Tubular or Realtrax

[RRaddict]

I have a delema.  I have a ton of mint condition PW O tubular track and a ton of MTH Realtrax.  I am making my first layout and i'm ready to lay the track so I have a few questions for anyone.  Should I use the O or Reatrax.  I have some passenger cars that require O42 curves and only have 031 tubular curves.  Does this really matter if I have straights in between every half a turn.  I do have the 042 RT curves already and just don't think that the tubular  042 curves are worth the price. Am I wrong? Which should I use? Pleae Help?

[KRM]

It will be your choice but for me:

I had a ton of PW track in 027 and 0 that was nice but still old. In the end because of the tight turns of 027 and 0 and the need of some of the engines and cars I had. I just went ahead and got all new Lionel 027 tubular track but in 042, 054, 072 and one half circle of Marx 034 curves with 042 switches. These curve sizes work well with everything I have and new track cost was within range of my budget. There are some that don't like 027 track and some that it works fine for so it is kind of up to what you want to do and pay for.

I got long straights and used as many as I could to reduce connections. This was for my main loop. I did use my old 027 in my switch yard and on my smaller inner loop that will only run trains that work well on it. Also with new track I am using only one lock-on running over 90’ of track because the connections are clean and tight.

Kev.

[KRM]

Oh Yeah

For me I tried the straights in between every half a turn and it helped but cars still fell over on the tight curves if there were a lot of cars on the train. The weight + the tight curve did not work. Like you I am kind of new to this site but it and the people on it have been a great help to me since I retired and got out my old trains.

 Good luck,

 Kev.

[RRaddict]

Thanks, I really like the 027 track better than the 0 but I have a ton of 0, I also have about 7 022 switches that work great.  The MTH switches the train doesn't pass over quite as smoothly as the Lionel switches.  Do I need road bed for the 0 track if using foam over plywood?  I will not ballast no matter what though I like the look of the rails.

Thanks,

Kev

[rtraincollector]

I can see where your coming from but my first question would be okay what radius do I have in tublar and what radius do I have in realtrax. Okay now what radius do my engines need? How would my layour look with a realtrax outer loop and tublar iner rail ( get the transition piece)

Me I'm trying to figure on gargraves and tublar lol but then I have this new notion sell all I have in O and buy what I can in standard and go with that. I already have a ceiling loop in standard so I'm ahead already one step with that and mth ( bite my tonge (I'm a lionel fan) makes some real nice standard remake sets I'm thinking of getting one of the cheaper ones (around $600.00) just to see how I like the quality of them. But then I nwould have to look at gargraves or MTH for switches and they are far from cheap by either company lol $70 each and up lol

[fifedog]

Size and complexity of the layout have to be considered.  Realtrax (and Fastrack) require a certain symmetry in the track plan.  It is fine for more traditional trackplans.  If you are adding grades, and twisty-turny mainlines (like me), tubular (as well as Atlas/Gargraves/Ross) will be far easier to conform.

As for the curvature, from my experience, if it says O-42 on the end of that box, it means O-42 (especially when it comes to scale equipment like Weaver).

[gunrunnerjohn]

I'd put something to kill the noise under the track, I favor the 2mm padding used for modular wooden floors, you can buy it pretty cheap and any of the local home improvement stores in rolls.

[RRaddict]

I have only 031 curves in the standard tubular track and 042 in the Realtrax and plenty of both.  I have both 031 and 042 switches in mTH only and Lionel 042 switches are very expensive. My locomotives require a minimum 031 curve or higher it's my passenger cars that I have the real problem with.  I run a set of K-Line reel steel 72'CZ that I still want to run. The trains don't seem to pass over the MTH switches quite as smoothly as the Lionel switches and I don't know why.  I bought all my MTH switches on Ebay some guy had 2 for 35.00 on a buy it now deal and he has a lot of them.  Lionel switches even the manual ones will put you in the poor house. I like Lionel too even Fast Track but that too is more than MTH Realtrax.  I have a few transition pieces so I will take that into consideration too. Thanx 

[gunrunnerjohn]

You can pick up 022 tubular track switches with controllers at reasonable prices on eBay, I've sold a number of pairs of them there in the $40-60 range, whatever the bid goes to.  These are overhauled and working switches, so they shouldn't put you "in the poorhouse".

 

[KRM]

Here is something I picked up yesterday for my layout. I found it at Menards. It is used under steel roofing or shed siding. I like it because it is two sections laminated together, ( see picture ) It comes in a fold up of 4’x50’ and is 1/4^th " thick. Don’t know how it will work but I will be finding out. Best part it was only $30.75 and will cover 200 sq ft.

Kev.

[RRaddict]

Sorry I forgot to mention I have a lot of 022 switches I just wasn't sure how they would work with Lione 042 curves as with MTH 031 switches and 042 curves will through the whole layout off even on a simple one.

[gunrunnerjohn]

I've never tried using anything but O31 curves with my 022 switches, not sure how well that would work.  They'll mate up fine, just don't know how well you'd get the track to mate with multiple radius curves on one section.