Wright Turnouts for Z

[hemiadda2d]

Are they worth the $30 USD purchase price???

At the price they are sold, they should be the best in the business. Any thoughts?
Wright Turnouts

 

[SmolderZ]

Eventually the wright turnrouts will be more expensive because you got to buy some extra electronics to make it switch. I'm using the Marklin turnouts which work right out of the box and they have about the same price. Marklin's are just fine.

I'm going through your photo album right now hemiadda2d and it's fantastic!

 

[cidchase]

Hi hemi,
How much do you pay for the Marklin??
According to the reviews the Wright looks and acts much
better, how does the photo compare to what you have now??

Just my curiosity

 

[hemiadda2d]

cidchase,
Actually, I don't have any. I know Marklin is very pricey, and they look funny with that monster switch machine box overhanging the turnout.
I just wanna know if anyone has Wright turnouts, and how well they work. I can handle the small amount of wiring to make the turnout live, as I made my entire N layout DCC. Shouldn't be hard.

Thanks for the kind words, SmolderZ! Thank goodness for subalbums--they allow me to streamline the album, for easier viewing!

 

[SmolderZ]

I can handle the small amount of wiring to make the turnout live, as I made my entire N layout DCC. Shouldn't be hard.

Well then the wright turnout is the best choice. I've read very positive reviews about this turnout. Some locomotives seemed to stall on a Marklin switch, this problem is fixed at the wright turnout.

 

[pray59]

I ordered 2 turnout jigs from handlaidtrack.com, a #6 and #8, as well as point jigs, and ties so I can make my own.

Last week I went to the GATS at the SF Cow Palace, and seen Tom Knapp's Nn3 Modular club on display. One of the guys in his club (the guy who administers Republic Locomotive Works web site) had 4 of the fast tracks jigs there, and a sample of the turnouts he made. The first one took him 45 minutes to make, but he said they will go faster after that.

He used code 55 rail, and the turnout looked as nice as the Wright and Halwa turnouts, which Tom had samples of on one of his modules. By the way, that guy had bought 20 Halwa turnouts, and he said every one of them de-bonded from the ties, as the rails are vulcanized to the ties. Halwa replaced them, but how long will they last.

Now granted these were code 55 samples I seen , and I ordered the code 40 models, I think they will be feasable. For everything I needed to make 10 #6 and 10 #8 turnouts, as well as the jigs, i'm into it for $300, so I hope they work out well.

On another unrelated note, several of us Zeds in the SF Bay Area are starting up a new Z Bend modular club. YAY!

 

[hemiadda2d]

Wow!
Was there any problems with the Wright turnouts on the Nn3 layout?

 

[pray59]

The Wright turnouts work and look fantastic on their Nn3 layout!

So do the Halwa turnouts for that matter. They said that the problem with the rails debonding from the ties has been fixed, but I would think twice before buying a lot of them. Or at least consider adding a few soldered PCB ties for extra stability.

Back to the Wright turnouts, I think the tie spacing looked kind of far apart for Z, matching the tie spacing on Marklin track. I like the looks of those turnouts better than the Marklin ones, and they are electricaly a little more sound due to no pivot in the points.

If I was not going to make my own track, I would buy either Peco Flex/Wright Turnouts combo, or the Microtrains Flex/Halwa Turnouts combo and solder a few PCB ties on to stabilize them.

 

[Dominique]

Hi all.
For my in progress Z scale layout, I prefer Wright's Nn3 turnouts:
-closer tie spacing matching NA prototype
-straight diverging track beyond frog, matching prototype
You just have to file a little bit ties end so as to have a fair ratio between gauge and tie lenght.
To my eys these turnouts are more prototypical than Marklin's (and there's no f#&@in' black box holding the mechanism!).
Cheers,
Dominique

 

[MSP Tuner]

Rumor has that Micro Trains will be making turnouts. But don't hold your breath on a date.

 

[hemiadda2d]

MT making Z turnouts? I like their flex, but I have a bunch of Peco c55 flex...

 

[pray59]

I'm still waiting to see what kind of locomotive that microtrains is going to come out with for their new Gunderson Husky-Stacks. I hope it's a GP.

Another bit of Z news lately is that AZL is making a Injection Molded F59PHI just like the Athearn ones, as well as the passenger cars to go with it.
Price rumors less than $200 for the engine, dual flywheels, Mabuchi Flat Can motor, basic AZL quality but better price. Made by Ajin.

Here is the pre-production model:

 

[Dominique]

I've just read that further AZL release should be announced at the NMRA convention next month, to be available in 2005....If this F59PHI is a good bargain for AZL, further releases should be on the same technology and in the same price range

 

[pray59]

I want to go the the convention really bad. It looks like I secured the time off work, now I just got to register and get a travel package. It's 2 hours to fly and 24 hours by Amtrak, and flying is a lot cheaper so...

I seen the beginnings of Jim Manley's Z Bend "travel bag" module, and he said he might get up there in a couple weeks to meet with the Pacific Northwest Z group to get approval for connecting to their layout for the National Train Show.

I want to be at the NTS even if I miss the convention, as there will be a decent Z and N showing.