Taking Down MY N and switching to HOn3

[rgengineoiler]

Hi Everyone.  MY age is getting up there as my eyes are telling me and I have been taking down my N Layout for the last three weeks but keeping the bench work in tack with a few small revisions.
Have been loading up on HOn3 rolling stock and supplies and have sold all my N scale rolling stock to Trainz.  Great people to works with and my equipment was top of the line for them to take off my hands.
Soo, Looking forward I have always enjoyed the HOn3 era and I want to concentrate around the 1940's Here in Colorado where I have always lived. 

My N layout was always Peco code 55 with Electrofrog and I want to continue with Peco Code 70 and have been buying track now but not turnouts yet.  So the question is, which type turnout, Electrofrog, Unifrog etc. do you HOn3'ers prefer?  DR   

[Dave V]

I use mostly Peco Unifrog #5s in HOn3. Love them Short, pre-wired frog and great internal centering spring. I have a few ME #6s, but I could take or leave them. Other areas required other geometry including a handlaid 3-way stub and curved turnout (I outsourced those!) and a few Shinohara #4s.

You won't regret the Peco #5s, but you may need to file a flangeway here and there...like all Pecos, they can be tight in spots.

Your story sounds familiar, LOL.

[Buck.H]

PECO is the way to go. Glad to see more narrow gaugers.

[dcarrell8]

I started the same journey about three years ago!  All my N-scale stuff is in the attic! lol.

I much prefer to build my own #6's and #8's with the Fast Tracks products, that being said, I have several Peco #5's on my time saver module and my Fuji K-36 handles them with only the slightest of a bind. 

I would suggest testing various models on one if you have the ability or research future models you may want and how they handle a #5.  You won't have any issues with the BLackstones for sure, they have ample side to side play in the drivers. 

Seems Like I read somewhere that the United or Pacific Fast Mail models were a little more unforgiving on tighter radii, but I have no direct knowledge.  I'm just encouraging you to take the models in to consideration as well as the turnout(s) and what radii you think you might need to navigate. 

[Dave V]

Yeah, I guess I didn't have to contend with any of that. The largest locomotive the real RGS could handle was a K-27, so the Blackstone K-27 (which I've even operated on a 16" radius curve once) is my biggest customer. Brass for me is 4-6-0 or 2-8-0. No bigger K class engines for me (although I'd do some very morally questionable stuff if I could get that Blackstone K-28 into actual production).

From my club layout experience, the larger K class engines can have shorting issues on tight radius curves and turnouts...so Kapton tape is your friend in those situations.

[dcarrell8]

Yeah, I guess I didn't have to contend with any of that. The largest locomotive the real RGS could handle was a K-27, so the Blackstone K-27 (which I've even operated on a 16" radius curve once) is my biggest customer. Brass for me is 4-6-0 or 2-8-0. No bigger K class engines for me (although I'd do some very morally questionable stuff if I could get that Blackstone K-28 into actual production).

From my club layout experience, the larger K class engines can have shorting issues on tight radius curves and turnouts...so Kapton tape is your friend in those situations.

Good point.  I didn't even mention that my MMI K-27 does sometimes short on the #5's on the Time Saver.  I've added the Kapton, which has helped but there still seems to be something that shorts on the frame that I haven't been able to pin point.  It's not every time, which makes it difficult to diagnose.  But it never happens on the #6's or #8's. 

I'll keep my fingers crossed that I will eventually see some morally questionable stuff on your RGS!  You won't hurt my feelings at all Dave!  lol

[Mike C]

  The Peco unifrogs are great , and you really don't need to power the frog . So far I've never had a stall there . Curve radius , I would go with 22 " radius . I did 18 " and wish I had gone bigger .  Yes PFM United 2-8-2's are picky about curve radius Not much side to side axle movement . Now pretty much any Westside 2-8-2 CAN be made to run on 18 " curves with some easy mods . And I have a Sunset K-28 that will handle 18" curves .    Mike

[Dave V]

  The Peco unifrogs are great , and you really don't need to power the frog . So far I've never had a stall there . Curve radius , I would go with 22 " radius . I did 18 " and wish I had gone bigger .  Yes PFM United 2-8-2's are picky about curve radius Not much side to side axle movement . Now pretty much any Westside 2-8-2 CAN be made to run on 18 " curves with some easy mods . And I have a Sunset K-28 that will handle 18" curves .    Mike

I powered mine anyway using Tam Valley Frog Juicers.

[rgengineoiler]

Thanks to all of you for the encouragement.  I guess I am heading in the right direction and I did buy a Blackstone new K-27 right off the bat to get my head out of N Scale.  Beautiful model for sure.  DR