Peco Code 75

[GNRi1959]

Is Peco Code 75 Nickel Silver rail and pointwork seen as the best alternative to hand-building track and pointwork in 00.

[Noel]

Is Peco Code 75 Nickel Silver rail and pointwork seen as the best alternative to hand-building track and pointwork in 00.

 

Hi Tony. Yes, and it is more the norm in practice rather than as an alternative. Noel

[Garfield]

Hi Tony,

 

Check out Peco's range of bullhead rail, which would be closer to the type of rail used at Omagh than the standard flat bottom type. C&L also do bullhead in ready-to-run form.

[RedRich]

Pat is spot on regarding the Bullhead Rail if that is what was used in Omagh. Along with the Peco Bullhead flexible track lenghts which have more prototypical sleeper spacing they are also going to be producing points in Bullhead to accompany them. Another rtr manufacturer doing 00 finescale Bullhead Rail is DDC Concepts and it looks very good with the correct sleeper spacing also. At the moment the Peco code 75 track is all flat bottom with incorrect sleeper spacing. I see from your enthusiasm that you want to make your project look good, and I would advise you to go with the bullhead it will look better.

 

Rich,

[GNRi1959]

Hi Guys, heres a picture of the track at Omagh, at close quarters. Gives you an idea of the type.

 

[Noel]

Hi Guys, heres a picture of the track at Omagh, at close quarters. Gives you an idea of the type.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]28636[/ATTACH]

 

Look like bullhead on the left and flat bottomed on the right! Perhaps they used bull head on the main line and flat bottom on minor sidings?

[David Holman]

Almost certainly, is the answer to that. Track was often recycled/downgraded from mainlines to sidings. Ballast was often different too, with ash more common on sidings and granite on mainlines, though minor lines often used ash ballast throughout.

Re Peco track, it has always been 'universal', with sleeper spacings more suited to continental practice and HO scale, while with code 100 rail, it can look a bit clumpy if not carefully painted and ballasted. Modern RTR with finer wheels makes it unnecessary unless you have older stock with less fine wheels.

Peco's move to producing code 75 track with correct 4mm scale sleeper spacings is certainly welcome, but remains of course narrow gauge - even for 4'8.5...

For anyone contemplating doing 21mm track, C&L point kits are one way forward. The blades and crossings come ready made and the points are assembled with plastic solvent, once the chairs are slid on. Sleepers are the same length as in Britain. What will be needed is a 21mm roller gauge, but apart from that, it really isn't as difficult as might be thought. Cost is competitive too.

The main problem for 21mm is axles, especially loco driving wheels, which need quartering. Until Romford can be persuaded to do an extended square ended axle, the problem will persist. Hence why I still think 7mm scale is the easiest way into 5'3. Slater's do a loco axle, C&L point kits are easily adapted, or Marcway will do custom made points at reasonable prices.

[GNRi1959]

Noel, heres a better picture. The previous one was of the 'back bay', the name of a siding off the main line. This new picture shows the mainline (centre) and siding (foreground)

 

Edited September 19, 2017 by TonyMcGartland

[Dave]

Unfortunately Peco bull head rail is a very limited range. Only the flex track is currently available and at the start of October 1 point will be available which is the large radius.

I contacted Peco last week about the range and the answer I got was that they may introduce more points into the range in the future!

Typical Peco!

I contacted them last year regarding the code 75 concrete sleeper range as currently there is only one concrete sleeper point available and there response was that they do not have any plans to increase that range!

They are an old fashioned company and are not meeting their customers demands.

Another option is Tillig track, the points are stunning but it's only available in code 83.

Marcway is another option and a good range too.

[Garfield]

Unfortunately Peco bull head rail is a very limited range. Only the flex track is currently available and at the start of October 1 point will be available which is the large radius.

I contacted Peco last week about the range and the answer I got was that they may introduce more points into the range in the future!

Typical Peco!

I contacted them last year regarding the code 75 concrete sleeper range as currently there is only one concrete sleeper point available and there response was that they do not have any plans to increase that range!

They are an old fashioned company and are not meeting their customers demands.

Another option is Tillig track, the points are stunning but it's only available in code 83.

Marcway is another option and a good range too.

 

Actually, code 83 is a good call as the rail is a bit more accurate for 'main line' track in 4mm. Code 75 could be used to represent the lighter rail found in sidings, etc.

Edited September 19, 2017 by Garfield

[GNRi1959]

Ultimately, I'd be looking at Peco Code 75, if I decide on 00. My real gut feeling tells me 21mm but there is so much added cost.

[jhb171achill]

I can confirm that the FB used in GNR sidings would have been VERY old. Bullhead was the norm, EVEN in sidings, where recycled stuff was used, as mentioned above and standard practice on all railways.

 

Jhb171senior never spoke of anything but BH in regard to his days as the GNR's Western District civil engineer.

[Garfield]

The issue of limited options for bullhead pointwork can be overcome by using Marcway points and asking for the bullhead variants: http://www.marcway.net/list2.php?col=head&name=Marcway+00+%26+EM+Pointwork

 

I think they're built to order? Not cheap, but they look superb.

 

Also, here's a link to C&L's RTR bullhead track: http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=346_375_377_379

 

PS: Peco's bullhead uses code 75 rail, too.

Edited September 19, 2017 by Garfield

[GNRi1959]

I'm pushed towards Peco Code 75.

I've spent weeks looking at 21mm and costing through Scalefour Society membership and although cost is one issue, time and skill is another. At the best of times, its hard enough to connect rail with standard fishplates with my spectacles on without going down the route of threading rail into railchairs and filing point frogs!

[GNRi1959]

The issue of limited options for bullhead pointwork can be overcome by using Marcway points and asking for the bullhead variants: http://www.marcway.net/list2.php?col=head&name=Marcway+00+%26+EM+Pointwork

 

I think they're built to order? Not cheap, but they look superb.

 

Also, here's a link to C&L's RTR bullhead track: http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=346_375_377_379

 

PS: Peco's bullhead uses code 75 rail, too.

 

Email from Peco this morning.............

 

"The first 2 points in the code 75 bullhead range are due to be released in October, these will be the large radius l/h and r/h points. Other points will follow in due course."

[Garfield]

I'm pushed towards Peco Code 75.

I've spent weeks looking at 21mm and costing through Scalefour Society membership and although cost is one issue, time and skill is another. At the best of times, its hard enough to connect rail with standard fishplates with my spectacles on without going down the route of threading rail into railchairs and filing point frogs!

 

Tony, I think there may be some miscommunication here. There's no assembly required with Peco or C&L bullhead - it's standard OO/HO gauge and comes in RTR flexitrack form just like regular code 75! And as I said, Marcway can supply matching ready-made pointwork, too.

[GNRi1959]

Tony, I think there may be some miscommunication here. There's no assembly required with Peco or C&L bullhead - it's standard OO/HO gauge and comes in RTR flexitrack form just like regular code 75! And as I said, Marcway can supply matching ready-made pointwork, too.

 

When I talk about assembly, I am referring to 21mm hand built track.

[Garfield]

When I talk about assembly, I am referring to 21mm hand built track.

 

Ah, that clears things up - I was confused when hand-assembled track kept being mentioned when discussion had turned to RTR track options. It really sounded like you were under the impression that these options required hand assembly.

[Junctionmad]

if you stay in 00 gauge and bullhead you have the option of

 

(a) PECO new bullhead track , quite nice , even if the chair detail is somewhat generic , code 75 nickel silver

 

(b) C&L , two types , original with thin sleepers , and FASTTRAK which has an exactoscale think sleeper base, nice chair detail , code 75 nickel silver

 

© SMP plastic sleeper , thin sleeper base, code 75 nickel silver ,

 

(d) DCC Concepts , code 75 stainless steel , thick sleeper

 

 

AT present none of these companies can supply ready to lay points, so you have either to wait for PECO ( but only one type of point ) or build points for scratch or kits

 

Note that , I posted a review of C&L and DCC on here somewhere , personally I wont touch stainless steel track , far to hard to work and requires specialist fluxes and solders ( why DCC bothered is beyond me )

 

certainly of the MSWR sections of CIE , right up till recently ( 2010) there were siding still in light weight flat bottom track , this could be modelled with PECO code 65 flat bottom, simply glued to ply sleepers , at present there no solution for the CIE chair that was sometimes used under the FB rail ( cant speak about the GNR )

Edited October 6, 2017 by Junctionmad

[Mayner]

An alternative is to use Marcway copper clad pointwork in combination with their SMP plastic sleepered flexible track. http://www.marcway.net/point.php.

 

Marcway will also produce custom pointwork and complex formations in addition to their standard range of points and crossings.

 

This might have an advantage over using standard points with the curved track formations in Omagh Goods yard, David Holman used custom built Marcway points and trackwork for his Arigna Town broad gauge O Scale layout.

 

One of the advantages of thin sleepered systems like Marcway/SMP is that its a lot simpler to ballast the track than with Peco or other systems with thuck sleepers. Basically lay the track on a thin layer of PVA or School Glue applied to the track underlay and simply sprinkle the ballast on top and vacuum off the surplus after 15-20 minutes.