Best Code 83 Track brand?

[SpaceMouse]

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

Well, Atlas flex track can easily be bought for 25% less than PECO.

Yeah, I was actually on Model Train Stuff comparing prices while you were posting. 

So here's what I found:

Atlas: 11.6 cents per inch

Peco: 15 cents per inch

Micro Engeneering: 14.1 cents per inch

Now I'm leaning toward ME. This is doubled because they sell in smaller quantities. My 2020 inches of track falls just over 2 25 stick packs. Prices for Atlas and Peco were based on 25 packs. ME based on 6 packs. 

[rrinker]

 The less than perfect smooth curves may fit your Wild West theme. Otherwise, I think I have a couple of sticks of ME you can have, I hate it that much. Given the design emphamsis on having smooth curves with gradual tranistions for best operation, I still don't get the love for ME track. You almost NEED some form of between the rails forms like the old metal ones you can still get or something like Fast Tracks' Sweep Sticks to get a curve that is truly continuous radius. Sweep Sticks can do easements, but otherwise you're left to form the easement part on your own. 

 Atlas naturally forms a spiral curve when you bend one end. People complain about the spring back - I won;t even spring back with fresh caulk holding it, so it's certainly no impediment to construction. Peco is in between, it flexes easily enough but only springs back maybe half as much as Atlas. I have samples of all 3 before I decided my new layout will use Peco stuff. Mainly because they have a larger variety of turnouts, since handlaying is out for me, and they look better. Plus, at least in Electrofrog, with the optional jumpers added, should be even more electrically reliable than Atlas.

                        --Randy

 

[SpaceMouse]

rrinker

 The less than perfect smooth curves may fit your Wild West theme. Otherwise, I think I have a couple of sticks of ME you can have, I hate it that much. Given the design emphamsis on having smooth curves with gradual tranistions for best operation, I still don't get the love for ME track. You almost NEED some form of between the rails forms like the old metal ones you can still get or something like Fast Tracks' Sweep Sticks to get a curve that is truly continuous radius

So you are saying ME is really hard to work with. Atlas seems toy-trainish, but I guess that could improve with a little paint.

[BigDaddy]

railandsail

I'm asking about any company making Code 83 for European market.

I remember a post about an expensive European brand of track, in the last year.   I cannot find it here or the brand on Ebay.  Ebay Europe has some crazy prices. 

It was not Fleischmann, Peco or Roco.  It was a brand I had not heard of.  Too bad Sir Mad Dog has left the forum, he would know.

 

 

[rrinker]

 I don't think Atlas 83 looks the least bit toy trainish., The 100 maybe. And Snap Switches. But the Custom Line turnouts are proper numbered frog angles. It's a little like ballast - if you used proper scale size ballast, it ends up looking more like a smooth cement than ballast, so instead most "HO" ballast is a little larger than strictly scale, to keep the texture to something we can see. The slightly oversize spikes and tie plate remain visible after painting, instead of disappearing - a tie plate and even more a spike head strictly to scale would not be visible without some magnification. The Atlas Code 100 ones really are huge, but the 83 isn;t bad at all.

                              --Randy

 

[riogrande5761]

SpaceMouse

So you are saying ME is really hard to work with.

I've built 3 layouts and feel the same as rrinker.  The stiff track takes a good deal of massaging over and over and over to get it to the radius you want and to get a nice smooth flowing curve.

If you don't believe me, buy a piece and try to get it to conform to a curve radius center-line you have drawn out.

Atlas seems toy-trainish, but I guess that could improve with a little paint. 

Atlas code 100 flex track is more toyish - it has big blobs for spike head detail.  However, Atlas code 83 is finer and has very fine spike heads.  The appearance may not be quite as detailed as ME or others, but it does not look toyish.  After you paint it, the differences you might see will be difficult to see at all.

Atlas naturally forms a spiral curve when you bend one end. People complain about the spring back

I totally agree with rrinker.  Atlas flex track springy nature makes it easy to bend spiral curves (otherwise known as easements).  Yes some people don't like the springy nature but it's precisely that which makes it so easy to get very smooth flowing curves.

Here is a photo showing the Atlas code 83 on the left side and the tracks to the right of the one with the heat sink clips is code 70.  Do you think the code 83 on the left side looks toylike?

[Doughless]

If you're using code 83 ME rail for the turnouts, I'd go Atlas flextrack. 

Also, many have reported that using N scale code 80 joiners are a nice choice.  The atlas joiners must be crimped and look too large.  I think ME makes code 83 joiners, but I have not seen them in use.

[garya]

BigDaddy

 

 

railandsail

I'm asking about any company making Code 83 for European market.

 

 

I remember a post about an expensive European brand of track, in the last year.   I cannot find it here or the brand on Ebay.  Ebay Europe has some crazy prices. 

It was not Fleischmann, Peco or Roco.  It was a brand I had not heard of.  Too bad Sir Mad Dog has left the forum, he would know.

I didn't know he left the forum; I wonder why?

 

Was it Tillig?  They make some nice track in a variety of scales.

[gmpullman]

BigDaddy

It was not Fleischmann, Peco or Roco.

Was it Märklín? Hornby?

https://www.marklin.com/

https://www.hornby.com/us-en/shop/track.html

 

Cheers, Ed

[BigDaddy]

None of those either.  Nor any of the Japanese brands.  It was expen$ive though.

 

 

[rrinker]

Probably Tillig

              --Randy

 

[MisterBeasley]

I'm very happy with Atlas code 83 track.  Part of my layout is code 100 and the rest is code 83.  The code 83 looks much better to me.  I've used Atlas snap-switches towards the back of my layout, mostly because I needed the tighter curvature, but up front where the turnouts are more visible I use Walther-Shinohara turnouts driven by Tortoises for the best appearance.

[Onewolf]

Add me to the list of people who don't really like the stiff Micro Engineering 'flex' track.

Before I started construction on my layout I purchased small lots of Micro Engineering, Peco, and Atlas code 83 flex track to test/POC.  The Atlas was very flexible, the Peco was in the middle, and the ME was very stiff and much harder to produce smooth flowing curves. When I started building my layout I decided to use ME code 83 in the visible portions of track because most everyone agreed it was was the best looking and "You'll get the hang of laying it." Ha.  I chose Atlas code 100 for the hidden areas because it was the least expensive. 

I purchased 600 ft of the ME Code 83 but I quickly discovered that I HATED installing it because it was virtually impossible to get perfectly smooth flowing curves like I could get with the Atlas code 83/100 flex track.  I resold the ME code 83 and purchased/installed 600 ft of Atlas code 83.  I recently install another 400 ft of Atlas code 83 in the yard/loco service terminal. 

On the other hand, I did use about 150 feet of ME code 70 track (and turnouts) for the service/industry siding/spur tracks. This was doable because there was much less track to install.  The curves aren't quite as smooth/flowing as the Atlas code 83, but it's tolerable for secondary trackage.  Another difference is that every one of the ME #6 code 70 turnouts had to be tuned/fixed to work reliably compared to the Peco code 83/100 turnouts used elsewhere that have always functioned completely reliably.

[PennsyNut]

Some years ago, when Atlas was on fiber ties, we simply hand laid all track. Laying straight track is not the problem. But turnouts require expertise. And good eye sight for all. Now that I'm older and the eye sight isn't what it used to be, hand laying is not an option. And based upon all that's been said in this forum, sounds like Peco might be the best choice. If money is tight, then Atlas. But as for this being an old subject, sure it is. But the track available is changing. Look at the toy train sets. Imagine them with Atlas fiber ties, snap track. Finally, if Peco turnouts are relatively dependable, require very little up-front modification, and long lasting, I see no reason to "tinker" with ME curving and turnout tinkering. Atlas isn't ugly, it's just oversize - ties. And code 100? Not in my future. Code 70 would be my first choice, but the availability isn't what it should be/turnout selection specifically. I know nothing about Peco code 75, assuming it's European in design. So anyone with experience with Peco code 75 please speak up.

[SpaceMouse]

rrinker

 Atlas naturally forms a spiral curve when you bend one end

Are you saying that I can use this to create easements?

[Jared Burleson]

I find that i like micro engineering flex track my favorite. It's the most realistic track I've seen and you can get it "pre weathered". It takes a bit of patience to bend it but it stays its shape.

[BigDaddy]

Lost this thread, Gary was right it is Tillig

https://www.reynaulds.com/catalog/dept_436.aspx

$0.22 per inch  I don't see a quantity discount. 

I've never seen it in person.

Space Mouse, while Modeltrainstuff might have rail in quatities of 25 or 6, I am sure they will sell you 53 pieces, maybe at the cost of 25 + 25 +1+1+1, but you won't have to buy 75 if you need less.

I've used both ME and Atlas.  Atlas is easier to deal with but if someone gave me ME, I would use it again.

 

 

[cuyama]

SpaceMouse

Are you saying that I can use this to create easements?

Yes, same with PECO, Walthers, etc. ME is a little stiff to form natural easements, in my experiecne.