Track choice

[KRM]

 

lionelsoni

This guy has been selling several 16-piece boxes of new K-Line O27-profile O72 each month on E-Bay for around $60:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/K-LINE-0-27-BULK-PACK-16-PCS-72-CURVED-TRACK-K-0226-/160950600511?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item257967433f

Thanks Bob, I will look for it.

 

[David Barker]

Frank53 said: "Point being, you've got to walk before you run. It's easy to get caught up in what the "experts" say you should do and it can be overwhelming. Find your own comfort zone and tweak it as you go along. Personally, I used tubular for the nostalgia factor but tried to make it more real. It was dirt cheap to do and I could cover up the lack of realism with a little extra work. Do what feels right for you."

That is the best advice I have read in dealing with creating a layout.  My first table layout was in 1952, before that it was tracks on the floor!

I have tried GarGraves S as well as Gargraves O,  it is good track, but did not give me the satisfaction of recreating what I had as a kid. 

In the 1980's & 90's when I was still in Flyer only, I hand laid flyer track on near scale crossties with hand built switches for sidings, it worked well.  But when I moved it was terrible to disassemble.  It was a 14'x6' layout with a 3'X6' L extension.

So now I use O27 and weather the rails as I get time.  It is fun for an ol' geezer.

[MPCAnthony]

Ditto!!!  Nice work Frank. Is that your layout?

[Frank53]

Yes, it is - all tubular track. Not the best track system, but you can certainly enhance it. I could have spent thousands on what "most use" - gargraves track and ross switches. Instead I spent about $200.00 on tubular.

[ChiefEagles]

Frank, you make the tublar look real [except the middle rail which we can't do anything about].  Ballast, extra cross ties and weathering makes it.

[overall]

Frank53,

Thanks for posting pictures of your excellent layout. You show what can be done with tradidtional tubular track.

George

[lionelsoni]

Here's another source for 72-inch O27:  I went to a train show this morning and saw that a dealer I know is selling the stuff and indicated that he has more at his store.  He is Lemoine E. Fantz of A-Trains Hobby Store, 1124 Milam St., Columbus, TX 78934.  His phone number is 1-979-733-6581.

[71835]

I use K-Line super K track, in O-31 rail height.  It is a tubular track set in black plastic ties which are spaced nice and close together.  The track evolved over time with the addition of a blackened center rail and later, a version that did not require track pins but relied on plastic clips molded into the ties to hold the track together.  This last type was called Super Snap track.  While K-Line is gone, RMT Aristo is now making this track, so new track is being made in addition to new/old stock and used track on E-Bay.  All of these track types are compatible, and I mix them on my layout. 

K-Line also made super-k track in o-27 which had brown plastic ties.  The track was made in o-42 switches and curves, other diameter track was also made, but I do not know in what the sizes.  All of K-Line switches could be powered from the track voltage or independently of the track.

I screw the track directly to the train board, but if you want more realistic look, cork or other roadbed can be used, which also makes for less track noise when trains are running.  What stands out for me is the range of curves available.  I use O-96, O-84 (Or something like that),O-72, O-54, and O-42 curves and O-72 and O-42 switches.  O-120 curves were also made.  Even if you do not have the space for 120 inch or 72 inch curves, you can use wider diameter curve track for making easements into sharper curves just like the real railroads do.  Wider curves also make longer trains a reality and higher speeds safer.  Less trains making the trip to the floor when couplers separate unexpectedly at speed.

Also, because the outside rails are electrically isolated from each other, you can create insulated track sections anywhere on the layout to operate accessories and signals by substituting plastic track pins for steel pins in one of the outside rails of the track.  The insulated rail sections can be made as long as necessary so those crossing gates come down and lift when you want them to.

While cost and availability vary have varied over time, I think this track is, on the whole, less expensive than the alternatives and strikes a good balance between realism, cost, and ease of use. 

[krapug1]

For the "main lines" of my layout I use 036 Fastrack, I like the look, and I like the extra radius of 036 compared to 031. I use 036 Fastrack Switches as well.

For my elevated line I have Marx 034 tubular track with straight sections a combination of Marx, Lionel, and K-Line.  I use a pair of Marx 034 automatic switches on the elevated loop and they work fine.

For a separate loop of track near a mountain the I built I use K-Line Super K 031 track.

K-Line Super K, and K-Line Super Snap, have closely spaced ties that look nice.

In all cases this is track that works with Lionel Mangnetraction.

You mentioned that you are planning on running PW Lionel trains, since many of these engines (but not all) have Magnetraction take this into consideration.

The first picture shows K-Line Super Snap.

027 Track (with 34 diameter curves) using Lionel trestles on one side, and metal Marx track elevators on the other.

Fastrack.

 

Ken