Wright turnouts

eltiti1 Jan 23, 2011

  1. eltiti1

    eltiti1 TrainBoard Member

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    Hello everybody,

    I would like to know if someone have news about Mr Peter Wright , i wrote him 3 months ago to order some turnouts but i still having no news...
    I' m looking for North American style turnouts without ballast any suggestions ?

    Thank's everybody.

    Eltiti1
     
  2. shamoo737

    shamoo737 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    The news I heard about Peter is that he is sick and its unable to answer emails.
     
  3. eltiti1

    eltiti1 TrainBoard Member

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    Thank's John for your response .
    I will wait he feels better.

    Eltiti1
     
  4. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Jeff's got an email in to Peter too, and I myself would like to order some turnouts, as I want to build a yard module next, and Peter's turnouts are really the best.
     
  5. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Robert, or anyone for that matter.......while I enthusiastically agree that Peter's NA turnouts are wonderful, how do you folks feel about the Fast Tracks 'do it yourself' turnouts? They come in many numbers in Z scale and don't they end up looking very much like MTL's flex track?

    I've been thinking of getting the basic jig kit and making my own, but don't know how well they function and appear. I know the larger scale version is likely easier to manufacturer, but I had hopes the Fast Tracks would be a viable alternative to Peter's turnouts since he is under the weather. I don't read much from any of your guys about using Fast Tracks with satisfaction.

    Any thoughts?
     
  6. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    After spending the past 10 months soldering up fast tracks turnouts every Friday night at the N Scale club, (and we are nowhere near completed how many we need) I say Bah! I don't care how much turnouts cost, I will gladly go to work overtime to pay the price for some already built! :D

    Yes, Fast Tracks turnout are do-able, and they work great, but they take a lot of time to make, and it's really not that much fun!
     
  7. Don A

    Don A TrainBoard Supporter

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    Loren:

    You can borrow the package I have. Let me know.

    ...don
     
  8. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well if Peter is not able to produce any in the near future, that leaves only the Fast Track option unless one goes with MTL turnouts.

    Don, do you have the jig or exactly what?
     
  9. Don A

    Don A TrainBoard Supporter

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    Jig and device for holding rail for filing. It is an older Jig. Robert Ray and I found a problem about the same time. Robert fixed it himself and I think also got a new freebie Jig and Fast Tracks fixed mine. Classic case of going from HO to Z without thinking that a few dimensions don't change such as the width of a soldering iron. Consequently when they made the Jig you couldn't solder, as the base swiped all the heat. "Minor problem". I forgot the size of the Jig but it is one of the common sizes. Chris Schmuck borrowed it quite some time ago.

    ...don
     
  10. JamesTraction

    JamesTraction TrainBoard Supporter

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    Loren, checkout proto87stores ( http:// Z SCALE TRACK AND TURNOUTS ). They also have Z scale turnout parts, namely frog kits, points that are cnc'ed and wood tie jigs. I found fasttrack prices a bit steep.
    -James
     
  11. Chris333

    Chris333 TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'm pretty sure Don's was a #8 turnout.

    I have a N scale #5 jig and milled it just like Robert's was for the same reasons. Soldering.

    It ain't bad building a turnout, but I wouldn't want to mass produce them. I buy what I can and build the stuff I can't, like curved turnouts. But in Z there isn't much you can buy...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 25, 2011
  12. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thank you James. Looks to be a very fine prospect at first glance. Will have to examine the site carefully.

    Have you or anyone else actually built any of the Z turnouts from this firm?
     
  13. JamesTraction

    JamesTraction TrainBoard Supporter

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    Loren,
    I haven't built mine since I haven't yet acquired a NMRA style gauge for Z for guard rail and min/ max rail spacing. I just have the rail spacing tool from Rodneys. I sort of remember the mentioning of a Nn3 gauge - I'll do a search to find it. But if somebody has a source of one I'll be happy to make a turnout with photos as I have the parts ready to go.
    James
     
  14. ddechamp71

    ddechamp71 TrainBoard Member

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    I'm sorry for Peter's health issues... I definitly hope he will recover. About his turnouts I'm completely happy with them. They perfectly blend with MTL flex, and their power routing technology allows flawless operations with our small scale.

    The last time I had him in contact was at the end of latest summer and I was telling him I should need 50 turnouts or so for my future Z scale empire.... Unfortunately no news since then, myself I have been very, very busy these last months (heavy job work and family issues) and my modelrailroading time has been very.... scarce.

    But about turnout availability I remember the samples I purchased many years ago from Aspenmodels. They're mostly the same technology than Peter Wright's samples. Power routing and bendable points, not hinged. The only issue they had then is that they were "Marklin style" tie spacing.

    But I don't know if they're still available, I don't see any reference of them in Aspenmodel's website...

    Dom
     
  15. JamesTraction

    JamesTraction TrainBoard Supporter

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    2nd thought Loren, I will build a turnout using the turnout drawings that are on Andy's site.
    No more excuses for me!
    James
     
  16. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    The problem with the Aspenmodels turnouts is the contact that they glue the ties down with dries out and gets brittle, then the rails break off. The Nn3 guys originally bought a lot of them, then they started falling apart.

    Peter's turnouts are the way turnouts should be made. I wish someone else would start cranking them out just like Peter's. We need a huge supply of non roadbed turnouts for our club members.
     
  17. JamesTraction

    JamesTraction TrainBoard Supporter

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    Robert,
    If you don't want glued down rail turnouts, then you won't like the Proto87store's stuff. Or is it only the glue that AspenModels uses that you don't like?
    I've heard of Peter's turnouts but never seen one, so is he molding ties onto the rails?
    -James
     
  18. Curn

    Curn TrainBoard Member

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  19. JamesTraction

    JamesTraction TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Curn. I gathering up all the parts up today. James
     
  20. SJ Z-man

    SJ Z-man TrainBoard Member

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    James, Peter molds his so they look just like they are supposed to. Very close to the MTL flex.
    .
     

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