Turnouts which to buy?

[35tac]

I am perfectly happy to date with Atlas code 83 Custom Line NS turnouts. However there is another world out there. PECO, Walthers/Shinohara etc. If I were to need something not available from Atlas which would be the most compatable? Lets be technical and not just plain slam.
Thanks
Wayne

[BN8002]

I only have experience with atlas customline turnouts and handlaid stuff...However my dad has used a mix of atlas and walthers/shinohara turnouts on his layout and hasn't had any issues with the mix..From people that I have spoken with in the past regarding peco turnouts they absolutely swear by them...The only thing that held me back from peco vs atlas was the price difference I encountered.

[diburning]

Technically, it's all HO so you won't have any compatibility issues.

I prefer Peco turnouts because they're built solidly. Shinohara turnouts are a hit or miss.

[D&J RailRoad]

I have had more electrical reliability problems with the Shinohara turnouts as well. I have had better performance with Atlas Code 83 and Walthers Code 83 turnouts.

[Selector]

My W/S turnouts need the most fiddling to get them to work without shorting during the passage of conventional HO scale metal tires. Also, for a while at least, say in 2005/6, the inner curved routes on their curved turnouts in Code 83 were considerably shorter in radius than claimed. GGRRRRRRRRRrrrr...!!!

My Pecos have been very robust and reliable. I could pass on their blade-like points rails, but I guess nothing is perfect. I mean the Streamline Code 83 #6 turnouts with which I am familiar, and of which I have perhaps 20.

[Secondhandmodeler]

I love my Peco turnouts. The fact that they 'lock' into place allows me to switch them manually without any additional hardware. Beware that the rail profile is a little different than atlas so the regular joiners take some monkeying around to join. I use all Peco code 83 track and turnouts so I didn't have that problem though.

[bennyboots]

Originally Posted by 35tac

I am perfectly happy to date with Atlas code 83 Custom Line NS turnouts. However there is another world out there. PECO, Walthers/Shinohara etc. If I were to need something not available from Atlas which would be the most compatable? Lets be technical and not just plain slam.
Thanks
Wayne

I recently bought 12 walthers/sinohara code 83 #6 turnouts for my layout. I wouldn't recommend them, as I was very dissapointed with the quality. I had to add a pin to keep the point rails from flexing outward when a car travelled over causing them to go out of gauge.

They also seemed very flimsy and the tie castings were poor, some ties were just smooth shiny plastic.

I bought a wack of flex track and was also dissapointed with it as each piece had about 25 sprues left on it and had to be nipped off.