So I've got all this ugly old EZ track

[SpaceMouse]

And I wan't to make it look right. At first I thought about painting in it--then I though about how long that would take and how I'd much rather be working on the big layout. Then I thought about adding a thin layer of ballast.

How have some of you other EZ trackers beautified your roadbed?

[cwclark]

I threw out the ez track and went with flex track on homasote or cork roadbed....Chuck[:D]

[cacole]

There's literally nothing that can be done with EZ Track to make it look good, other than throwing it in the trash and using something better.

[orsonroy]

Are you using code 100 or code 83 track? if you're using code 100, remove the track compponents from the ballast profile and use the track (be sure to solder the joints!). If you're using code 83 track, sell the Bachmann track off.

[johncolley]

Hey, guys, why not bite the bullet and find a kid that's interested in trains and give it to them instead of throwing it away? They will love it and you can feel good about moving on, eh?

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by johncolley

Hey, guys, why not bite the bullet and find a kid that's interested in trains and give it to them instead of throwing it away? They will love it and you can feel good about moving on, eh?

That's what this 4x8 track is for. It's so my son can play and my daughter can make models while work on the 12 x 12 layout. They want it to look good. Since I have the track, I'm not going to throw it away, and once it's fixed in place, I can't resell it.

So, how can I make it look good? Hasn't anyone worked with their mistakes before?

Orsonry, The track does break down, but I have 14 turnouts @ $12.50 a piece that I don't think would break down so well.

[cwclark]

the problem is that the roadbed is plastic and it's hard to get ballast to stick to plastic..i think you should just paint it a ballast color ..that's about all you can do with it..i've never tried to apply C/A glue or model glue for that matter to try and get ballast to adhere to the roadbed....there really isn't anything you can do to make it look better..maybe you can glue some woodland scenic foilage at the base but i'm not sure what it will turn out like...chuck

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

the problem is that the roadbed is plastic and it's hard to get ballast to stick to plastic..i think you should just paint it a ballast color ..that's about all you can do with it..i've never tried to apply C/A glue or model glue for that matter to try and get ballast to adhere to the roadbed....there really isn't anything you can do to make it look better..maybe you can glue some woodland scenic foilage at the base but i'm not sure what it will turn out like...chuck

I was afraid you were going to say that. It's not that I don't want to spend the time painting EZ track...

Yes, it is.

[tstage]

If you slapped on paint, could you ballast it at the same time - using the paint as the adherent? Or would it make it look too bulky?

Tom

[cwclark]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

If you slapped on paint, could you ballast it at the same time - using the paint as the adherent? Or would it make it look too bulky?

Tom

this may work as long as the ballast is thinly applied..(no overlapping chunks of ballast that can break off because it didn't get into the paint enough to adhere) ....try it out on a small section of the ez track and see if it works before doing the entire layout...chuck

[Jetrock]

Actually, it might provide good practice for painting your flextrack--you'll probably want to do that anyhow. Try this: After the track is all set up, put masking tape over the points of all switches and airbrush or spray-can Railroad Tie Brown over all track, applying the paint low on each side to paint the web of the track. As soon as you are done spraying, take a small bit of wood and scrape off the wet paint, following up with a Bright Boy or other track-cleaning eraser to get the paint off the top of the rails.

The track won't look super, but Railroad Tie Brown makes track look a lot less noticeable and more realistic, the ties will be brown instead of plastic black, and the space in between the ties will just look like dirt. Painting track is a lot faster than ballasting, too...

[Anonymous]

The advetisements for the EZ track in MR show that you can ballast the track for a more natural look.

I'll have to deal with the same thing a little later on my new layout, right now I'm using cork on the lower level switching section, and I'll be using the EZ track on the upper level Skyway Express. So I've been collecting ideas about this.

Since you're using the black EZ track, if you want to paint it a more natural color before ballasting (so you don't have to use so much ballast), you could wipe the rails and ties with then layer of oil before painting, then spray the whole piece, wait for it to dry, then go back and wipe the paint off the oiled rail and ties. Maybe you could ballast before the paint is dry (use the slow drying paint and spray it on thick) and your ballast will stick to the wet paint... I usually have a heck of a time keeping my wet paint from getting dirty anyway, this way I'll be intentionally getting it dirty...

[TurboOne]

Chip, I just am leaving my ez track no nails or anything.That way my son can move it and redesign layouts like he did with his Thomas wooden train. It has worked out well for the indoor temp track. We put down some grass, put up Thomas buildings and away we go. Also in MRR they show the bachmann grey track being ballested like regular track. Looks pretty good. Pop over to the bachmann forum

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/index.html

And ask the bachmann what they did. You get answers pretty quick.

Good luck,

Chip builing in the east, Tim building on the west coast

Tim

[Anonymous]

Since you have it, don't think it will look good, don't want to to paint it, haven't put it down and don't want to give it away, why not try selling it all on Ebay & be done with it? Then buy some track you'll be happy with.

Wayne

[gvdobler]

I would hang on to it in a box. I set trains up on the floor at Christmas time in all but Z scale, for the kids that come over.

You wouldn't get enough on EBAY to frive to the post office.

Jon - Las Vegas

[chris_payne54]

you can do what i did to the EZ track........turn it in to a subway line under the lay-out :-)

[BurlingtonJohn]

I purchased a Bachman On30 set several years ago for use under the christmas tree. I have since purchased several additional sections of EZ track to expand the annual setup. I like it as our 5 year old can be around it and not destroy the setup. Since it is only used once a year, it serves the intended purpose well.

Now, I am working on a design for a layout in our new house. I am lousy at drawing out perfect radius curves, etc, and I don't like working with the various CAD programs (okay, call me a dinosaur). You can buy EZ track in 35 1/2 inch radius curves (which will suit well my desire to use 36" radius curves on the new layout).

I plan on buying a couple of more sections to "test fit" my design to the room ... this is a big bonus to me as I can tinker with the track design before I start building benchwork, etc. When I commence construction on the actual layout, I'll be using Code 83 flex track ... the EZ track helps me visualize and make changes in advance...

Regards,
Burlington John

[simon1966]

Is the EZ track like the Atlas Trutrack in that the sectional track can be taken off the plastic roadbed, or is it attatched permanently? If you can get the sectional track off the road bed, then you can spray paint the roadbed for quick results.

[Leon Silverman]

Simon:
EZ track is cast integral with the road bed. It cannot be separated from it. One clue is that the underside of the track is perfectly smoothe.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gvdobler

I would hang on to it in a box. I set trains up on the floor at Christmas time in all but Z scale, for the kids that come over.

You wouldn't get enough on EBAY to frive to the post office.

Jon - Las Vegas

HAHA... you mean get enough money to pay for the gas TO the post office.

I have a batch from earlier testing of EZ track and they are going into the trash. I am getting settled into the final track plan and it's time to get the good stuff