After 20yrs of the Z in a box, I stumbled on a customer modeling in Z. The club is doing modules so I am so stoked that I am jumping in with everything including the cash book. B4 I lay track, I need DETAILed close-up photos of Aspen switches (40 and 55), MT and Pico flex so I can decide on the track I will lay. One option is to hand lay. I don't like the bare 'spikeless' code 40 look and 55 is a bit big but what the heck. I have had a box of Z flex for almost 20 years (the box for the price of 1pc !!!) but don't like the look of Märklin switches. So, I need flex to match the Aspen switches. 2 ?'s: Which flex do you like with the Aspen sw and if hand laying, which rail to use with Robert's laser ties?
Welcome to Trainboard!!!! First, let me say that I have no experience with any Z turnouts, but here's about as good a shot of Peco c60 flex as I can get, while at work: Also, http://www.wrightturnouts.com/index.html also makes turnouts that match the Marklin turnout size, minus the gaudy machine.
Hi Jeff, welcome to Trainboard! Is that customer Kim Vellore, Electronics Micro-Animation Guru Extraordinaire? As you know, I have been using Atlas code 55 flextrack that I peel the rails off, and solder to the pc board ties. The reason for using the Atlas track is because it's cheaper to peel rails from N Scale flextrack than to buy Micro Engineering bare rail. Pure economy. Micro Engineering quietly doubled the price of their bare rails by using a ball point pen to cross off the 33 pieces, and write 17 pieces on the label, then only put 17 rails in a bag for the same price. This is a pic of Halwa/ Aspenmodel turnout, MTL flex, and a Marklin turnout If you are purchasing flextrack to match the Aspen Models switches, their US tie spacing matches with Micro Trains flextrack. Here is Marklin, Halwa Code 40, and Micro Trains tracks. The Marklin turnouts match Peco or Marklin flextrack. -Robert
Now that is how you reply ! Nice side-by-side pix, especially the track. Can you send me a hi-rez macro shot of the track (1280x1024 type)? I want to see what the rail-to-ties look like. The best I can tell from the low-rez Jpegs from Aspen is that their bare rail bottombonded to the ties, no fake spikes like Marlin puts on (as small as they are, they make that difference). I'd love to see even raised rail off the ties, like the common under rail plate. (send to my e-mail if too big to post) Aspen is on vacation until tomorrow, Linda will call me back. I'm going to see if I can get them to do the same and I'll post them to promote their 'new and improved' bonding. However, I have to talk to them about the craziness of the radius specs in their parts list. While they say 1:7.5 (#8?), they rate them from "863,64"mm (34") to 490 mm (12.45") if I did the math rite. I like to handlay but am thinking if MT flex matches, I may jsut pay the price and get it down. Maybe I can still find a 33 cnt box
Wow-iee, Robert! Thanks for the demo! I have a box of Peco flex, and I intend to use it, but never thought of using atlas c55 flex, and removing the rail.... Could you post a tutorial of how it's done, and what it looks like, finished?
Actually, I did post a tutorial here a couple months ago. Here is the link: Handlaid Superelevated Track The track in the back is handlaid code 40, and the foreground track is MTL flextrack.
