Just getting towards the end of track laying. Just have to start/complete a small goods yard which is planned to have 3sidings & 6 points. I have new unused 4 Peco ST5/6 setrack points (bought by mistake when I was just starting) and was wondering if my Class 08 would cope with them. It goes over medium radius elecrofrog points without trouble, but I don't quite have the space to use mediums in this small yard.
Other than making a duplicate and trying it, I thought i would ask your collective advice on whether it would, I'm guessing someone has been down this route before me.
Your thoughts please?
Apologies MODs if this should go in the track section.
Yes. I've had a layout in the past using ST5/ST6 and had no issues with a Class 08. It was the larger set track points that I had issues with as they have a longer dead section.
Hello Trev
My layout uses only the ST-5/6 points. Almost all of my locomotives are by Union Mills and give no trouble on the turnouts. But, I also have a tiny Dapol 48xx 0-4-2T which glides over then as well.
It is important, I think, to keep the track clean, not just the railheads but the points themselves (where the switches make contact with the stock rails) and the common crossings (frogs) where muck seems to accumulate. I clean these with a brush from Lakeland.
I certainly agree with @nookfield (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=7153) that that larger radius 'dead frog' points can cause problems. I have experienced this in '00' gauge.
Best wishes.
John
Hi
I too largely use set track ST5/6 points.
My Class 08 negotiates them with no trouble. As John says, it is important to keepthese points clean - especially avoid the build up of "crud" either side of the plastic frog.
Regards
Martin
ST5/6 have the shortest dead frogs of any of the Peco N range, so if a short wheelbase chassis can't negotiate those it's got serious problems. Should always be able to have at least one pair of wheels with pickups still in contact with both rails. As has been mentioned, it is vital to keep pickup wheels and track nice and clean, but of course that's always true even with live frog points.
Mechanisms with effective flywheels tend to cope better, but I don't think the new 08 chassis has a flywheel? (Farish missed a trick there IMO). On my German layout my favourite shunters are the current production Minitrix V60 models (like the real loco in my profile pic). They are 0-6-0s with flywheels, they glide over everything and have not much different wheelbase to an 08.
:thankyousign: Gents. That will save me a bob or two as I only need to buy 2 points as opposed to 6 electrofrog mediums, and it means my sidings will not be too short in the limited space I have available. Thanks again.