Fox Valley Wheels: Which Track and Turnouts to Use?

[ai5629]

I had a question for those that run Fox Valley Wheels on their layout.  Which type of track and turnouts are you using?  Here is my issue: I converted about 30 cars to FVM wheels.  I took them to my layout (at my father's place) to gave them a try.  They derailed in about a half dozen places.  This issue was with the guage of the turnouts.  My layout is about 23 years old.  The trackwork was laid with Atlas code 100 and Shinohara turnouts.  The Shinohara turnouts are way out of guage / wide.  The cars would fall in between the rails on certain turnouts.  This does not happen with Atlas or MT wheels.  This must be due to the FVM wheels being much thinner.  I have an addtiion that was made about 12 years ago that is laid with Micro Engineering track and turnouts.  I am going to have to see if they track on it.  Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks.

Jeff

[Chris333]

I use Atlas C55 and some hand laid turnouts with FVM wheels, no problems.

[SkipGear]

I believe that FVM is coming out with a wider tread version of their wheels to cure situations such as yours with older track.

[Denver Road Doug]

Jeff, I'm pretty sure that there have been documented issues specifically about compatibility (lack thereof) with Shinohara turnouts.  I believe it was Bill Denton who described the problem and warned of converting if Shinohara is used.

No offense, but I hate to think FVM is tooling up an entirely new line of wheels just to be compatible with one or two out of production turnout designs.  (in fairness, I think Peco 80 is also on the trouble list, and are still in production)  It's historically been hard enough to get FVM wheels anyway, pretty sure halving production won't help that situation.

[ai5629]

I did a search of the archives, and I read about a lot of the problems with Shinohara turnouts.  I don't remember why my father chose Shinohara over Peco at the time, but it now appears both were a bad choice!  He bought most of these in the late 80's, and I thought Shinohara, Peco, and Atlas were the only games in town at the time.  As I mentioned before, he used Micro Engineering track and turnouts on the addition he built to the layout in the mid 90's.  One of these days, I will have to set up a train on this part of the layout and try it out.  Thanks.

[Denver Road Doug]

Not sure I'd ever say that Shinohara or Peco were bad choices.  I mean, if one of his goals was "track must be compatible with awesome new wheels to be invented in 20 years" then yeah he blew it.   ;D  Shinohara was top of the line in HO in the 80's, and while their N-scale line apparently didn't live up to their HO counterparts' reputation I can certainly understand why most people would be tempted to go that route at the time.  I actually still believe that operationally Peco is still the best track made.  Yes, it needs TLC and the looks leave much to be desired but of the n-scale model railroads I've operated on the ones using Peco are far-and-away the most trouble-free.  (I've yet to operate on a layout that is extensively Atlas code 55, however)

[rochsub]

FVM wheelsets work great with the Fast Tracks code 55 assembly jigs.

Daryl

[Chris333]

Peco are far-and-away the most trouble-free.

Sorry, but