Micro Engineering is Sold

[pedro]

Of course HO comes first, it's their bread and butter.  The N scale will come as I'm sure it's a non-trivial amount of sales.  I just hope they fix the tapering in the tie strips - the 36" long flex uses 3 12" tie strips and a lot of what I've bought in the last 5 years has a noticeable taper from one end to the other on each strip which shows up in a patter on the full piece.  Sanding them lightly tends to fix it, but not having it at all would be nice.

I know what you mean, but what I’ve noticed (talking code 40 flex here) is not a “taper” per se, but at the ends of each piece of flex, and 9” in from each end, two ties are molded thinner and without spikes, and with what I assume is a pocket to leave room for rail joiners. These thinner ties kind of “float” and are easy to cut off.


I believe in the case of code 40 flex that it’s actually four injection shots of 9” tie strips. The rails are placed in the injection mold and molded in place with the ties. They change the direction it’s inserted in the machine at the midpoint so the thinner ties point toward each end: <L-L, R-R> This makes the bottom of the full tie strip uneven, which can be easily seen and felt by running your thumbs along the bottom.


I’ve been cutting out these thinner ties (4 pair per 3’ piece of flex) and also cleaning up flash on the bottoms of the ties from the ejection pin marks. This allows the flex track to lie dead flat on the roadbed. .040x.060” styrene or wood strip is a perfect size match to fill the gaps in the ties, since the ones I’m cutting out have that molded pocket in them.

If you really want to drive yourself crazy, there is also often very thin flash between the ties on the bottom of the rail, and scraping it out of there gives a marginal improvement in its flexibility, and makes it easier to square up the ties after forming a curve. This is all a lot of prep work, but the results make it seem worthwhile to me. YMMV.

I’m not sure if the ME code 55 flex or older Railcraft stock has these same issues or not. This is all on the most recent production ME c40. If you watch the YouTube video of their track being made, you can see the worker pull the piece out of the machine and flip it around halfway through the process.

[robert3985]

I’m not sure if the ME code 55 flex or older Railcraft stock has these same issues or not. This is all on the most recent production ME c40. If you watch the YouTube video of their track being made, you can see the worker pull the piece out of the machine and flip it around halfway through the process.

"...older Railcraft stock..."  Did I hear "...older Railcraft stock..."??? 

If anybody has some they want to sell, please contact me...seriously.

As to whether Rail Craft Code55 and Code40 had issues...yes, they did, especially after the injection tool started wearing out...excessive flash...which continued when Rail Craft changed its name to Micro Engineering, but was still using the same injection tool. 

Although it was more work to clean up, I still consider it worth the effort to do so, especially with Rail Craft's lovely, tiny spikeheads....which unfortunately turned into much larger, uglier things when Micro Engineering built a new injection tool after the original got so bad it couldn't be used any longer...which rendered their present-day Code40 flex only suitable for use if the inner spikeheads are sanded down, and makes their Code55 look a lot less prototypical, although still not nearly as bad as Atlas55 and Peco55 "spikehead" renderings.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Sokramiketes]

You're correct.  All the tooling is 9" segments. 

Here's what it looks like:

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

These were from a visit in 2012.  I'm still hoping for Code 40 Z scale flex someday, which was what that trip was about.   

[ednadolski]

You're correct.  All the tooling is 9" segments. 

Here's what it looks like:

(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)

So what would it cost to have a mold like that made up,  say on a modern CNC milling machine?  $20k?  $50k? more?

Ed

[sirenwerks]

I wish ME would increase its N scale turnout selection, and add some crossovers - become competitive with Atlas's product line.

[Chris333]

Cleaning some flash off the track is way better than a loose rail tipping over and ruining all your work.

[nkalanaga]

Chris333:  Amen!  It's a minor pain to have to remove the flash, but relaying track is a real chore.  It took me several years, but I finally found the offending piece of flash (inside of the near rail, on a curve) that was derailing my MILW (Kato) electrics.  I thought it was something in the chassis, because one of the three ran fine, one wouldn't stay on the track at all, and one would only run facing one way.

Sokramiketes:  Z code 40 would be a blessing for Nn3 as well.  I'd prefer longer ties, but there was enough variation in prototype narrow gauge track that Marklin's Z is very close to some of the lighter-built track.  American prototype Z, with the ties closer together, would fit even more roads.

[MetroRedLine]

I wish ME would increase its N scale turnout selection, and add some crossovers - become competitive with Atlas's product line.

Why ME only released one type of N scale Code 55 turnout in its entire history boggles the mind.

[Jim Costello]

I spoke to ME at the 1996 N Scale/NMRA convention at Long Beach.I had started a small layout using the #6 turnouts they then produced and queried their thoughts on others like the # 8's. They indicated to me at that time they
would be producing a full range of turnouts for the code 55 range.
Back about 12 years ago when I started my  new layout I wanted #8 turnouts and ME conveyed to me that they were having issues with the #8 dies but hoped production would start in about 6 months time.
Didn't happen and hasn't happened since. Purchased the Fast Tracks system ( #8 Double crossover Jig and accessories) and have made over 200 turnouts both off the jig and templates, hand drawn crossings etc.
As others have mentioned many times on this forum and on hand laid turnouts I was disappointed I would have to make my own , best decision I have made. I am not restricted to a limited range of commercial ones.

Jim

[Jim Costello]

I am not sure how Peco flex track is made but if you look at the Atlas code 80 there is  6 x 5" segments of molding comprising the plastic base. The Atlas HO flex consists of 9" sections. I saw this in
production at the Atlas factory at Hillside NJ in 1987 . One rail was molded into the plastic 9" at a time, an automatic procedure until the 36" was produced. Employees threaded the 2nd rail into the moldings and the plastic support to the ties was trimmed of by passing it through a small circular saw.
They also extruded both the code 80 and code 100 rail at this site.
The code 55, made in China has  4 x 7.5" segments in the 30" length.
Back then Atlas also made the HO track for Lifelike sets
Jim

[TrainCat2]

I am in dire need of an ME 80 foot deck girder bridge kit.  Let me know when Mainline gets them in stock and I will order from them.

Mike

realize the cost is higher, but if your in a dire need, have you considered getting the 75-542 120' extension that comes with a 40' and a 80' girder ??

[mu26aeh]

Website is updated and new price/product listing is available.  Get ready to dig deep, big price increases.  Turnouts I just bought MSRP was 20.95, now listed at 33.50.  Bundles of track I last paid around $35, now $50

http://www.microengineering.com/MicroEngineeringPriceListNovember2022.pdf

[Chris333]

So they are back into production now?  or just made up a new price list.

[mu26aeh]

LHS I work at got a delivery from them in the last week of HO turnouts and flex track, so I assume they have some items starting to flow again

[John]

I still have a good stash of ME rail .. and enough left over flex track pieces to last me a lifetime of hand laying turnouts .. everything else on that list I might want I can 3D print ..  I will have to spring for a length of bridge flex though

I wish them all the best continuing the product line ..