HO Tillig Pilz turnout from Reynaud’s Euro-Imports

With its flexible geometry and one-piece point rails, the Tillig Pilz Elite turnout line is one of the most interesting track products I’ve seen in some time. The line has been available in Europe for several years, but until recently was seen only rarely in the United States and Canada.

The Elite turnouts are something of a hybrid between commercial and handlaid turnouts. The ties are a resilient polyamide plastic. They come with finely detailed cast-in tie plates and bolts, as seen on many modern turnouts in North America and in Europe (no surprise, since Tillig is a German firm). However, the tie strips are flexible (see photo), so the turnouts can be bent to fit.

Similarly, while the turnouts use code 83 rail, the point rails are continuous from the frog, as on a handlaid turnout. Because the rail fasteners are quite small, the track accommodates both NMRA RP25 and European-style NEM deep flanges without the flanges bumping on the ties or derailing.

Our sample matched my NMRA standards gauge save for being a bit tight on the straight side of the turnout at the frog; that problem was simple to fix with a small file. While Tillig offers its own switch motor, the throwbar has holes at each end and also in the middle, so it should be simple to fit other motors to the turnout.

It’s worth noting that Tillig turnouts are a curved-frog design (a continuous 53″ radius in the case of our sample, with a diverging angle of 12 degrees), which saves on space but differs from typical North American practice. In addition, the turnouts are a power-routing design, which means they require insulating joiners on the inner rails at the frog end to prevent short circuits. Tillig includes regular and insulating joiners with the turnouts, but the instructions are printed in German.

I also examined a Tillig double-slip switch. Here too, the turnout was built from rail with only one casting, and the parts were cleanly assembled. As before, this double-slip required a modest bit of filing, but both RP25 and NEM wheels rolled smoothly through, and the entire turnout was in gauge.

Overall, I was favorably impressed with the Tillig turnouts. If you’re an intermediate or advanced modeler and you want more flexibility in planning and laying your track, I think you’ll like these turnouts.

Tillig Pilz Elite turnouts

Prices: see list

Importer:
Reynaud’s Euro-Imports, Inc.
122 N. Main St.
Elburn, IL 60119
www.reynaulds.com

Description:
Code 83 track components
No. 4 right, left, $16.85 each
No. 5 right, left, $16.85 each
No. 6 right, left, $18.91 each
No. 6 wye, $19.81
No. 7.5 wye, $17.47
15-degree double-slip switch, $35.37
15-degree single-slip switch, $30.69
15-degree crossing, $17.75