Trackwork

[ModelerXYZ]

The Hornby set track could do with more peices. There doesn't seem to be much veriety of pointwork. Personally, I would like to see a scissors crossover, and also 3 way points and a double slip.

XYZ

[Brew Man]

Scissor, or diamond crossings are available as are express and curved points. But yes, three way and slips would be a good addition, as would electrofrog. Personally I tend not to use set track if I can help it.

[The son of Triangman]

Single slip and double slip were going to be available in 1980-81, some early price lists even had them on. For some reason they didn't make it to the marketplace.

[KL1707822813]

Jouef had a double slip, but not sure if they fit Hornby track geometry: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133012599452

[Rana Temporia]

The original small radius Jouef double slip was very close to Hornby 1st radius. I have a couple and they work fine. Their system had first radius at 12.75” and the second radius which most of their points and crossings were based on was very very close to Hornby 1st radius, not so bad when you consider their models were HO. They did produce points and crossings based on the very small radius too, most makes of stock find these points a problem due to the very sharp bend but I have been able to run some of my early Tri-ang locos over them without any problems.

The later Jouef points and crossings range was much more to scale and had large radius points and double slips. They can combine with Hornby track but the geometry is very different.

The original points were non-self isolating and the points had a sliding fishplate to isolate or energise the track beyond which meant either the whole layout was live or you had to have switches controlling the feed to different parts of the layout. I have seen people say that the points are broken but they were a different design to what we now consider standard and often simply needed the fishplate to be pushed into place. Very early Jouef track was brass, later plated steel and that suffers from the same corrosion problems that Hornby steel track has suffered from.

All the track in the current Jouef range is the Hornby items we can buy here.