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Will my n Kato run on Atlas Code 55 track?

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wolfee

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Nov 14, 2003, 1:06:10 PM11/14/03
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Are all the different codes designed for different brands of rolling stock?
Just looks? What?


Joe Ellis

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Nov 14, 2003, 2:16:13 PM11/14/03
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Re: Will my n Kato run on Atlas Code 55 track?

In article <mQ8tb.256773$0v4.17...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
"wolfee" <clam...@com.invalid> wrote:

>Are all the different codes designed for different brands of rolling stock?
>Just looks? What?

More than "just" looks... code 55 track (.055 inch high) is a more
prototypical track. The standard code 80 (.080 inch) track is WAY
oversize.

You might not think it makes much difference... until you see the code 55
ballasted and in place.

Yes, all your newer (recent manufacture) locomotives _will_ run on Atlas
Code 55. I've got it on some BendTrak modules, and have run recent Atlas,
Kato and even the ConCor GS4 locomotives on it with no difficulty or
additional noise. The only real "problem" is MT large flange wheelsets,
and some of the cheap cars with huge metal wheel flanges... and even those
will _run_, (even through turnouts), but they're noisy and put additional
drag on the train.

I did note that the lead (pilot) truck of the Kato Mikado has large
flanges... more a noise problem than anything else, and I suspect (though
I haven't tried yet) it could simply be replaced with a smaller-flanged
wheelset rather easily.

The look of the Code 55 Atlas track more than makes up for the minor
problems with out-of-standard wheels, though.

Steve Caple

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Nov 14, 2003, 2:57:37 PM11/14/03
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wolfee wrote:
> Are all the different codes designed for different brands of rolling stock?
> Just looks? What?

N scale cars and locomotives designed in accordance with
NMRA wheel specs SHOULD run on code 55 rail. Some,
especially older, European manufactured, do not and require
the grossly oversize code 80 rail to handle their oversized
wheel flanges.

The "code" bit really just means the rail height in
thoudandths of an inch - code 100 (40 years ago, the HO
standard) is .100" high; code 70 is .070", code 55 is .055,
etc.; code 80 in N is close to code 150 or 160 in HO -
and code 100 in HO scales out to some of the heaviest rail
used on mainline railroads. HO code 83 is a good
compromise, with lots of folks preferring code 70 with some
code 55 for industrial spurs.

In N scale, code 55 is just acceptable to my taste, code 40
looks great, but might lead to problems with lot of generic
rolling stock. People do it, though. But for my old eyes
even HO is pretty small to work with.

--
Steve Caple

D&Hfan

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Nov 14, 2003, 8:09:06 PM11/14/03
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wolfee wrote:
>
> Are all the different codes designed for different brands of rolling stock?
> Just looks? What?

My new Kato N-scale RS-2 runs fine on the Atlas-55 track but the
Model-Power heavy weight passenger car wheel flanges bump on the ties. I
plan to reduce the size of the flanges to correct this problem.


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Max Coynes

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Feb 20, 2004, 11:31:57 AM2/20/04
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I've got a MiniTrix steamer that I put upside down in a soft sided vise and
applied power to the wheels while I filed 'em down w/ a moto tool. they
don't hit the ties now and it was fairly easy. The engine was cheap enuff
to begin with that I didn't worry about ruining it. Max.
"wolfee" <clam...@com.invalid> wrote in message
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