N gauge track

[buckster]

What are the differences between Code 55, Code 80 and Code 100 in N gauge trackage, please?  Will N gauge rolling stock operate successfully on any of the three?  Thanks, buckster - [e-mail].

[DSchmitt]

Code 55 and code 80 rail is used for commercial N gauge track. I have never heard of code 100 N gauge. Code 100 was for years the standard for HO gauge track and probably is still the most widely used in HO scale. When N scales started using code 55 they found that the depth of the wheel flanges caused problems with some brands of track, particularly Atlas code 55. Most manufacturers of N scale equipment now install wheels with shallower flanges on their equipment. The shallower flanges work well on both code 55 and code 80 rail. On older cars with deep flanges it is easy to change the wheels. More difficult on locomotives, especially steam.

[Semper Vaporo]

The "Code" number is the height if the rail in Thousandths of an inch... thus code 100 is 100 Thousandths of an inch, or 1 tenth of an inch (0.100 inch) tall.  Code 80 is 80 Thousandths or 8.0 hundredths or 0.800 tenths of an inch tall.

Thus the taller the rail the taller of a flange on the wheel will clear the ties below the rail.  If you have tall flanges on your cars and run it on short rail track, the cars will bump on the ties and, at the least, "rattle" the cars as they go down the track, and at worse, bounce them right off the track.