Peco Code 55 and Tomix Fine Track questions

[nickhp]

Has anyone bent Peco code 55 flex down to 5.5 inch radius?  Did it work okay? 

 

Has anyone used Toimx fine track and combined/connected it to Peco code 55 track (or code 80)?

 

Thanks!

 

Nick

[Bernard]

Has anyone bent Peco code 55 flex down to 5.5 inch radius?  Did it work okay? 

 

Has anyone used Toimx fine track and combined/connected it to Peco code 55 track (or code 80)?

 

Thanks!

 

Nick

 

Hi Nick,

I haven't used Peco code 55 but it's code 80 with the rails "sunk" into the ties. I have used Peco Code 80 with Kato Unitrack and it works fine. One of the other members here will be able to tell you if TOmix Fine track is in fact code 80....it might take some trimming to use of the first couple of ties to get the two codes to match up. BUT it's going to look a little weird going from a code 80 to a code 55 since the depth is going to be different.

[nickhp]

Yeah, I was going to be careful with the transition, but since it is limited it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

My initial thought is to use the Tomix fine track 140mm and 177mm radius curves at each end, then to use Atlas code 80 flex for the rest of the track, except for turnouts which would be peco medium radius electrofrog's...  Any thoughts/comment on that combination?

 

Thanks!

 

Nick

[Bernard]

With Flex track you can make any radius you want you don't have to rely on Fine track for that. What I would do is use either Atlas flex track (or Peco) and use Peco turnouts. You have the option of which code you want to use. I use Atlas & Peco code 80 with Peco code 80 turnouts and Kato Unitrack (code 80) bridges. Everything works smoothly. Personally I prefer the Peco flex track, it's sturdier and easier to make radii with, the Atlas costs less but is flimsy.

[nickhp]

I need 140/177mm curves at each end of the planned layout and am just hesitant to bend flex track that sharp because of possible gauge narrowing and track not laying flat.  If I were using wider curves of 9 inch radius or more, I would just go flextrack all the way.  I don't want the restriction of using tomix track throughout, but just need those very small radius curves at the ends which seem to favor using the tomix track even if that does come at the price of having to "merge" the flex and tomix tracks at each end...

 

Thanks!

[Bernard]

Do you already have the Tomix Fine track? If so here is an experiment.....try using the flex track on it's own but use the Fine track as a template to make the tight radius....if that doesn't work then use the Fine track with the Flex track....if you go with the Fine track combined with the Flex track I would stay the same code. Remember, Peco flex track code 55 is really code 80 but sunk in the ties.

[Sir Madog]

Folks,

 

joining code 80 rail to Peco code 55 rail is not done just like that. The Peco rail does not have a normal cross section, it looks more like two rails joined together upside down, with the lower part sunk into the ties.

 

 

To make things easier and also to look better, I´d suggest to stay with code 80 track.

[Dani]

Hi,

 

I have Minitrix and Fleishmann code 80 in my layout (in hidden yard) mixed with Peco code 55 (visible tracks). I've had no problem joining them. Just use Peco joiners.

Peco joiners work with both, Minitrix or Fleishmann joiners do not.

 

But I cannot say Peco and other brands, my experience is only with Minitrix and Fleishmann (code 80) and  Peco (code 55).

 

Obviously, the best solution is not to mix them. In my case, I had lots of turnouts and flex track code 80 that I wanted to reuse for economic reasons....

 

Cheers,

Dani

 

Message modified to add this image of code 55 joined to code 80:

 

[brill27mcb]

Well, the picture says it all...  except that, yes, Tomix track is code 80 (or an extremely close metric equivalent).

 

Rich K.

[Ben]

I need 140/177mm curves at each end of the planned layout and am just hesitant to bend flex track that sharp because of possible gauge narrowing and track not laying flat.

 

I've used code 80 Peco flextrack for 140 mm curves on my tram layout. I didn't have any problems with the track gauge, indeed the curves have given years of smooth running! I recommend you make a former you can curve the track around. You will need to remove some of the plastic cross links between the sleepers (ties) to allow the track to curve smoothly, this can be done with a blade or clippers.

[nickhp]

Thanks, Ben!

 

I did just order the fine track curves, but only 3 packets of 140 and 3 of 177, so not like I had a big investment in them.  I will get some code 55 and try the curves, if they don't work, I go with the fine track curves instead.

 

Cheers!

 

Nick

[Dani]

By the way, I don't know Peco code 80 but code 55 flex track keeps the form when you bend it, it's very handy. This doesn't happen with fleishman or minitrix flex track and it's more difficult to lay.

 

Cheers,

Dani

[nickhp]

Hi Dani, thanks and the fact that the code 55 keeps its shape better is one of the reasons I want to go with 55 instead of 80.

 

Cheers!

 

Nick

[Martijn Meerts]

The Peco flex is definitely easier to work with than minitrix/fleischmann/roco, although, minitrix and roco (roco n-scale track is now sold by fleischmann btw) does come in 2 variants. A stiffer version, and a very flexible version.

 

The only problem I tend to have with flex, is if you need to combine 2 flex track in a curve, they never really line up nicely. I know there's ways of getting them to line up nice, but I haven't experimented with them yet.

 

However, now that the new house is almost done, and we're about to move into it, I should have time and space to continue my fiddle yard, where I'll need to test some things with regards to connecting flex in curves, and also super elevating the curves etc.