Minitrix Turnouts / Switch / Points

I've long sang the praises of the Kato Unitrack system (and many others who use it also agree as to its huge benefits and advantages) so this post and its topic should take nothing away from that praise.  Essentially, I need some turnouts (points, switches, etc...) for my freight and passenger terminal that required physical capabilities beyond what Kato's #4 turnout (or #6) could provide.

I considered Tomix, as that track system is equally well respected, but as this track is meant for yards, I didn't want to deal with the pre-ballasted track.   I also considered Atlas, as their track system is plentiful, cheap, and ubiquitous here in the States.

However, I already had some of the Minitrix track from a starter set, and had been using two of their switches in my industrial spur.  There is something about their track that is appealing just in the 'feel' of it.  I don't know if its the weight, or the solid feeling you have when you connect their track together, but I felt good about going with Minitrix.  However, I did use plenty of Atlas Flex Track (and for one curved turnout I even used a Tomix switch) so this is not a complete utilization of Minitrix.  Although it is rather unorthodox as most people either aren't aware that you can mix some track, or they expect significant problems with using track from different brands.  Given that Atlas and Minitrix are both the same height, and that they use code 80 rail the same as Kato, Tomix, and Fleischmann, it all seems to work pretty well together (detailed specs for virtually all N scale track is provided here).  Below is a photo of the yard area with the Minitrix turnouts and Atlas flex track being put together....

The other thing I liked about Minitrix was the way they allow you to connect their turnout motors to the turnout so that the turnout motor would sit flush with the tops of the ties (or sleepers).  Not only did I think this would clearly be more aesthetically pleasing than having the motor being exposed, but its also a far simpler solution than more complicated 'under the table' options.  The photo below shows the traditional motor attachment on the left, and the inverted attachment on the right.

The trick with having the turnout motors sit below the surface of the rails is that you simply attach (using some very straight forward metal tabs that insert into slots in the side of the turnout itself) the motor 'upside down'.   You're also going to have to 'reverse' the type of machine you use...i.e. use a 'left motor' for a 'right turnout' if your going to go this route!

As the now inverted switch machine sits slightly below the surface, you'll need to cut an opening for the switch machine to sit in.  For this, you can just trace the outline of your switch machine...in something like a cork under-layment the job is really easy.  If you're track sits on plywood, well, its a bit more trouble!

 

With the opening complete, you'll need to drill holes for the turnout motor, but really all that's necessary now is to put the turnouut with its motor in place.

 

When complete, the motor sits almost-but not quite- flush to the 'surface'.   Not as elegant as the 'hidden in the ballast' solution of the Kato or Tomix brands, but a decent approach!

As Kato's switches are single coil, I found that my next question was how to configure the switches to be remotely operated.  I'm not quite prepared to convert my switches to DCC control yet....for whatever reason I like the look and feel of a nice 'control panel' with all its toggles, etc....

While I found a really good solution for operating my Kato switches (using a design developed by George Stilwell ("easyBCD" which he shares on the Yahoo! Kato Unitrack group), my searches of the internet found no comparable design for the two-coil design (Okay, that's not precisely true...I did find several, but I understood little or it looked a lot more complicated than I wanted to pursue).  What I did find was actually much easier, and that was the 751d turnout controller designed and created by Ken Stapleton.  At $8.00 apiece (fully assembled) these are actually really well priced (considering the ancient Atlas Slide switch goes for about $4.00 and the Kato 'big blue' switch at around $7.00) and are really a value when you consider the features that Ken put into these machines!   Ken was also very available over email to answer some of my questions about using these controls with Minitrix turnouts (to my knowledge, they hadn't been used with Minitrix motors).

The biggest drawback I've found with these switches is the physical interaction between the motor / solenoid mechanism and the actual switch itself.  Essentially the red 'lever' that throws the points sits in a small gap withing the motor mechanism.  While this is fairly straightforward, its not 100% reliable.  Several times I will throw the switch at the control panel (and hear the appropriate 'snap' sound) only to find that the red level skipped out of the slot in the motor.  Sometimes this has to do with the alignment of the motor on the switch machines, which can be addressed by propping it so that the contact is more certain each time.

Bottom line is that these turnouts are not as reliable as the Kato turnouts.  I'll give Kato a 95% reliability rating, while these Minitrix switches get an 80%.  However, one advantage is the ease of replacing motors with the Minitrix, which is not at all a feasible option at all withe Kato!  In terms of cost....well, it sort of depends on the latest exchange rates!   The polarized frog turnouts I went with (15 degrees) are not cheap...in fact, they are slightly more expensive than a Kato #6 turnout....and that's before you paid another $15 for the motor mechanism ( I have questioned my judgment when the cost started adding up with these!).

So there you go....if you want a turnout alternative that is more expensive and not as reliable as the Kato, and will not be readily available at your local hobby shop (unless you live in Europe I imagine!) you should consider Minitrix as one of you options!

(See? I'm still praising Unitrack...even when I'm not!)