"Pizza cutters" don't have any problems on ME code 55. We use ME at the club, and it's the most ideal for that situation given it's better appearance AND compatibility with all equipment. For appearance, ME and Atlas are both good for American prototype. Atlas and ME behave differently when it comes to flexing. ME will hold it's shape, Atlas won't. Peco is arguably the most robust due to it's double flange design. We use it in hidden areas. Nscalesupply has decent pictures of ME and Peco.
I have used c55 exclusively as of late and had NO problems with it. I love the look and like the way the flex lays better than Peco or ME. I used a little Peco C55 going into my turn table but did not like the look or how it laid. I don't think I could ever go back to C80 it looks so WRONG now that I have used C55
There was a similar thread to this a while back. I did a search and came up with this: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=55540&highlight=track+comparison Sadly the pictures that showed the various track options have been deleted. Brian
I have new hope for ME code 55 after reading the thread on Fast Tracks Turnouts and then watching the video. My original complaint besides the price was the poor switch selection, but by standardizing the switches to one or two styles it might work. It sure looks good and I really like Bridge flex.:tb-cool: You only live once might as well do it right!
When it comes to flex track I like the Micro engineering better, smaller spikes, 9 foot ties.(wait the proto uses 8.6 inch ties!) Thats correct, but in some cases the Prototype does use 9 foot ties, and that is generally when they use large rail, Since the code 55 is way larger than Most prototype rail, the 9 foot ties retain the balance and aspect ratio of the prototype. Rob
Flanges striking ties doesn't HAPPEN on our layout. Please don't tell me I don't know what I witness every other Sunday. You're the first person I've ever seen say that MT flanges are a problem on ME code 55 rail. Numerous people here have said it works before, do a search. If you've had a different experience, you should share it instead of being snide.
I really wish Peco would make a U.S. prototype version (scale width ties and scale tie spacing) of their Code 55 rail. The way their Code 55 is manufactured (essentially a Code 80 rail buried in the ties so that only a Code 55 profile is showing) makes it virtually indestructible -- the stuff holds up better than Atlas Code 80, and maybe even better than Peco's own Code 80. The relatively deep ties also makes it easier to ballast than the Atlas Code 55. Plus, I like the spring-loaded switches, which I can use without manual ground throws or switch machines. However, Atlas Code 55 is great looking track, widely available (unlike ME stuff, which is often hard to get), and sturdy enough for most uses. One of our local club members has used it exclusively in building a very large basement layout based on the WM, and it works fine with a wide variety of equipment (pizza-cutter MT wheels do have to be replaced with lo-profile ones). And did I mention that it REALLY looks great . . . really. John C.
I never said such a thing. However I can tell you that I do periodically get flange strikes on wide gauges portions of ME track. This is more often than not near or at rail joints. I like ME track, but the only time that I have had flawless performance is with Code 70 track. That's not an opinion....that's fact. That does not necessarily reflect your experiences with ME track. But it does reflect mine. There is a .003" clearance between the flange and the ties using this combination. The average human hair is .016" The flange/tie clearance is about 1/5th the diameter of a human hair. Inevitably strikes WILL occur.
Nothing but European (old stuff) ever hits spikes on Micro Engineering track period! Those that do, would be old Rapido and the like. Rob
Don't be silly. You've said it now, and it's logically entailed by what you said before. You must be talking about the spikes, not the ties themselves, or your number doesn't add up. I didn't buy your argument about .003" being too tight a tolerance for N scale manufacturing in that other thread, and I don't buy it now. But in any case, I'm happy to state at this point that whatever your talking about (wheels popping up by less than the width of a human hair?) in fact doesn't fit my definition of "problem" when it comes to using ME rail and MT pizza cutters. I've run cars with MT pizza cutters hundreds of scale miles at the club without noticing any anomalies. To me, that means there's no problem. Your definition of a problem may be more theoretical.
-- redacted post -- I removed my last posting because I felt that things were getting a little off "direction". I made an appeal to Leo to address the subject of rail height and flanges in a "Reality Reduced" episode. Maybe it won't happen...that's up to him. But, as Ben pointed out, this subject has come up several times over the last several months. http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=101287&page=7 BTW, Ben, we might disagree about ME & MT compatibilty as a whole, but otherwise I have found the things that you say are based on a valid evaluation of real life experiences. That is meant as a compliment.
So would my kato cw44-9's run well on code 55 track? I understand that I would have to re-wheel my cars to low profile wheel sets and could handle that, but I have little desire to tear my engines apart.
Yes, your Kato Dash-9s should run fine on ANY of the three Code 55, unless by some freakish chance they are European market versions with Euro pizza cutters. To my knowledge, no such beast exists. Basically, any Kato, Atlas, PrecisionCraft, Micro-Trains, or Intermountain locomotive built FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN MARKET within the last 15 years will have NMRA spec wheels. Athearn is supposed to, although they had an "oops" with one of the big steamers recently (resolved by the company at no cost to the consumer). New designs from ALL of the manufacturers currently selling in North America use NMRA spec wheels, but that doesn't mean that an existing low-end design from Life-Like, Model Power or Bachmann may not have pizza cutters. Older used locos and dusty old stock on the top shelf in the back room of the local hobby shop are anyone's guess. Old engines, old rolling stock, and newer rolling stock with Micro-Trains "pizza cutter" wheelsets are the ones that are challenged by Atlas Code 55. Rolling stock is easy to resolve, just swap out the wheelsets or trucks, as appropriate. Note that "easy" does not necessarily = "cheap", cost depends on how many cars involved. Diesel locomotives can often have their wheels swapped out as well (Northwest Shortline sells lower profile wheels), if not then they can be turned down. Finally, older large flanged steam locomotives. The pilot, trailing truck and tender wheels can often be swapped. Drivers have to be turned down, which is a more challenging proposition than turning down the wheels on a diesel, since removal and re-installation of the drivers is more difficult. You can, of course, avoid the whole "pizza cutter vs. Atlas C55" issue one of two ways. Either don't use Atlas Code 55, or don't attempt to run equipment that has problems with it. I've gone the second route, which is simple for me since I only got into this hobby about 5 years ago, and make a point of not purchasing rolling stock that can't easily be converted if needed, and I won't purchase a large flange loco, period. I've yet to run into anything I wanted that failed to make it onto my roster, but then, I have very little desire for old, Jurassic N scale locomotives. Others have gone the first route, which works for them. (There is a third way of avoiding the issue, but it involves not modelling N scale at all. Horror, oh, the horror of even thinking such a thing!)
I realize I am reviving an old thread but I have just started actually using Atlas code 55 and have been absolutely knocked out by how good this track looks. Here are a few pictures I took of the Atlas Code 55 track I just placed down for a mockup and some Peco Code 80 and Atlas Code 80 I placed alongside for comparison. FYI the Kato SD70M and Bethgon coalporters run fine but my new Red Caboose autoracks & reefers bump along the spikes due to the fact they are equipped with MT trucks & pizza cutters. I will be replacing all of my wheels with metal wheelsets so not an issue for me. Jamie
