Track

[Anonymous]

I can't decide which to use. I heard that you have to trim flexitrack, is this true?[?]

[wp8thsub]

Yes, you will have to cut rail with flextrack, but use some rail nippers (you can find them on Walthers.com) and/or a Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel. My favorite tool for cutting rail is a pair of sheet metal shears from the hardware store (they're heavier duty than rail nippers and cut cleaner). You'll also want some small files to clean up the cut ends.

In return for the above effort, you get trackwork that can flow however you want it and far fewer rail joints.

[willy6]

i used both to build my layout,snap track for a certain area and flextrack to basically fill in betwwen the lines.both are good,like anything else in life it's a SITUATION DICTATES SCENARIO.

[Anonymous]

You mean you can buy it already made? I've been laying my own all this time.

I've been working on the rail...road...
all the live long day.
da da da da da da da
just to pass the time a-way.

[AggroJones]

The only sectional track I used on my layout are the turnouts. Using flex has less joint which means less derailments. Just perfect the few rail joints, and there you go.

TTFN

[preceng]

Bachman EZ Track. I know the purests gasp. But I love the stuff

[Anonymous]

I use a combonation of Both.

I use sectional track, on my brach and secondary lines which makes for a better depiction of old style "stick" rail with a minimum of effort. And I find for my purposes on those lines 22" Radius curbe handles the equipment just fine.

I use the flex track for my primary mainlines as it is a good depiction of modern "Ribbon" rail.

EZ- Track. I love the stuff to. It makes great lightweight layouts. And when I go in and Teach "The Geometry of Model Railroading" To my friends High School Math Class. Lightweight is a good thing.

James.

[EL PARRo]

I use almost all flextrack excecpt for turnouts and a few places where I had to replace a small section of track.

[Jetrock]

I use a mixture of both, though I've been leaning towards flextrack--I'll lay out a plan with snap track and when it is finalized I'll take up the nails and lay flex. Most of my layout is straight, where the joints in snap-track are less of an issue, but my curves are so tight I can't use pre-made track (unless I can score some of that coveted sub-12" Roco track or some Atlas 4-1/2" trolley track curves!) and have to use flextrack. Flextrack, of course, has more flexibility, and I've had to trim snap-track too...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by preceng

Bachman EZ Track. I know the purests gasp. But I love the stuff

That's what I was thinking about using.[:)] Did you ballast it? And If so was it hard[?].

[Anonymous]

Depending on your layout plan, you may also have to trim sectional track to make it fit properly...

Andrew

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy
That's what I was thinking about using.[:)] Did you ballast it? And If so was it hard[?].

EZ-Track would not be hard to ballast. Just get some of your choice brand of ballast and apply. However On the two display layouts I have made, I have not ballasted it becaseu the roadbed already has decent ballast detail. OH and if your running your big boys on EZ Track, you better get some of those 33 and 35 inch radius curves now avialable.

James.

[Anonymous]

I lay my own track, strip rail (code 70), wooden ties, spikes and balast, I also build my own turnouts.

[JeremyB]

I use E-Z Track too, I love the stuff I know, I know, Its not prototypical but I like It I wish It used Code 83 though and not the chunky code 100.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Grayhound Challenger

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy
That's what I was thinking about using.[:)] Did you ballast it? And If so was it hard[?].

EZ-Track would not be hard to ballast. Just get some of your choice brand of ballast and apply. However On the two display layouts I have made, I have not ballasted it becaseu the roadbed already has decent ballast detail. OH and if your running your big boys on EZ Track, you better get some of those 33 and 35 inch radius curves now avialable.

James.

33 inch![:0] Wow. The other people I talked to said I only needed 26 inch...

[Anonymous]

Handlaid all the way, just looks more realistic to me... but, again, thats just me. I have seen some great things with handlaid track, flextrack, and sectional track. Like someone said above, whatever the situation dictates.

Matt

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Grayhound Challenger

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy
That's what I was thinking about using.[:)] Did you ballast it? And If so was it hard[?].

EZ-Track would not be hard to ballast. Just get some of your choice brand of ballast and apply. However On the two display layouts I have made, I have not ballasted it becaseu the roadbed already has decent ballast detail. OH and if your running your big boys on EZ Track, you better get some of those 33 and 35 inch radius curves now avialable.

James.

Did you use the nickle siver roadbed or the black roadbed?

[Anonymous]

Whilst I'd like the time to handlay track, I use flexitrack all the way, cos I just dont think sectional track curves look right. I like to ease into a curve, thus preventing a lot of derailments.

Jon

[Anonymous]

Oh guys. Please help me. I think that the click-clack of the wheels hitting the track joints is one of the things I am modeling. That is all lost with flex-trak. Am I wrong? I have spent a great deal of money, drilled hundreds of rail-joiners to run solder into joints where it won't be seen, just to preserve the breaks in the track. Am I alone? It would be so much easier to finish my layout (around my entire basement) with flex-trak. But prototype railroads don't have 100-yard jointless sections! Am I being radical? Someone please give me a reference point!

Thanks for any help,

SB

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bazango

Oh guys. Please help me. I think that the click-clack of the wheels hitting the track joints is one of the things I am modeling. That is all lost with flex-trak. Am I wrong? I have spent a great deal of money, drilled hundreds of rail-joiners to run solder into joints where it won't be seen, just to preserve the breaks in the track. Am I alone? It would be so much easier to finish my layout (around my entire basement) with flex-trak. But prototype railroads don't have 100-yard jointless sections! Am I being radical? Someone please give me a reference point!

Thanks for any help,

SB

I thought about the same thing on the realistic clickity clack on the rails. My first layout had some flex track on it & what I did to get the realistic sound was use my dremel tool with a cutting disc. You have to take it slow & touch the rail lightly with the disc & try to make very small nicks in the rail to get the sound. Run a car across the nick until you are satisfied with the tone of the joint. Try not to make the nick too wide, It does take a while to do it right but the outcome can be very rewarding. I have screwed up some rail at times, But live & learn.

[sparkingbolt]

I use Micro Engineering Flex track in code 70 and 55 for my ho layout. Turnouts are hand laid.

When you learn to hand lay switches you can put them even in curves, or build them to any degree of angle you need for a given sitch. Combining this with handlaid or flextrack allows a far greater amount of lattitude in designing your layout. Dan

[CP5415]

I have a combination of both on my layout.
I prefer to use flex-track though.

Gordon

[BRAKIE]

I use flex track..I also use snap track for the areas where I need to use a short piece of track..That way I do not have to cut a piece of flex which saves my flex track for other needs.

[Roadtrp]

Another EZ track fan here. As a beginner, I wouldn't think of using anything else -- especially in 'N' scale where there is so little tolerance for track flaws. [:)]

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bazango

Oh guys. Please help me. I think that the click-clack of the wheels hitting the track joints is one of the things I am modeling. That is all lost with flex-trak. Am I wrong? I have spent a great deal of money, drilled hundreds of rail-joiners to run solder into joints where it won't be seen, just to preserve the breaks in the track. Am I alone? It would be so much easier to finish my layout (around my entire basement) with flex-trak. But prototype railroads don't have 100-yard jointless sections! Am I being radical? Someone please give me a reference point!

Thanks for any help,

SB

If you're modeling any time after railroads perfected welded rail, the joints should only be about ONE MILE apart! (about 60 feet in HO, not some measley 3 feet). And if your rolling stock has plastic wheels, forget about enjoying the "clickety-clack", 'cause there ain't none.

Definitely go with flex track, which is more reliable than any other track on the market, and offers more possibilities in track arrangement. If you want the sound effects of wheels on track, go with all-metal wheelsets (which also have the added benefit of not depositing as much gunk on the railheads, keeping your track cleaner). In general, the natural joints every 3' or so, coupled with the metal wheels will give you a pleasing sound. If you REALLY want to put joints every 39 scale feet (the length of a real piece of track, take a file and add partial joints to the tops of the rails (I personally don't like this technique because of dirt buildup, and because the gaps are too wide to be prototypical).

[Anonymous]

i have easy track bachman can i connect atlas to it for a large layout cheers

[grayfox1119]

I have used both. I use EZ-Track for a seasonal display that is disassembled each year, so that is a no brainer. But for permanent layout, Flex-track is the way to go. And if you like the click- clack of rails joints? Just leave a gap and jumper under the table if that suits you. There is just too much freedom of layout with flex track to go any other way as far as I'm concerned.

[Anonymous]

I only use sectional track on a few curves. Most of it is flex-track. For the people using EZ, isn't the sound amplification incredible? i imagine, after ballasting, that hollow plastic roadbed would generate a lota noise there.

[SpaceMouse]

For all you EZ track users and want to's. I have 17 EZ track turnouts on my layout. At any one time 2 will not be working. I've filed the joints, tops, points, frogs, and then do it again the next week.

If you want a layout with few turnouts, go with EZ track. IF you want a lot of options, look for something else. I'll never use it again.

[gvdobler]

Jonathon

This thread is rather old. What track did you end up using, and what were the results?

Jon - Las Vegas