Urgent help on deciding what track code

[Anonymous]

I'm ready to start laying track and very confused about what track code to use for N scale. I want to go with Atlas flex track and turnouts. I hear Atlas code 55 comes already in wood color but heard bad things about code 55. Is code 83 the right way to go?

[tstage]

dmac,

I'm not an "N" guy but I believe that Code 70 is the step up from Code 55, which would be the heaviest. (Code 55, medium; Code 40? light). Code 83 would be for HO scale, which is what I use. I think Code 70 in N would be equivalent to Code 100 in HO.

There are also other manufacturers for flex-track. PECO, is one that comes to mind. They are from the UK and make a very good product. (Probably a tad more expensive than the ATLAS.) Your local hobby store (LHS) or Walthers (http://www.walthers.com) might and should carry it.

Anyway, that's my two bits. I'll let the "experts" give you more useful info.

Tom

[cacole]

The first thing you need to look at in determining what code of rail to use are the wheel flanges on your locomotives and rolling stock. Even code 100 rail in HO is sometimes too low for some of the older Rivarossi, Mahano, Lima, and other European brands that have deep wheel flanges, and some of the European N-scale locomotives I have seen, such as Fleishman, have really big flanges. Atlas turnouts in HO scale are a big problem with European manufactured models, because the wheels get lifted off of the rail as they go through the frog and the locomotives stall. Peco turnouts and crossovers, being of British manufacture, have deeper flangeways and avoid this problem, so you might want to consider using Peco track if you have some older models. If you can't tell for sure what code rail to use, take something to your local hobby shop that has the biggest wheel flanges and see if they will let you push it through a turnout and watch the wheels closely to see if they get lifted off of the track at the frog area. If they do, you need a different code of rail.

[Anonymous]

Matching up existing trains is not a problem since I'm beginning with a zero inventory. I did by my first loco the other day, a Bachmann Spectrum Trainmaster. I plan to use DCC equipted "middle of the line" trains.

[Jacktal]

Both Atlas and Peco make code 80 and 55 tracks.Code 80 tracks will accomodate most locos and rolling stock while code 55,which is more prototypical,will not as stated above.If you don't care about the "true scale" of your trackwork,code 80 is the way to go.

While Atlas tracks are nice,Peco offers a greater choice of better quality turnouts.I've also read good comments on Micro-Engineering trackwork,which is code 70,but can't tell you more on them.

[jrbernier]

Most N scale trackage is either code 80 or code 55. The code 55 looks real nice(the Atlas trackage looks great and from what I have seen appears to run very good). The problem with Atlas code 55 is the current lack of various track componants. They have #5, #7, and just announced a wye turnout recently.
The Atlas code 80 has a couple of turnout types available and I have never been impressed with with the quality of their code 80 turnouts.
Peco has code 55(really something link code 80 'buried' into the tie structure). It looks good, has lots of componants available( 3 sizes of turnouts, plus wye and curved turnouts), and has a neat 'spring-lock' feature that lock the points in place without having to by a motor or ground throw. The Peco track is 'rock solid'(both the code 55 and code 80).
If you are going to build a new layout from the start, I would think either Atlas or Peco code 55 would be the way to go - unless you get a real price on the older code 80 trackage!

Jim Bernier