Bachmann E-Z Track Turnouts (yay or nay)

Hi all,

I'm building an automatic staging yard (hidden) on my layout and I'm trying to find a Cost Effective...Reliable....Motorized turnout to use.

I'm considering the Bachmann E-Z track #5 turnout even tho I use atlas code 83 flex elsewhere. I basically want something very very very reliable. These are $20 at trainworld and are bassically ready to use...

Is this a good way to go?

Is the #5 turnout ok for walthers' superliner cars (operationaly) ?

Thanks for any input!
Jeff
 

jeffrey-wimberl

Active Member
Hello Jeff, this is Jeff.

Bachmann EZ Track is all I use on my layout. I have several of the #5 remote turnouts and they work very well. The controller that comes with it however is another matter. Set them up on SPST push buttons and you shouldn't have any problems with them. As for use with long cars, the longest I run are 60 footers, all freight. They don't cause a problem for me. Just don't try going through them at warp 1! The real railroads don't even do that.
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
I don't think a #5 is big enough to handle 85 foot passenger cars, but I haven't tried them. Generally you would need at least a #6, but a #8 would be better.
 

Bones

Member
If you want remote reliablility with sectional track, I would reccomend Kato Unitrack turnouts.
Not as cost effective, but well worth the price. Remember, you get what you pay for in this hobby.

Kato turnouts are also power-routing with live frogs by default, which also helps quite a bit for staging use. The power routing feature can be reversed, or completely removed by moving 2 screws on the underside to appropriate holes. Don't quote me, but I think there's even a screw you can removed to make it an insulated frog.

Of course, the cost of these turnouts puts them in the Tortoise + Peco range, with the same reliability. But you can't rearrange your staging on a whim, like with Unitrack.
 
Alrighty
Thanks for the advice guys!

Bones,
I've considered using the kato unit track turnouts as well. I've heard nothing but great things about them! Perhaps I should save up and get the good stuff.
 

steamhead

Active Member
One thing I've learned in this hobby...Don't skimp on the trackwork...unless you want to pull your hair out...!! It gets very old very soon having to go around re-railing cars and pushing locos thru turnouts...In my current layout I'm using only Peco turnouts (with a couple of Shinoaras thrown in for good measure..). The pulling-hair days are long gone....
 
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