Some, including myself have noticed and lamented that Atlas code 83 flex track is more flexible and tends to return kinda straight more easily than other brands, namely ME which seems to hold a bend pretty nicely.
I've found that if I weather my Atlas Flex using Krylon flat brown (camouflage) before I lay it, the process has more pros and than cons. And the track behaves more like ME in regard to retaining a bend.
Just my 2 cents
Joe
Added a PS,
No, I don't remember reading or seeing this anywhere, but if this is really your idea and I just never saw it, or I forgot you told me about it, well, thanks for pointing that out. JD
Joe, it's one of those slap-the-forehead ideas. Yet another might be to fashion your curve temporarily with a few nails into foam, and then spray the track. Once it dries it is less likely to spring back. At the very least the tiny missed spots under the spike heads would be placed out of sight again once you restored the curvature when you set the section onto the layout .
-Crandell
What's the reasoning behind trying to make flextrack less flexible? The best feature about Atlas flextrack (other than its price) is that it IS so flexible. Unless the rails is permanently bent, forming a rail into a curve generates what is called "strain energy" in the curved rail. The tighter the curve, the greater the strain energy (until the rail actually deforms permanently). This strain energy will distribute naturally along the rail to minimize the strain energy at any one point, and distribute it evenly along the rail. That meansif the rail isn't constrained (fastened down) except at the ends, you will get a natural flowing curve through the section of track without any sudden changes in curvature. In other words, a free-flowing curve. Fasten the ends properly, and you get a smooth circular arc.
The Atlas tie strip links the two rails together while still allowing the strain energy to form the rails into a naturally flowing curve. Result: Smooth trackwork for minimum effort.
In Microengineering and other flextrack, the tie strip grips the rails so tightly that the strain energy cannot overcome it, meaning the curvature of the track is what you force it into, and it does not naturally smooth itself out. Much tougher to lay smooth trackwork.
The advantage to ME track is its more realistic appearance, of course. The advantage to Atlas is the ease with which one can make smoothly flowing trackwork.
So if you want less flexible track, why not just buy some in the first place?
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Brunton wrote:What's the reasoning behind trying to make flextrack less flexible? The best feature about Atlas flextrack (other than its price) is that it IS so flexible. Unless the rails is permanently bent, forming a rail into a curve generates what is called "strain energy" in the curved rail. The tighter the curve, the greater the strain energy (until the rail actually deforms permanently). This strain energy will distribute naturally along the rail to minimize the strain energy at any one point, and distribute it evenly along the rail. That meansif the rail isn't constrained (fastened down) except at the ends, you will get a natural flowing curve through the section of track without any sudden changes in curvature. In other words, a free-flowing curve. Fasten the ends properly, and you get a smooth circular arc.The Atlas tie strip links the two rails together while still allowing the strain energy to form the rails into a naturally flowing curve. Result: Smooth trackwork for minimum effort.In Microengineering and other flextrack, the tie strip grips the rails so tightly that the strain energy cannot overcome it, meaning the curvature of the track is what you force it into, and it does not naturally smooth itself out. Much tougher to lay smooth trackwork.The advantage to ME track is its more realistic appearance, of course. The advantage to Atlas is the ease with which one can make smoothly flowing trackwork. So if you want less flexible track, why not just buy some in the first place?
Having used both types I prefer the more flexible type. I also find it easier to get smooth curves with it.
Enjoy
Paul
Maybe it's just me...I alwasys thought of the ME track's lack of flex as a drawback. The price and flexibility of Atlas track have always worked for me. I think once it's weathered it is every bit as convincing as ME track at about half the cost. Rivet counters will disagree I'm sure but I'd rather build and run than count rivets.
Interesting perspective Mark
I find it easy enough with either ME or Atlas to flow a curve. However, on a curve, I find it much easier to build in a kink with Atlas than with ME.
It is flowing a straight set of parallel tracks that causes me anguish. That is the time when to flex or not to flex is out of the question.
But 2 all his or her own. Just my 2 cents
My analysis for what's it worth:
The springy Atlas flex track gives natural easements into curves. However, if joints on curves are not soldered, you will eventually end up with a kink as the rail joiner gives under the spring pressure. A constant radius, especially for sharper curves, is more difficult to obtain because of the spring.
ME flex track is the opposite extreme. The sections with the weathered rail are more difficult to flex than the unweathered versions. It helps to use a form of some kind to bend the ME flex track around to get a consistent/desired curve. Careless bending by hand can result in a series of kinks, especially in the smaller rail codes. Once curved, ME flex track holds its curve. Rail joiners are not even necessary as long as the rails are properly lined up. Certainly, rail joints on curves do not need to be soldered to hold rail alignment (soldering for electrical connections may be beneficial). Perfectly straight track is easier to achieve with ME, provided you bought it without curves already in it.
Good track and smooth curves can be laid with any brand of flex track. You should adjust your techniques to the characteristics of the track you have chosen to use.
Joe-daddy's pre-painting changes the characteristics of the Atlas track sufficiently to help him. It's a technique to keep in mind, and use if your circumstances warrant.
just my thoughts
Fred W
I have been using these track clamps made by a company in Germany called Krause. I am not sure if they are sold here in the US however. My friend got them directly from Germany.
I find that they are very useful when laying down flex track.
These clamps simply hold the rails together and make it easy to get flex track to adopt the curve you need to follow:
I use Latex caulk to stick my track on to the cork roadbed and this clamp makes this task much easier.
Anand
Slowly building a layout since 2007!
The clamps are a great idea. I might even get a couple of those for my next layout. I doubt, though, that they address the issue of the kinked joins that most brands of flextrack will present. In my very minimal experience, I haven't found anything as good as soldering the rails while they are aligned flat and straight, and then bending the larger whole to get the radius desired. It at least gives you a fighting chance to have the curve closely approximated at the join when you form it.
selector wrote:The clamps are a great idea. I might even get a couple of those for my next layout. I doubt, though, that they address the issue of the kinked joins that most brands of flextrack will present. In my very minimal experience, I haven't found anything as good as soldering the rails while they are aligned flat and straight, and then bending the larger whole to get the radius desired. It at least gives you a fighting chance to have the curve closely approximated at the join when you form it.-Crandell
I agree with you completely. Soldering joints is the only way to get a smooth kink-free curve.
What you get by using the track clamps is that they act like an extra pair of hands. You can take your time with preping the roadbed with glue and also you can cut the inner rail of the curve very accurately (this is the sliding rail in flex track).
To tell the truth, these claps are nice to have with Atlas flex but are not essential. However, they are mandatory when laying Marklin flex K-track flex. You won't believe springy those tracks are. Marklin apparently uses stainless steel for the rails. This in fact why my friend got these clamps - he is building a Marklin layout.
That was my first thought, and they are not unlike the three-point gauges that folks use when hand-laying track. It just adds two more hands where they're needed the most.
Thanks for showing us the clamps...a super idea.
Someone has to explain a few things here. I have used Atlas and ME track, so I can say I have the experience in the application of both. In 40 years of model railroading, I have never heard the reasoning that was offered for "stiffening" a flex track whose principle selling point is its superior flexibility. So,
First, why would you use a spray can with an inferior atomizing capability to spray paint your flex track to keep it from doing what it was designed to do? Krylon, unless it is latex based or fusion paint, has propellants and solvents which could attack plastic and the volume of paint is totally uncontrollable. Please tell me you can differentiate between the base, web and head of the rail after painting.
Second, ME track, when handled properly, is quite simply the easiest flex track to work with. Yes, it costs more, and yes the learning curve for using it is bigger, but it provides beautiful trackwork that flows every bit as well as anything else. If your tracklaying is planned to minimize waste, the cost is negligible for the value you get in operation and appearance.
Third, Atlas flex track is fantastic for its "elasticity" so to speak, but that can be a hinderance as well, although the clamps shown would seem to handle its springyness better than othe methods. I'm sorry though. I have a real tough time believing that it creates its own natural easement. You still have to lay out the lines, and/or do the math. Laying the track along the designated lines would certainly create an easement, but it hardly as if the track is doing it by itself. The formula still must be laid out, and frankly, ME track could be formed to do the same thing. Prove me incorrect, please.
Fourth, I would challenge anyone to set a section of ME flex next to a section of Atlas flex and compare them by close examination. The ME track is much better looking, spike heads and tie plates are more to scale on the ME track, either raw or painted and it comes in rail sizes which the Atlas track cannot match. DonZ, where are your test photos?
Bottom line: if you want Atlas flex to behave more like ME in regard to retaining a bend, why spend the $$$ and time doing what you're doing when you can divert those spray can funds to buy ME track and use your valuable time for other things?
Finally, the use of a solvent based anything would seem to be unhealthy at best and can damage track and structures, not to mention uncontrollable overspray from a can. Acrylic paint designed specifically for model painting works much better, is easier to apply via an airbrush (even a cheap one atomizes better than a spray can) and the application is probably much less cost per piece, as you can control the amount of paint applied, not to mention the many other uses for your newly acquired airbrush in the future.
Someone enlighten me........
Ummm....my ears started burning a few minutes ago. Did someone call me?
I am building my first layout. After looking at different products, I decided I weanted my track to look as good as possible. After looking at the Atlas and Micro Engineering flex track, I decided the Micro Engineering was the product to use. Yes, it is more difficult to curve than the Atlas track, but it isn't that difficult to learn how to work with the ME track.
Here is a photo of both brands of track, side by side:
I think it's pretty obvious which piece of track is the Atlas product. The piece of Atlas track has since been removed from my layout.
This photo is from the earliest section of my layout. If I, as a total rookie, can get ME track to make parallel curves, I think anybody could do it.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
Don Z wrote:SnipHere is a photo of both brands of track, side by side: I think it's pretty obvious which piece of track is the Atlas product. snipDon Z.
I think it's pretty obvious which piece of track is the Atlas product. snip
I give up, which one is the ME?
Joe Daddy
Joe,
Click on the photo and take a look at the giant spikes on the track in the foreground...that's the Atlas. Compare that to the spikes on the ME track in the background. I think you would be very happy with the results of the ME track provided you take the time to work with the first piece to learn how to shape it. It doesn't fall into shape like the Atlas track.