The following is all the information I have on Peco turnouts and the like. If you intend to use their trackwork at all I’d highly recommend getting a copy of Peco’s “Turnout and Crossing Plans”sheet. This sheet, nominally priced at 20p, is available for free if you send them proof of purchase of a Peco track product and an SAE. Obviously the SAE part is the tricky bit if you don’t live in the UK, particularly since international reply coupons are outrageously expensive and don’t cover full postage from the UK, according to one dealer. But that’s what I ended up doing - sending an IRC - and Peco did kindly accept it.

The sheet has full-sized photos of all Peco’s turnouts and crossings. You can photocopy the thing (I was told in a letter from Peco that it’s OK to photocopy for personal uses) and cut out for track planning purposes. Very useful. Oh, and there are two such sheets, I think - one for the Streamline (code 80) track and one for the Universal Fine (visible code 55) track. The address for the plans (and other inquiries) is:

Peco Technical Advice Bureau
Beer, Seaton, Devon, EX12 3NA
England

Note also that their electrofrog (ie: powered frog) turnouts come with a little instruction booklet that explains the important wiring differences between insulfrog (insulated plastic frog) and electrofrog turnouts.

Peco N Streamline Universal. (code 80)

• Streamline Catch Turnouts, code 80. (these are known as “derailers” in North America)
  RH SL-384
  LH SL-385
  

• Small Radius - not available.
  Use Peco Setrack (sectional) turnouts, which are insulfrog only and have sectional-style notches for rail joiners.

• Setrack Small Radius Turnouts, code 80.
  Nominal Radius: 228 mm; 9"
  Frog Angle: 22 1/2 degrees
  Length: 87 mm; 3 7/16"
  Insulfrog RH ST-5
  Insulfrog LH ST-6
  

• Streamline Medium Radius Turnouts, code 80.
  Nominal Radius: 457 mm; 18"
  Frog Angle: 14 degrees
  Length: 123 mm; 4 13/16"
  Insulfrog RH SL-391
  Insulfrog LH SL-392
  Electrofrog RH SL-E391
  Electrofrog LH SL-E392
  

• Streamline Medium Radius Y (usually spelt “wye” in N. America) Turnouts, code 80.
  Nominal Radius: 762 mm; 30"
  Frog Angle: 8 degrees
  Length: 127 mm; 5"
  Insulfrog SL-397
  Electrofrog SL-E397

• Streamline Large Radius Turnouts, code 80.
  Nominal Radius: 914 mm; 36"
  Frog Angle: 8 degrees
  Length: 159 mm; 6 9/32"
  Insulfrog RH SL-388
  Insulfrog LH SL-389
  Electrofrog RH SL-E388
  Electrofrog LH SL-E389

• Streamline Curved Double Radius Turnouts, code 80.
  Nominal Outside Radius: 914 mm; 36"
  Nominal Inside Radius: 457 mm; 18"
  Frog Angle: 10 degrees
  Length: 157 mm; 6 3/16"
  Insulfrog RH SL-386
  Insulfrog LH SL-387
  Electrofrog RH SL-E386
  Electrofrog LH SL-E387

• Short Crossing - not available. Use Peco Setrack (sectional) crossing.

• Setrack Short Crossing, code 80.
  Frog Angle: 25 degrees
  Length: 91 mm; 3 19/32"
  Insulfrog ST-7

• Streamline Long Crossing, code 80.
  Frog Angle: 8 degrees
  Length: 187 mm; 7 3/8"
  Insulfrog SL-394

Peco N Streamline Universal Fine. (visible code 55)

A few notes. First of all, I refer to the Universal Fine trackwork as visible code 55 because I know if I call it code 55, I will get whinging email from complaining people. This is because the actual rail height of Universal Fine track is slightly higher than code 80, but much of that is buried in the plastic sleepers/ties, so only code 55 height rail is visible. The term “code” refers to the height of the rail in thousandths of an inch. Therefore code 55 rail is 55/1000 of an inch tall.

Second, all code 55 turnouts are electrofrog only - at least in my catalogue - and the crossing is insulfrog only. Third, I’ve also seen the Universal Fine product line under the name “Finescale”, but I don’t know if that’s Peco’s officially sanctioned name.

Finally, all universal fine turnouts have the same frog angle. This is marginally less realistic than the Code 80 turnouts for people who care about such things. It also makes track planning and such slightly easier.

• Universal Fine Small Radius Turnouts, visible code 55.
  Nominal Radius: 304 mm; 12"
  Frog Angle: 10 degrees
  Length: 123.8 mm; 4 27/32"
  Electrofrog RH SL-E391F
  Electrofrog LH SL-E392F

• Universal Fine Medium Radius Y Turnout, visible code 55.
  Nominal Radius: 610 mm; 24"
  Frog Angle: 10 degrees
  Length: 124.4 mm; 4 29/32"
  Electrofrog SL-E397F
  

• Universal Fine Medium Radius Turnouts, visible code 55.
  Nominal Radius: 457 mm; 18"
  Frog Angle: 10 degrees
  Length: 137 mm; 5 3/8"
  Electrofrog RH SL-E395F *
  Electrofrog LH SL-E396F *

  * note - the 1994 catalogue is clearly in error here, since it lists both turnouts with the same catalogue number. I took what I hope is the correct catalogue numbers from the Turnout and Crossing Plans sheet.

• Universal Fine Large Radius Turnouts, visible code 55.
  Nominal Radius: 914 mm; 36"
  Frog Angle: 10 degrees
  Length: 164 mm; 6 7/16"
  Electrofrog RH SL-E388F
  Electrofrog LH SL-E389F

• Universal Fine Curved Double Radius Turnouts, visible code 55.
  Nominal Outside Radius: 914 mm; 36"
  Nominal Inside Radius: 457 mm; 18"
  Frog Angle: 10 degrees
  Length: 159.5 mm; 6 9/32"
  Electrofrog RH SL-E386F
  Electrofrog LH SL-E387F

• Universal Fine Long Crossing, visible code 55.
  Frog Angle: 10 degrees
  Length: 154 mm; 6 1/16"
  Insulfrog SL-394F

• Universal Fine Scissors * Crossing, visible code 55.
  Nominal Radius: 457 mm; 18"
  Frog Angle: 10 degrees
  Length: 270.84 mm; 10 21/32"
  Electrofrog SL-E383F

  * I could be wrong, but I think these things are called double crossovers or something like that in North America. Whatever they’re called they’re a complex piece of trackwork that are equivalent to four turnouts and a crossing.

• Peco have released Universal Fine single and double slip turnouts. Their dimensions are the same as the long crossing. I don’t have much other info on them, however.

Usual disclaimer

Because we live in an absurdly litigious world, please note the following. First, I have no personal financial interest in any companies mentioned here, one way or the other. Second, all trademarked names are owned by their respective owners and are mentioned here purely for identification purposes. Third, no guarantees, express or implied, are made regarding the accuracy, fitness, whatever the hell about any of the information or opinion presented here.