Which track?
I am just getting my baseboards together for my Epoch II Silesia layout. I would welcome some comments about track work. Tillig track looks smart but I have no experience - is it as good as it looks? Cheers David

I'd be interested to know too as I am intending using their elite HO track for my new layout. I've been impressed with reports so far.

The Elite-track is great and the form of the turnouts is the best ever seen in large series products. If you are looking for real 7.5°-turnouts like prussian EW49-190-1:7,5 you should try the kits from Guenter Weller of saxony: http://www.g-weller.de/ Sorry, his website is in german only :(

Now this is an interesting topic. I am having a huge re-think re my two layouts. Upstairs I have about 45' of end to end broadly based on Southern. The trackwork is Marcway points and C&L track, motors are SEEP. Downstairs in the garage I have a much smaller German Epoch 1 ( well roughly). I really only started this layout to use up some Peco code 75 that I had. I thought that this Peco stuff being HO would suit Continental stuff. Mistake, big mistake! The idea was to model SR in the comfort of the study in the winter and German in the garage in the summer. Another big mistake. I managed to extend the summer season until a couple of weeks ago then bit the bullet and started thinking in SR terms. Only to find that I had lost all interest and just couldn't be bothered. So the cure. Turn the small downstairs layout into SR leave the code 75 in place, I have put proper check rails in which does improve it a bit. and that will leave 45' upstairs to build my little piece of Germany. But a problem. and the reason for this post in this thread. The Markway and C&L upstairs has got to go, for a little German branchline even I can see that it looks stupid So what track. Tillig? Yes looks good except for the plastic bits which look awful. Peco code 83? Yep although made for the American stuff at least it has metal bits in the right places. So, anything else I should think of? Another point is, I have decided to give up on switching point polarity from the point motor...the wiring involved is just too much for me So I reckon I would have a look at the Gem stuff or even 'Memory' wire. Going that way means just a buss wire and droppers.....even I can manage that. Suppose I could even go to DCC. On a Marcway 92" radius point it takes 4' of wire just from the motor to the frog end. :( A bit forlorn. Brian.

Frank I seem to think that the Peco code,83 is entirely metal in construction. This fact alone makes Peco very tempting. Polarity can rely on blade contact. If you use a good latching type motor you shouldn't have a lot of trouble. Another thing is I rarely change the points. A few years ago I could have popped over and bought you a drink or three.......I lived in Weeze for a couple of years. :D Cheers, Brian.

Hi Frank, No your right re blade contact. It's only me being a lazy bugger. But I have spent all day on this track problem and quite honestly life is too short. I have decided to go back to the code 75 Peco. Part of my problem is that my layout, remember it was my first, hence based on ignorance, was merely a load of baseboards mounted round three sides of a room on bookcases. Hence virtually no access from beneath. Trying to thread long bits of wire from underneath into tiny holes then trying to fix the whole thing so that it worked wasn't a joke. But after a few drinks I realised that there is always more than one way of skinning a cat.....or indeed fixing a point motor. If going in from the bottom is difficult why not cut a bloody great hole and drop the whole thing in from the top. all the wiring etc can be done sitting at the kitchen table, no scrabbling around trying to peer over vario focal glasses. BLISS! Here's one I have started. trouble is th e old SEEP motors have three contacts, these have two or four, can't remember what the hell you do with the CDU. Oh dear I blame it on the drink. Frank, sorry to hear about the demise of Weeze.....how about Wetten? Ryanair taken over, when I was there it was R.A.F. Laarbruch.Used to have twenty houses two shops and fifty beer houses. Brian...Sometime know as The Graf Von Sester. :D :D

"Currently they are planning a RAF museum." Do you think I should volunteer? ( 1959-62) :) Brian.

Hi All, Just a tip with Peco type points, to overcome the problem with continuity after weathering. Bond the blade rails to the stock rails. Cut both blade rails near to frog (common crossing). with razor saw/ thin cutting disc. Fill the resulting gap with either epoxy (aradite or similar) or plasticard /super glue, trim to rail profile. Then useing either of the Peco switchs wire the common to the frog, the other two wires to running rails. It takes about as long to do as it took me to type this! It sounds like a lot of work, but better now, than have the frustration in the future, sods law says it will allways be the most important or inacessable point that fails! I have experianced this the "Hard way" on (Club layouts, we hould have known better) Trevor

"Cut both blade rails near to frog (common crossing). with razor saw" But Trevor as you can see from my picture the switch blade rails are already cut and filled. In fact the gap is bridged by a wire underneath, just snip and hey presto. This is for Electro Frogs I don't know about others. Brian

Wel Brian, thats one job you dont need to do! Most of the track that I have used in the past has been hand built. I am only using Peco Oe track as against to hand built 'cause it came at the right price. I did ask Peco (with tongue firmly in cheek) if they had plans to introduce mixed standard & narrow gauge in '0' scale but the response was **** off! So it was back to hand building. Trevor

Peco are a law unto themselves Trevor. There is no urgency or desire to provide what the customer wants with Peco. Take the standard 00 gauge which it isn't it's as you know HO. But sod off that's what we are going to make so like it or lump it. They bring out finer scale rails but insist on retaining the wrong sleepers etc, it's typical of them, I was going to model using code 83 mainly because at long last with this track they have installed metal check rails. But I could have fallen over when I learn't that curved turnouts were not available and they have no plans for making them in the future. Well they make them in all other codes....suppose they reckon the American market doesn't want them. At the moment I am playing around with Peco motors. I needed some spade connectors and sheaths. Off to the model shop a packet of ten spades and 5 sheaths cost £1.75, trouble is to do one point motor with the frog switch needs 7 sheaths and 7 spades. :(

Brian, The simple answer to that is look at one of the electronic parts suppiers (CPC, and RS amongst others) webb sites. I am pretty sure thats were they get them from! I purchase all my electrical/ electronic componets this way. You have to watch postage on some items. CPC also do some very good magents that work well with KD type couplings, and other magnetic types. Good luck Trevor

Has anyone ever tried the Swedish Jumo jigs?