Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Is there a proper way to join EZ track with flex track?

11772 views
3 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,592 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Saturday, December 24, 2016 7:12 AM

LION would take the length of EZ-Track to the shop, and use a disc sander taper the underside down to match the flex track. Him would then cut the ends off and undercut the rail so that regular rail joiners would slip on.

You do have a shop with a disc sander, do you not?

 

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Friday, December 23, 2016 4:29 PM

I finally found my pieces of EZ Track (I am preparing to give another track laying clinic) -- it is the cheaper trainset line with black roadbed rather than gray.  It is different than the LifeLike Power-Loc integral track system in that the LifeLike models the ties as if they sitting on top of the molded plastic ballast.  The Bachmann has indentations so that the ties seem to snuggle into the molded plastic ballast - more realistic looking.  And the plastic roadbed of the two lines is a different height.

What I found years ago is that you can mate the LifeLike Power-Loc track to regular sectional or flextrack on cork roadbed by adding a layer of the thinner black foam roadbed that Woodland Scenics markets as intended for N scale trains.  It seems an exact match.

That mix of N and HO roadbed thicknesses is close but not as exact for Bachmann's EZ track, but it may be close enough with a modest shim at the mating spot to avoid an abrupt bump.

Obviously to make this work you have to saw away the proprietary "mating" clips at the ends of the track.

Dave Nelson 

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 11:35 AM

I thought I had a piece of EZ track in the house (used for a track clinic I give from time to time) but cannot seem to find it.  I believe EZ track is a different height (taller) than regular sectional or flex track laid on regular "HO" cork roadbed.  I do know that LifeLike's powerlock track and most other makes of "integral" track are higher so the way to make them match is to use "N scale" cork or foam roadbed UNDER the cork roadbed, to lift it to the correct height.  Then it might be necessary to do some surgery on the EZ track so that the railjoiners can match the regular track.

So the short answer is that it can be done, with work, but it is probably not a simple matter of just joining the EZ track up to regularly laid track.  The other track needs to be beefed up in height, which is more work, and that might need some trial and error.  You might need to experiment on what is needed to raise the cork roadbed and track to the same height.  Maybe N scale roadbed is enough, maybe two layers of HO cork roadbed are needed.  You certainly do not want a "bump" right at a turnout particularly since EZ track turnouts are known for being a bit touchy anyway. 

It is not a bad thing to have to lay the rest of your track a little higher, in my view.  The higher the track, the more you can model the under the track culverts, and beside the track drainage ditches, which regular cork roadbed on a flattop table just does not give you enough elevation to model.

Dave Nelson

  • Member since
    November 2011
  • From: Long Island
  • 130 posts
Is there a proper way to join EZ track with flex track?
Posted by robkoz on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 9:16 AM

I have 2 EZ track #6 turnouts I wan't to use with my 17'x11' shelf layout. Should cork roadbed with code 100 flex track join with these? Thanks

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!