when compared with the GOG standards? And, the wheel-sets?

 

I'm willing to bet that one or the other is "out", because this wouldn't happen if they were both "in", even if they were at opposite ends of allowable tolerances, i.e. the track gauge as large as permissible, and the wheel gauge and tread width as small as permissible.

 

Definitely an "Oh, s*d it!" moment, though. You must be mildly gutted.

 

Kevin

[Coldgunner]

My 'Nellie' seemed to be fine with the recommended Slaters wheelsets, which I don't think is a million miles away from the Y8. Probably the larger flanges though.

Edited July 1, 2017 by Coldgunner

[Northroader]

Ferry interestink, I'm trying to get my head round how they're wired and just what the unifrog does? Are the blades fed by contacts at the tiebar but then is the centre vee fed off the blades or is it insulated or what am I missing?

[Nearholmer]

The crossing vee is metal, but insulated from everything else. It is "dead" as supplied, but comes ready-wired, so that it can be made "live" by means of an auxiliary switch.

 

K

[RailwaysInMyDNA]

Has anyone tried any of the long bogie locos over these 2nd radius set curves?  Ie., class 40, 45?

[Poggy1165]

I'm intrigued by the fact that 0-4-0s may have problems; the very engines I would have thought would go through these points with no trouble. Just shows that nothing can be assumed.

[PaulRhB]

Finally the 02 shunter, again on Slaters wheels, did exactly the same thing. This has one axle compensated but this

Derailpoint.jpg

 

Looking at the point, the reaon appears to be this. The stockrail inner edge is machined away to accommodate the straight switchrail partway along the curve. Meanwhile the curved stockrail rests on simulated slider chairs, but is flexible and the chairs dont stop it from flexing slightly out of gauge.

 

I'm sure this is correctable with some modifications to the switchrail slider chairs, its just rather concerning to find it occurring with common short wheelbase locos using standard wheels. As I said, RTR locos and others such as Sentinels with longer wheelbases don't seem to be affected.

 

I'll probably contact the Peco Technical Advice Bureau next week to see if anyone else has found this.

 

Dava

There does look to be a slightly sharper curve just where the blade meets the stock rail. Might popping a cocktail stick in there and gently bending the curved blade to straighten it fractionally help? If it's happening on one point it might be that blade got a little twisted in assembly?

[marc smith]

As I've said before, I paced out a 90 degree curve still extant at Gloucester docks a while ago and, based on my stride length and some rapid mental arithmetic, it came out as pretty much bang on R1. Whilst I don't know how the dock lines were worked, I'd  assume that locos of some description used to go round it.

I've posted this pic before (some time back now) but there are indeed some very tight curves around Gloucester docks

Here's a really tight curve though - at Blaenavon old iron works. Pretty tight eh?

For those who saw the TV series "The Coal House" the workers cottages are just to my left, when taking this pic

 

EDIT: For those who haven't been - I'd recommend a visit to the area. The Iron works museum and period workers cottages are great, plus Big Pit Mining museum is nearby, and there's even a brewery near the track at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway

Edited July 14, 2017 by marc smith

[hartleymartin]

To make a cross-over with the scale 80mm track spacing, you basically have to remove all the individual sleepers on the diverging line. 40.5" is near enough to 2-1/4 chains, which is about right for places like dockyards, gasworks, etc. These are the sorts of places where only 0-4-0 locomotives and 4-wheel wagons would have operated. Chances are the locos would be mostly dumb-buffered too.

[hartleymartin]

Too bad they don't also do a Wye point in set track. I see potential for something like the Wantage Tramway using these points.

[Dava]

Not hard to build a matching Y point using Individulay sleeper & rail parts cut to size?

 

Dava

[orford]

Got my O Gauge Setrack points today and given the cost, have to say I'm less than happy with Peco's quality control. One was delivered minus both the spring and the cover plate (yes I checked very carefully in the bag), which in itself isn't a problem as I remove the springs anyway. But it's bad form on Peco's part.

 

Then, whilst my 0-6-0 Ixion Hudswell Clarke ran through them without problems, both the Minerva Peckett and the Walsworth Models Sentinel (both 4-coupled) stalled on the dead frog every time, small though that is. Again, not a problem as such since I fully intended to power up the frogs in any case.  However, this is where the second bit of Peco's quality control came into play...both of the frog 'wires' provided for this purpose fell off and they are the very devil to solder back on as there is only one tiny attachment point right up inside the hollow sleeper. If they should ever part again once they have been laid, ballasted, etc., then you're completely scuppered.

 

Next, one of the frog check rails was found to be sitting a little proud on one of the points, causing locos to 'climb' over it and this had to be very carefully filed down to correct.

 

Finally, the moving blades rely on blade contact with the stock rail and rail joiners to the adjacent rails for power conductivity and given that these points are supposedly designed for DCC, this is really not good enough.  For the price, the blades should really be bonded to the adjacent rails or to the stock rails. This has now also been done.

 

Overall, they look nice on an industrial layout and with the modifications I have done, now perform well. But (and I hope I'm not being too harsh on Peco here), as they came out of the boxes, I have to say they left much to be desired.

[Simond]

By the time you've spent your cash, and done that lot, Marcway or home-made sounds yet more attractive, particularly as you have to cut them back if you want a sensible 6'.

 

Best

Simon