New American Flyer Berks and turnout sizes

RICKC posted:

Guys,  I'm still kinda new with S scale so this may be a stupid question.  I just received the new Lionel big book for 2018.  I see that the new American Flyer Berkshires take a minimum curve of S36.  BUT, I see they only have switches of R20 and R27.  American Models doesn't have any switches larger than 27" radius.  The same for MTH, if I remember correctly.   Sooooo, how do you get your engines to switch tracks?  I have run large engines in O scale thru smaller switches and they either just run thru very slow or bind or derail.  Again, Soooooo, does anyone make a larger switch, like an S36, for hi-rail wheels?

Thanks,  Rick

Rick,

I cannot address the new Berks, but the previous ones will track the smaller radius switches just fine.  At least mine do.  Just don't go blowing through them at 100+ mph!

Unfortunately, we here in S Land aren't blessed with a multitude of switch options, in hirail especially.  Those of us on the scale side have a few more options.  I'll leave it to others who are better versed in switch options to respond.  I hand built mine to #6 size. 

The catalog has misprints.  Cut-'n-pastitis from the O gauge LionChief Berkshire descriptions.

The FlyerChief Berkshire goes around R20 curves with no problems.  They should handle the R20 turnouts with not issues.

Rusty

Rick:

Looking for a larger radius turnout?  Try Fox Valley.  They make a turnout with code 137 rail (like the MTH or old SHS rail, AM rail is code 147) in both highrail and scale versions.  It is a No. 5 turnout which approximates a 39" radius curve.  I have used these on my scale/highrail layout since they were introduced about 2 months ago.  Modified the highrail to accept both high rail and scale wheel flanges.  Quality product.

Roger

Thanks guys.  Much appreciated.

Roger,  what do you mean you modified the highrail and how?

Rick

Rick:

Narrowed the guard rail flangeway with .030 X ,100 styrene and raised the frog flangeway with .020 X .060 styrene.  Fixed with canopy glue.  Sorry, no pix, will try to post later.

Roger

Lionel says the same thing about their sound box cars. S36??  In the you tube videos they are running on regular 20R curves, same size as old school track..

Marty

I guess nobody proofs the thing.  It probably seemed obvious to some cutter & paster that if O is for O gauge, S must be for S.

Brendan

DRGWno1 posted:

Rick:

Narrowed the guard rail flangeway with .030 X ,100 styrene and raised the frog flangeway with .020 X .060 styrene.  Fixed with canopy glue.  Sorry, no pix, will try to post later.

Roger

 

 

Roger,

Did you get a chance to take pictures?

Thanks, Mike

Mike;

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Still experimenting on how to add photos.  Hope this comes out OK

Roger

banjoflyer posted:

RICKC posted:

Guys,  I'm still kinda new with S scale so this may be a stupid question.  I just received the new Lionel big book for 2018.  I see that the new American Flyer Berkshires take a minimum curve of S36.  BUT, I see they only have switches of R20 and R27.  American Models doesn't have any switches larger than 27" radius.  The same for MTH, if I remember correctly.   Sooooo, how do you get your engines to switch tracks?  I have run large engines in O scale thru smaller switches and they either just run thru very slow or bind or derail.  Again, Soooooo, does anyone make a larger switch, like an S36, for hi-rail wheels?

Thanks,  Rick

S36 is a Lionel fuzzy thinking number. There really is no such thing. What they are trying to convey is that their engines will negotiate a track curve having a minimum 20" radius like the original Gilbert curves. That leads to a track making a 40" diameter circle. Where they got the "36" from is anyone's guess. (perhaps an incorrect nod to the O scale "O36"?)

No one really know why Lionel continues to use this track diameter misnomer as it makes no sense and causes confusion like you experienced.

So, in short, all the Lionel S scale engines will negotiate r20 curves and all the S gauge manufacturers offer turnouts with this radius curve.

Mark

 

"S36" -- When I make a circle out of 12 curve sections of my original 1952 American Flyer track, the track diameter (measured from the center of the inner and outer rails) is 38". But when I measure the diameter between the inside edges of the black metal track 'ties' the distance is almost exactly 36". Probably just a coincidence?

CaseyKen posted:

banjoflyer posted:

RICKC posted:

Guys,  I'm still kinda new with S scale so this may be a stupid question.  I just received the new Lionel big book for 2018.  I see that the new American Flyer Berkshires take a minimum curve of S36.  BUT, I see they only have switches of R20 and R27.  American Models doesn't have any switches larger than 27" radius.  The same for MTH, if I remember correctly.   Sooooo, how do you get your engines to switch tracks?  I have run large engines in O scale thru smaller switches and they either just run thru very slow or bind or derail.  Again, Soooooo, does anyone make a larger switch, like an S36, for hi-rail wheels?

Thanks,  Rick

S36 is a Lionel fuzzy thinking number. There really is no such thing. What they are trying to convey is that their engines will negotiate a track curve having a minimum 20" radius like the original Gilbert curves. That leads to a track making a 40" diameter circle. Where they got the "36" from is anyone's guess. (perhaps an incorrect nod to the O scale "O36"?)

No one really know why Lionel continues to use this track diameter misnomer as it makes no sense and causes confusion like you experienced.

So, in short, all the Lionel S scale engines will negotiate r20 curves and all the S gauge manufacturers offer turnouts with this radius curve.

Mark

 

"S36" -- When I make a circle out of 12 curve sections of my original 1952 American Flyer track, the track diameter (measured from the center of the inner and outer rails) is 38". But when I measure the diameter between the inside edges of the black metal track 'ties' the distance is almost exactly 36". Probably just a coincidence?

Coincidence.  Flyer track, like Lionel track was measured to to outside of the ties (which according to legend was so you'd know if if fit on the dining room table...)  And sometimes, Lionel's catalog writers mess up during the cut-n-paste process.

O Scale (2 rail,) S Scale, HO and N measure curves in radius, not diameter and take the radius from the track centerline.

Rusty

Rusty, your post closes a big gap in my track knowledge and helps as I consider perhaps shifting from high rail to s-scale track. Now I know to look for R20 if I do that, so thanks for that info. 

P.S. I have a 5’x9’ AF layout in my garage (in Florida), mounted on a pulley system. Have been dealing with new rust on my AF track, and am afraid that if I spend the $$ to shift to more realistic track, it’ll be wrecked by rust.  Any recommendations on a good rust-resistant s-scale track? (nickle alloy?)

Ken

CaseyKen posted:

Rusty, your post closes a big gap in my track knowledge and helps as I consider perhaps shifting from high rail to s-scale track. Now I know to look for R20 if I do that, so thanks for that info. 

P.S. I have a 5’x9’ AF layout in my garage (in Florida), mounted on a pulley system. Have been dealing with new rust on my AF track, and am afraid that if I spend the $$ to shift to more realistic track, it’ll be wrecked by rust.  Any recommendations on a good rust-resistant s-scale track? (nickle alloy?)

Ken

Ooops, I didn’t mean to hijack this AF Berkshire thread, but my P.S. above might; so will post that Question under a more appropriate subject line, so we can get back on topic here. 

Ken