EZ Track Transition to Flex Track?

[tomikawaTT]

I presume you're planning to enter the 33" curve with a reasonable easement - say 3/4 of the length of one E-Z Track segment from theoretical point of curve to actual point of curve (with the same distance from theoretical point of curve to actual point of tangency.)  This is how I would do it:

• Take one E-Z Track curve sector and saw it exactly in half.
• Saw each half-sector's roadbed exactly in half and remove the half away fron the locking end. Careful! - you don't want to damage the rails (which remain attached to the locking end.)

You now have two 1/4 length sectors with locking ends intact and flying rails at the other end.  Lay one aside and continue with the one you expect to use first.

• Slip flex track ties onto the flying rail ends, and temporarily connect a piece of flex (could be a cut off end, just a few inches long) to the "hybrid" piece with rail joiners.
•  Position the "hybrid" against the end of a piece of cork and check to see what thickness of shim will correct the mismatch in heights.

When you lay your track, offset the tangent by 10mm or so and form a smooth easement with your rail on ties.  The sharpest 1/4 of its length will be the rail attached to the E-Z track roadbed.  The other 3/4 will be flex.  All of it will be laid on cork, shimmed as appropriate.  (An alternative to shimming would be to sand the higher side roadbed, but shims will allow you to taper the adjustment better.)

That would get you into the helix. The other half-sector, handled the same way, will get you out.  If you run out of 33" radius E-Z Track before you run out of helix, the same trick can be used with a continuous curve.

I haven't tried this myself - not because I think it's difficult (I think hand-laying multiple double slips is fun!) but because my available E-Z Track comes in two radii, too small and 'way too small.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[riverotter1948]

I have some legacy Bachmann EZ Track (33" radius curves) that I
will be using for a hidden helix on "Layout 2.0" (where I'm applying
everything I learned from all the mistakes I made on "Layout 1.0").
I want to use flex track on cork for the rest of the layout. Since
the rail tops of EZ Track are slightly higher than the rail tops of
flex track on cork, I'd really appreciate any and all ideas about how
to make a smooth transition between them, especially ideas you've
actually implemented or seen done or heard about being done.
I've searched the EZ Track catalog in vain looking for a transition
section like Kato makes for its Unitrack.

All suggestions will earn my everlasting thanks. Perhaps the "best"
suggestion - i.e., the one I choose to implement - will get
something more tangible...

Thank you!

P.S. I've been testing various kinds of track & have some "very
slightly used" Kato Unitrack I'd like to "de-inventory-ize".