banjoflyer posted:Quick Casey posted:Okay, but will that 2X4 clear the old A.C. Gilbert switch motor? That's another criteria a lot of people with traditional layouts throw in the way of new products.
I doubt it.
I have no AF turnouts on my 2 S gauge loops. I do however have some SHS turnouts on a dedicated point-to-point switching track. It's probably visible in some of the videos. So I just went down to the layout to see if the car hits the switch towers. It does. Actually if the car didn't have the "under frame beam" attached it would clear the switch stand. It would ride over them which would look crazy at best. But the beam is an integral part of the "look" of these 89' cars.
It appears that the AF Fastrack turnouts allow you to place the switch stand on either side of the switch????? if this picture is believable:
It looks like there is a detachable roadbed section at the top of this image that would allow you to move the stand? I don't know if this is possible and I can't locate a manual online but if it could be done it would fix the problem with long cars hitting the stand.
American models switches would fare far better as they have no upright stand:
But as to original American Flyer turnouts it's a definite NO.
In the time period those turnouts were produced I'd guess the longest cars were the streamlined passenger cars? I don't know the answer to that either. Now I'm curious to know if Gilbert ever produced a car that was too long to pass by a switchstand.
Hey...that's why I'm a loop runner!
Mark
Yes, you can move the switch stand to the other side. I have done it on a few of mine.
