I've been following the various posts on Peco, Piko and LGB R3 pointwork with interest. It seems to me that none of them is perfect.
When I first started this hobby, the general advice seemed to be that Peco was OK but LGB was better - because it was more robust, presented a broader profile to the wheels and hence was better for electrical conductivity and besides, Peco points deteriorated over time. I eventually opted for LGB pointwork as standard, with a mix of LGB, Tenmille and Aristo track (whatever I could buy cheapest as I built the railway).
Although I've had no problem with compatibility when joining LGB, Tenmille and Aristo, I'm beginning to wish I had opted for Peco from the start. Quite apart from the cheaper cost, I think their rail profile looks more prototypical for the UK than the others, and LGB R3s are proving to be quite unreliable in terms of electrical circuitry. I found the screws on Aristo points rusted in our climate, so abandoned those. I have recently bought some Piko R5s, but it sounds as if they are equally unreliable in the longer term.
I think, if someone asked my advice on what trackwork to opt for now, I'd be inclined to recommend Peco, particularly with the rising cost of brass.
The only concern I would have is over electrical continuity between rail and wheel. What's the general consensus on this - and what do you think are the relative merits of various trackwork for you?
Rik
When I first started this hobby, the general advice seemed to be that Peco was OK but LGB was better - because it was more robust, presented a broader profile to the wheels and hence was better for electrical conductivity and besides, Peco points deteriorated over time. I eventually opted for LGB pointwork as standard, with a mix of LGB, Tenmille and Aristo track (whatever I could buy cheapest as I built the railway).
Although I've had no problem with compatibility when joining LGB, Tenmille and Aristo, I'm beginning to wish I had opted for Peco from the start. Quite apart from the cheaper cost, I think their rail profile looks more prototypical for the UK than the others, and LGB R3s are proving to be quite unreliable in terms of electrical circuitry. I found the screws on Aristo points rusted in our climate, so abandoned those. I have recently bought some Piko R5s, but it sounds as if they are equally unreliable in the longer term.
I think, if someone asked my advice on what trackwork to opt for now, I'd be inclined to recommend Peco, particularly with the rising cost of brass.
The only concern I would have is over electrical continuity between rail and wheel. What's the general consensus on this - and what do you think are the relative merits of various trackwork for you?
Rik