Great ! I have a few new Z-Bend Track modules and for anyone that has seen the BAZ BoyZ modules, you will see a lot of turnouts ! And Loren Snyder and Joe D'Amato are building a new Z layout in Medford Oregon at Train Park. They'll need some too. Thanks for keeping us updated. We'll do our best to spread the word outside of the forums.
Paul: thanks for the update. If they have not yet gone into production, can you give us some idea as to when they might become available? Rick: I totally agree. Everyone: as an addendum to my previous post, I realized I had tried the Atlas code 80 joiners first, which would explain why they were less than an ideal fit. The Atlas code 55 joiners are perfect. My mistake. Mark in Oregon
I won't know more about the production/delivery schedule until we see the samples. If they need little or no adjustment, then they can go into production rather quickly, if there is work that needs to be done, that will change when production can start.
That certainly makes sense; please keep us posted, as this is a big deal for Z scalers, I would think. Thanks! Mark in Oregon
Paul, There's been quite a bit of speculation of late on the AZL forum regarding the turnout: http://www.azlforum.com/thread/1075/atlas-switches Since none of them wanted to ask over here, I will: any status update worth mentioning? Thanks, Mark
Hi all, as everyone else here I am curious after the AtlasRR turnouts. They sure look good from what I can tell now, for starters. Will the AtlasRR function well with underground drive? Will they indeed be drop ins for Marklin? The length seems to match the other brands... But #6 is unlike Marklin/Rokuhan, is what I understand (more close to #4..?) I grabbed some pix here and there to compare. Matched by eye with gauge as rough reference, so no claims for exactness. Hoping for more info soon.
Atlas built a #6. This means the Divergent (curved) track is straight after the frog. So it will not be a drop-in. But, this design means that a cross over will have a straight section, minimizing (greatly) the car side-swipe. The Marklin, Micro-Trains and Rokuhan are all Radius turnouts, where the divergent track is continuously curved. They can be thrown from below with ease. Tam Valley Depot makes Servo control boards http://www.tamvalleydepot.com/products.html for control of 1, 4 or 8 servos (along with harder to find ANE Model: https://www.anemodel.com/).
Jeff. I hadn't noticed the difference in the divergent track until you pointed it out. I appreciate your keen observations. Mark in Oregon
Not to dampen enthusiasm, but has anyone spent time assessing the changes these new products bring to Z? As Jeff pointed out above, these are not drop in replacements. I've been playing with the image Paul provided, scaling to Z dimensions and making the big assumption that and the NMRA RP-12.37 are accurate representations of the final product and developed some "conclusions." In the simplest use, transfer between two "standard" 25mm (1 inch) tracks, the turnouts should be a physical drop-in. For a "standard" siding, one will need about a 525mm curve replacing the 490mm we know and love. Using the 19° crossover, will require about 30mm track spacing and will consume about 350mm of track length (as compared to about 300mm with the Märklin sectional). Anyone care to check my work? I've been known to make the rare miscalculation. Going to need a switch to route power through the frog even for manual operation. What are peoples' plans? I'm thinking of trying a miniature toggle switch adjacent to the turnout with the possibility of using the lever action to position the turnout as well. I'm also thinking the Micron Art ground throw should work with these. I'm looking forward to receiving these turnouts and I think I've planned appropriately. I'm wondering what others are planning. Mark
Mark, I'm not about to question your math However, I'm excited. ...Really excited, to be able to order these