Jeff Smith Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 Yes, it would be a very different hobby without the Peco brands........the new developments as well as the old reliable favourites! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparaxis Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 At least Peco generally keeps stuff in the catalog for years. Just think what a mess it would be if they followed the model that everyone else seems to have gone for. "You didn't pre-order your left hand medium radius turnouts when they were announced last year? Sorry, sold out." Or even worse. "I know you pre-ordered but we were short supplied and they are sold out at the factory and we don't know if they will ever do a re-run." Put's on old curmugeon hat... my first Peco turnouts had plastic locking springs, not the nice metal ones they use today. Bought "second hand" (Remember when we said that, not "Pre-owned") in the mid 1970's. If I still had them, I could replace them on the layout with modern small radius ones and they would fit. Or simplex couplings....Does anyone still use them. (Or does Peco have a 50 year old box hiding somewhere in their storeroom?) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Isherwood Posted October 21, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 21, 2021 19 minutes ago, sparaxis said: Or simplex couplings....Does anyone still use them. (Or does Peco have a 50 year old box hiding somewhere in their storeroom?) I do - I must have literally thousands of them fitted to my stock! Peco still make them, and today I acquired another four pairs via Ebay. John Isherwood. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 21, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, sparaxis said: Or simplex couplings....Does anyone still use them. (Or does Peco have a 50 year old box hiding somewhere in their storeroom?) Not necessarily in their storeroom but they certainly had a box featured in the "Peco at 75" supplement in the October Toddler*. *other train porn is available. Edited October 21, 2021 by Tim Dubya making two words one 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBAGE Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 (edited) Although Peco have promised diamond crossing in Autumn/Winter, I am tempted to buy a kit from C&L. C&L supply kits with 0.8mm and 1.5mm thick timbers. Can anyone advice which timber thickness is most appropriate for use with existing Peco bullhead points and flex track? Bob Edited October 23, 2021 by RBAGE Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Roy Langridge Posted October 23, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2021 1 hour ago, RBAGE said: Although Peco have promised diamond crossing in Autumn/Winter, I am tempted to buy a kit from C&L. C&L supply kits with 0.8mm and 1.5mm thick timbers. Can anyone advice which timber thickness is most appropriate for use with existing Peco bullhead points and flex track? Bob If I recall rightly, Peco sleepers are 3.5mm high at the chair. Roy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PMP Posted October 23, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2021 1 hour ago, RBAGE said: Although Peco have promised diamond crossing in Autumn/Winter, I am tempted to buy a kit from C&L. C&L supply kits with 0.8mm and 1.5mm thick timbers. Can anyone advice which timber thickness is most appropriate for use with existing Peco bullhead points and flex track? Bob Peco bullhead cd75 sleepers are 1.6mm thick on points, with base of rail to sleeper top of 0.8mm (as best I can measure it) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chamby Posted October 23, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2021 1 hour ago, RBAGE said: Although Peco have promised diamond crossing in Autumn/Winter, I am tempted to buy a kit from C&L. C&L supply kits with 0.8mm and 1.5mm thick timbers. Can anyone advice which timber thickness is most appropriate for use with existing Peco bullhead points and flex track? Bob C&L used to say that the thicker sleepers are to match other proprietary brands of track, including Peco. The thinner sleepers are more economical on ballast. I have used the thicker sleepered C&L track in conjunction with Peco, they go together well. You can use the Peco rail joiners to join both tracks together, but may need to open the gap very slightly to fit C&L. C&L is easier to lay for straight track, Peco easiest on curves. They have different webbing between the sleepers, C&L webbing needs to be cut to curve. 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBAGE Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 35 minutes ago, Chamby said: C&L used to say that the thicker sleepers are to match other proprietary brands of track, including Peco. The thinner sleepers are more economical on ballast. I have used the thicker sleepered C&L track in conjunction with Peco, they go together well. You can use the Peco rail joiners to join both tracks together, but may need to open the gap very slightly to fit C&L. C&L is easier to lay for straight track, Peco easiest on curves. They have different webbing between the sleepers, C&L webbing needs to be cut to curve. Thanks for that. Whenever I haved C&L components in the past, I've built with thin timbers to match SMP plain track. So, your advice makes sense. Thanks. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, Chamby said: C&L used to say that the thicker sleepers are to match other proprietary brands of track, including Peco. The thinner sleepers are more economical on ballast. I have used the thicker sleepered C&L track in conjunction with Peco, they go together well. You can use the Peco rail joiners to join both tracks together, but may need to open the gap very slightly to fit C&L. C&L is easier to lay for straight track, Peco easiest on curves. They have different webbing between the sleepers, C&L webbing needs to be cut to curve. As you say the new (thick) C&L flexi track has the webs on alternate sides just the same as Peco, where they differ is that 2 sprues make up a 60' panel with wider (12" ) sleepers at each end, correct sleeper spacing and the chairs have keys in them. C&L also sell plastic and brass functional one piece fishplates which look far better than Peco's rail joiners It was the older track base that needed the webbing cut, the new track is very similar if not the same as Peco Edited October 24, 2021 by hayfield 1 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Bernard Lamb Posted October 24, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2021 6 hours ago, hayfield said: As you say the new (thick) C&L flexi track has the webs on alternate sides just the same as Peco, where they differ is that 2 sprues make up a 60' panel with wider (12" ) sleepers at each end, correct sleeper spacing and the chairs have keys in them. C&L also sell plastic and brass functional one piece fishplates which look far better than Peco's rail joiners It was the older track base that needed the webbing cut, the new track is very similar if not the same as Peco John Peco now do a joiner/fish plate specifically for use with their bull head rail. It works very well but needs a bit of practice to fit as they are a very tight fit. They are a massive improvement on the old type. Bernard 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparaxis Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 On 21/10/2021 at 15:43, cctransuk said: I do - I must have literally thousands of them fitted to my stock! Peco still make them, and today I acquired another four pairs via Ebay. John Isherwood. When I started modeling in the 1970s they were my choice. Much neater than those horrible Triang couplings. I also had a lot of Dublo, so that helped. You saw a lot of layouts using them in the magazines of the time, and then they faded away. Now I use Kadee couplers instead. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 24, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2021 1 hour ago, Bernard Lamb said: John Peco now do a joiner/fish plate specifically for use with their bull head rail. It works very well but needs a bit of practice to fit as they are a very tight fit. They are a massive improvement on the old type. Bernard C&L's are superior IMHO Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 4 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said: John Peco now do a joiner/fish plate specifically for use with their bull head rail. It works very well but needs a bit of practice to fit as they are a very tight fit. They are a massive improvement on the old type. Bernard Bernard I know this but its still a rail joiner and from memory unless you cut some chairs the gap between the sleepers is to large, plus you see the rail joining part along the foot of the rail. Both Exactoscale and new the new C&L versions look so much better. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 3 hours ago, Tim Dubya said: C&L's are superior IMHO They come in plastic as well and are a lot cheaper, you show the version with 2 standard and 2 reinforced fishplates, you cam buy all standard if you have no need for the reinforced versions 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dungrange Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 11 minutes ago, hayfield said: They come in plastic as well and are a lot cheaper, you show the version with 2 standard and 2 reinforced fishplates, you can buy all standard if you have no need for the reinforced versions Where would the reinforced versions be used? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chamby Posted October 24, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2021 I use both Peco and C&L joiners. The tiny Peco metal bullhead ones (SL-114) are discreet when painted, durable and excellent for running lengths of track. I use the C&L version specifically when I need insulated joiners, which Peco don’t do. Though the C&L joiners look even smaller and finer, I have also found them to be more fragile and prone to breaking over time. 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBAGE Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 The Ultrascale insulating fishplates look really good but I have had problems with their use on anything but C&L supplied rail. All other rail seems to be of a heavier cross section and split the connection between the two halves of the fishplate. Has anyone else had the same problem. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted October 24, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 24, 2021 58 minutes ago, hayfield said: Bernard I know this but its still a rail joiner and from memory unless you cut some chairs the gap between the sleepers is to large, plus you see the rail joining part along the foot of the rail. Both Exactoscale and new the new C&L versions look so much better. The PECO bullhead joiners fit between the chairs at standard bullhead sleeper spacing. No chairs need to be harmed to use them. 1 5 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 24, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2021 2 hours ago, Dungrange said: Where would the reinforced versions be used? I don't know tbh, nothing on C&L's site that I can find. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 11 hours ago, Dungrange said: Where would the reinforced versions be used? You need to ask someone like Martin Wynn I asked Phil but he was a bit illusive about them, one of his main sources for info is a 1954 (or a date similar) BR chair specification. Hence the 2 bolt J chairs which were BR western Region rather than GWR Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 11 hours ago, Chamby said: I use both Peco and C&L joiners. The tiny Peco metal bullhead ones (SL-114) are discreet when painted, durable and excellent for running lengths of track. I use the C&L version specifically when I need insulated joiners, which Peco don’t do. Though the C&L joiners look even smaller and finer, I have also found them to be more fragile and prone to breaking over time. They are basically semi functional, as they are strong enough to hold the rails in line whilst either the solvent or glue sets to hold the track in place and of course they insulate for electrical sections, extra strength can bu obtained by using thin superglue. They are much finer than rail joiners 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PMP Posted October 25, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) In terms of practicality robustness and appearance the Peco rail joiners get my vote every time. My supplier tells me he’s sold a good few packs to EM/P4 modellers using CD75 bullhead rail. Whoever is talking of cutting chairs to make them fit I suspect hasn’t even seen them let alone used them. Hopefully Peco will add insulated versions in due course. Edited October 25, 2021 by PMP 7 11 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted October 25, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 25, 2021 8 minutes ago, PMP said: In terms of practicality robustness and appearance the Peco rail joiners get my vote every time. My supplier tells me he’s sold a good few packs to EM/P4 modellers using CD75 bullhead rail. Whoever is talking of cutting chairs to make them fit I suspect hasn’t even seen them let alone used them. Hopefully Peco will add insulated versions in due course. As someone who models in both OO and P4, I can only agree wholeheartedly with what Paul has said. In my view, the Peco bullhead fishplates represent a massive leap forward for 4mm bullhead track modelling. I have also made quite extensive use of the plastic fishplates formerly supplied by the P4 Track Co (later Exactoscale, prior to their take over by C&L) and whilst they do look very good, they are not as robust as the Peco ones and don't always provide a good rail alignment like the Peco ones. In my experience, it's worth noting you don't always get brownie points for using superb-looking fishplates (and indeed other tiny prototypical track components), but viewers at exhibitions always notice electrical problems and derailments, both of which the Peco product helps avoid. 6 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 25, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) 25 minutes ago, PMP said: In terms of practicality robustness and appearance the Peco rail joiners get my vote every time. My supplier tells me he’s sold a good few packs to EM/P4 modellers using CD75 bullhead rail. Whoever is talking of cutting chairs to make them fit I suspect hasn’t even seen them let alone used them. Hopefully Peco will add insulated versions in due course. more of a N gauge joiner chap for c75 bullhead myself, then glue the Exactoscale jobbers either side (they always snap on me anyway). Edited October 25, 2021 by Tim Dubya fiddledeedee 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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