Yet another question

[RedLeader]

Flex track. Although I combine. I use sectional track in spurs with small curves, because sometimes I'm tempted to force them, so I fit other stuff.

[n2mopac]

Flex track all the way. I use sectional re-railers and a piece here and there wher I need the rigidity, but otherwise you can make flextrack do what you need it to do, while with sectional track you have to conform to its starndards.
Ron

[Anonymous]

why does it have to be perfectly straight? real track over an equal distance isn't. add a little character, those minor imperfections make for wonderful views of the train running by. unless they cause derailments, there's no need to make it perfectly straight.

that slight wobble as the train passes through a very tiny curve add's a lot to the realism of your model world. a train that barrels through a perfectly straightaway without even the inkling that it's really moving is boring, add some character and some excitement.

draw a straight line, follow it by eyeing it, if the track goes 1/8" either side of it, but the ends stay on target, you have working track that will give some character to your layout.

[Anonymous]

When I first started out buying track the guy at the hobby store told me to first tap the track on its edge to get it straight. I had never thought of using a steel straight edge to lay it out with. Thanks for the tip.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by leewal

If anyone has a good system for laying perfectly straight flex track, I'm open for ideas.

There are a couple of ways. One I've seen suggested is to use a 3' long metal ruler (you can find them at any art store) and lay one rail of the flextrack against it. If you have the Walthers catalog (or check their website), there are a couple of companies that make gauges that sit between the rails to keep flextrack straight as you secure it. And as others have mentioned here, there are also various size gauges that let you lay a constant radius curve.

[Anonymous]

There really should be no debate. Flex track is the way to go. Flex track can be made ito an almost infinite number of radii and can change just like real track. Sectional track only gives you a few choices and if you want to run several tracks parallel to each other, the distance between tracks are set. Flex track allows for transitions into curves,
When building a permanent layout, you almost have to solder the rail joints to keep the track from coming apart and to ensure electrical conductivity. Flex track allows for far fewer solders.

[leewal]

I "mix & match" on my railroad. I like flex on curves and there are tools to help make the curves perfect and any radius. As good as I am at laying the curves, I'm that bad at getting flex track straight, no mater what I do. So, I use sectional track for straight sections. I pre-solder the joints and get perfectly straight main lines. I lightly file the joints smooth and have no derailment problems and no loss of power at the joints because the rail joiners are soldered in place. The mix & match has worked very well for me. If anyone has a good system for laying perfectly straight flex track, I'm open for ideas.

[cterriers]

For my railroad, I prefer the flex track as there are fewer joints and I can make the radius of the curve to fit my particular need. I do however use the old Tru-Scale wood roadbed to mark off the curves starting out with 48" radius and gradually working down in radius to make the full curve. I don't care for the sharp curve entry of sectional track especially when running 2.10.2s or mallet type engines. In the same way I don't like to use anything less than a #6 switch - but again this is what I feel I need for my railroad. I also solder most of the joints on curves and use a file to smooth down the joint to make sure everything is smooth.
I do have one engine that is will jump the rail at the slightest problem area so I use that engine to test the rails. If the engine makes it through the area I know I don't have a problem. If it picks an area where it jumps the rails, I rework the area until it runs smoothly.
Again, it all depends on your particular needs but give me flex track

[Anonymous]

For fixed layouts, I prefer flex track - easier to lay smooth curves. Sectional track tends to result in a sharp transition from straight to curved, and with flex you can make smoother transitions. Flex track is also cheaper to buy and gives you more options in track planning - you're not restricted to the track pieces the manufacturer makes. I realise it's possible to cut sectional track, but if you do this, you might as well buy flex track and save money, as well as having fewer rail joints and therefore better electrical conductivity.

[Anonymous]

I started with sectional track way back when. Great stuff, easy to put down, easy to curves to work out correctly. The key, I think, is to not use loose rail connectors. I'm now using mostly flex track, which IMHO is superior. It allows more flexibility in track design and is more realistic looking (love the micro-engineering stuff!!!). It does take more skill to put down, especially in curves (check out the other topics on the forum, the magazine index above and the various mrr books out there on how to do this). Even though I do prefer flex track, there are still some areas where I've used section track, just because I had the stuff around and didn't want to cut a 2 inch piece of flex track as a fitter between turnouts.

Which is best? I can tell you which is best for me, but only you can tell which is best for you. Idea. Get a couple pieces of flex track and practice laying curves, cutting rail and soldering. Then decide if the extra work results in a better finished product for you compared to sectional.

[cacole]

Flex track is better because there are fewer rail joints, and thus fewer chances of a loose rail joiner causing electrical problems. If there are burrs on the ends of the rail left by the track cutting machine, these can damage wheels or even cause derailments. Sectional track is likely to have more of these problems than flex track.

[IRONROOSTER]

Sectional track is very good for temporary layouts. It is also good for beginners who may be not be sure what they want as it allows them to try out different track arrangements easily.

Flex track has the advantage of allowing curves of any radius. This can be handy for double track curves since one of the tracks usually requires a fractional radius like 26 1/2". Also with flex track you can use easements.

You can certainly mix them. If you started with sectional and don't want to toss it, there's no reason not to use it.

Handlaying track is favored by some because you can get some nice flowing turnouts.
Its appearance compares favorably with cheaper brands of flex track. However, better brands that have scale size spikes and tie plates look better than handlaid IMHO. Cost is about the same if you use 4 spikes per tie. I have done a little handlaying and I have to admit there is a satisfaction to laying the track one rail at a time and spiking it down
If you're interested, try it on a spur.
Enjoy
Paul

[egmurphy]

I like flex track because you wind up with fewer track joints. Which for me means fewer chances to have a misalignment. I also like that you have relatively unlimited flexibility in shaping curves, rather than being tied to the available radii of sectional track.

You do have to take care in curves to be sure the ends are accurately aligned with one another. Recommended practice in curves is to solder the joints between the two sections of flextrack (before bending) to avoid having a kink.

Regards

Ed

[cwclark]

I prefer flex track..it is more forgiving than sectional track and for the buck..you get more track from flex track than from sectional...sectional is ok if you need a precise tight radius, but even then..if you get good at laying flex track you don't need the sectional stuff...one more thing that is also fun is hand layed track..it's really easy to lay if you have the right tools namely a couple of track gauges, and needle nose pliers.....it looks more authentic when your done...I hand lay track when i want to model a very close up in- your -face spot on the layout, but most of my track is flex track...model power and atlas make some really good flex track...Chuck[:D]

[Anonymous]

Which is better in your opinion and why......sectional track or flex track or both