Atlas code 55 track product line

[Maletrain]

Can Ai produce a video of the dead horse getting up, kicking the beater, and running out the barn door?

[Mark5]

Ah, it appears AI was engaged for this.  Nice!

Yeah, finally AI being put to good use! 

[brill27mcb]

Yes, that was well worth the water and the electrical power consumed at a massive server farm somewhere...   

[John]

Can Ai produce a video of the dead horse getting up, kicking the beater, and running out the barn door?

NO!!

I can’t help produce or generate violence involving a person being beaten by an animal.

If you want, I can help with a safe alternative, like:

    writing a non-violent storyboard for an animal rescue or calm interaction scene, or
    generating a video script where the person is safe (e.g., horse behavior education, training, or a vet check), or
    creating an educational clip outline about how to approach/handle horses safely.

[Englewood]

I like it when AI preaches morality to me. 

Slippery slope, my friends.

[sirenwerks]

So I guess the point of my post has become hold my breath and hope Peco creates a US N scale track line before I die, or 'start handlaying bud'. As far as handlaying goes, I haven't tried yet, but it's not the turnouts that scare me actually, it's the curves. I've seen great videos on handlaying turnouts and straight sections, but never on how to get perfect curves in N handlaid.
Honestly, I wish the people who were playing with 3D printing track section ties just get to market already.

[Mark5]

So I guess the point of my post has become hold my breath and hope Peco creates a US N scale track line before I die

I've concluded that Peco's "North American" line is a never ending carrot on a stick, and that with the current world business "climate" - we won't see it any time soon.

[jagged ben]

So I guess the point of my post has become hold my breath and hope Peco creates a US N scale track line before I die, or 'start handlaying bud'. As far as handlaying goes, I haven't tried yet, but it's not the turnouts that scare me actually, it's the curves. I've seen great videos on handlaying turnouts and straight sections, but never on how to get perfect curves in N handlaid.
Honestly, I wish the people who were playing with 3D printing track section ties just get to market already.

Why not use Atlas (or ME) flex and handlay turnouts and crossings?

[Dave V]

I've concluded that Peco's "North American" line is a never ending carrot on a stick, and that with the current world business "climate" - we won't see it any time soon.

Sadly, I think you're right. No one is coming to rescue us. Hand-laying for all! 

[Mark5]

Why not use Atlas (or ME) flex and handlay turnouts and crossings?

This is my likely path.

[Sumner]

Why not use Atlas (or ME) flex and handlay turnouts and crossings?

What I do entirely with ME code 55 and handlaid turnouts and crossings.  I can't imagine having to design the layout around commercial trackwork.  About nothing you can't do....



..... with handlaid and it really isn't rocket science. 

Ed started a couple weeks ago (comes in for a couple hours on week days) and has done maybe 6-8 at this point.  Number 6's with a Fast Tracks fixture but some ....



.... #8's using paper templates.

I often modify or combine paper templates to come up with something that fits the needs of the layout.

When I started and decided to go the handlaid route I figured that about 12 turnouts was the breakeven point figuring the cost of a fixture, making PCB ties, separate wood ties and the rail.  Way past 12 now (maybe around 40 #6's and another dozen or more curved, straight and crossings) and now the cost is about $5 per turnout.

Sumner

[Bill H]

Personally, my entire layout (155' of mainline) is ME Code 40, my preference and reflective of the fact that I was already willing to replace all the wheelsets with low profile metal wheelsets for appearance, keeping cleaner longer, and with resistors for occupancy detection - anyway. And I personally preferred to build all my turnouts as well.

However, I have operated on several very fine, well respected layouts, layouts that have been in numerous magazines and videos, that used Atlas Code 55 entirely for at least 15 years, without any issues reported to me, other than the eventual base metal coloring of the frogs.

Consequently, I have never felt that the Atlas Code 55 track was consistently or historically poor. While I also appreciate that in any manufacturing endeavor both small in scale and in volume, production errors can occur and those errors may be reflective in some of the experiences shared in this thread.

Kind regards,
Bill

[sirenwerks]

Why not use Atlas (or ME) flex and handlay turnouts and crossings?

I appreciate using ME track, but still interested in learning to hand lay curves. Any YouTube resources out there that I haven't been able to find?

[Bill H]

Any YouTube resources out there that I haven't been able to find?

Hard to recommend what you haven't found if we don't know what you have already found...

How about a compass or yard stick or string or whatever, make inside rail and outside rail circles, get some ties and try it? If that works, use a simple bent stick to work easements.

Or use Central Valley tie strips for Code 55 rail... https://www.cvmw.com/cvt.htm

[Sumner]

I appreciate using ME track, but still interested in learning to hand lay curves. Any YouTube resources out there that I haven't been able to find?

What is the surface going to be under the track?

Sumner