I recently viewed an auction item for a medium radius turnout cat. no. SLE396X
The standard item SLE396 is a code 80 medium radius electrofrog LH turnout so what does the X signify?
Well the E signifies electrofrog, a U signifies unifrog, a suffix F indicates finescale (code 55), so I'm guessing that the X can only be switched after the 9pm watershed, or has some other parental control switch?
:claphappy:
Bob G
I've never heard of such a beast so can only think it's a typo of some sort
Bob only mentioned parental control as that's what he's under :D
Don't the lengths of flexi track sometimes get listed eg as SL-300X ? Don't think the X has any significance though. Never seen it in relation to pointwork.
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(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/156/5885-121125131346.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=156123)
Ah Ha! Yes the SL300/302/303X numbers refer to multipacks (IIRC 25 yard lengths) so it means the pack contains multiple numbers of SL300 etc.
As you say, not used for points.
Just had another browse and there are a variety of points with X shown.
Whilst some are described as NEW, where boxed all are in the old style pale blue cardboard boxes so very old stock.
Why don't you contact Peco themselves and get the answer from the horse's mouth?
Quote from: mojo on November 12, 2025, 05:07:34 PMJust had another browse and there are a variety of points with X shown.
Whilst some are described as NEW, where boxed all are in the old style pale blue cardboard boxes so very old stock.
Are they all from the same seller? The actual boxes don't show an X, just the item description? It's most likely a type from a bulk listing upload. Ignore it.
Already have, just interested.
Sorry to wander a little way off topic but just to say that I'm in the first initial stages of beginning to lay Peco track for a relatively modern image DC analogue layout using isolating points. Peco only seem to provide concrete sleepered points in electrofrog mode (Why?) so I'm pleasantly surprised at the result of carefully painting with a discontinued Crown emulsion paint shade of "Dark Cream" of which, entirely fortuitously, I found a small tester tub forgotten in the shed. Presumably there are close current shades by proprietary paint manufacturers which would fit the bill, at less cost than Railtech "Concrete". (My old tub of Dark Cream is a closer match to Peco's concrete sleepers.)
It all takes time but recently retired (and thus recently new to railways modelling - this my first attempt) time is now in good supply.
Quote from: HD on November 13, 2025, 02:29:20 PMPeco only seem to provide concrete sleepered points in electrofrog mode (Why?)
When concrete sleepers were first used, in the 1960s, the sleepers were just a standard track size, so all points were made with (longer) wooden sleepers. That has only changed quite recently (others with more knowledge on the subject will tell you exactly when) and so Peco only do a few points in concrete sleeper style.
HTH
Bob
Peco don't do any N Gauge points with concrete sleepers.
Regards,
John P
For clarification, IIRC they do concrete sleeper points in OO, and its been so long since I have bought any, I thought they might have copied that practice in N.
The only N gauge rtr concrete sleeper points I can think of are by Minitrix in their code 60 track range. Even Kato Unitrack's concrete sleeper track has wooden sleepers for the points.
@HD why not use Electrofrog points? Better reliability especially if you do any shunting with short wheelbase locos on DC where you don't have things like DCC stay-alive available. They look better too in my opinion :) They're no more difficult to use than Insulfrog. I've used the code 55 track and Electrofrogs since the mid 90s.
The only Peco points they do with concrete sleepers (they're technically called "timbers" or "bearers" when they're under pointwork, but that is just needlessly pedantic!) is the OO gauge code 75 medium radius IIRC. Wooden sleepers under pointwork prevailed for a long time after concrete became the norm on plain track. Concrete sleeper points have only really become widespread this century and you'll still find the odd set of wooden points on modern main lines.
I have to agree with ntp - why not use electrofrog? They look better, work better, and aren't meaningfully harder to wire up.
Thanks to all for the explanations, giving me food for thought.