Today the mailman arrived with one stick each of Peco and Micro Engineering flex track for a side by side and sight by sight comparison with the few sticks of Atlas I already own. The purpose of this post is to ask if there are any operational issues that would favor one variety over another. The Peco and Micro offerings are both stiffer than the Atlas, suggesting that they might be a little easier to keep in place over a long turn. I’m also wondering if the difference in flexibility offers any advantages to maintaining proper track gauge – I can see arguments both ways on this one. Atlas has obvious cost advantages. Indeed, I passed on Walthers because it’s even more pricey than the Peco and the Micro. FWIW I’ve pretty much settled on Peco #5 turnouts for yards and sidings. The center spring snap enabling operation prior to installation of a switch machine or throw is a major factor her. Mainline and passing turnouts are an open question, and responses to this post will clearly affect that decision. Any and all thoughts are solicited.
This will be all up to you and your choice of manufacturer or product. Try some rail joiners on each piece of track. The base of the Peco and ME should be almost the same. As for stiffness, It does not matter. Once its down and glued it will stay.
If you are going to only use #5 turnouts than it will limit you to short 4 axle diesels and switch engines. If you want to run some big steam or even some Alco PAs than you will have to increase your frog angles. I use #5 and #6 in yards and #8 and larger off the mains and around the engine service areas.
Pete
The one piece of ME flex I have does not impress me. It just doesn’t flex very well. I’ve always used Atlas in the past and it NEVER has come loose. The easy flexibility of the Atlas track makes it very easy to form a smooth continuous curve - which is very important for reliable operation. For this reason I had my Fast Tracks turnout fixture made for Atlas rail instead of ME, so I can easily use Atlas flex for turnouts and if I should need a one-off crossing I can just use the Atlas part.
–Randy
You mention You believe the Atlas bends (more) easily. How so? Is the ME track more likely to retain the bent shape or do they both try to return to the straight shape?
I ask because I have some Shinohara flex that requires a lot more effort to bend into a radius but when released, it keeps the shape. They have gaps in the underside of both rails vs the traditional single side. The benefit is when a joint occurs mid-radius, there is no outward force (from the rails memory attempting to become a straight line again) to cause a potential for a kink, in particular on the outer rail.
I mention this as I was driven to the very edge of alcohol abuse this past weekend after an outer rail developed a kink and was causing my SD70s to derail. No manner of soldered joiner magic would fix the problem. And the further frustration was was it was the outer track at over 36-inch radius that was the problem. The inside track, with the tighter radius was flawless.
The ME track is stiff and tends to retain its shape once modified from what it was prior to the modification. Worse, I hear, is the weathered ME track…it is a bear to get back into what you wanted if you goof.
One person, I foget who and where I read it recently, places his ME track flat on a slippery surface and buttresses the ends. Then, he slides a wooden block, carefully, along the ties, forcing them slightly inward with each swipe, until he gets it to conform to his desired radius. Bending it by eye and by hand is where many run into problems…or so it seems.
-Crandell
Duckdogger mentioned the main advantage of Shinohara flex - bending it requires a little TLC, but once bent it holds the curve.
Atlas can also be bent to a desired radius, by gently massaging it to about 1/4th of that radius. If you keep the fixed rail to the outside you won’t have to remove any ties, I’ve used a lot of Atlas Code 100, and am looking forward to laying concrete tie Code 83.
One useful trick is to let the rail joints stagger, so the rail joint is opposite solid rail. You might have to apply some friendly persuasion to convince the flex to cooperate. It’s definitely worth the effort.
Can’t speak for the other brands mentioned, since I’ve never used them.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with flex and hand-laid specialwork)
I like that process.
Thanks for the help so far. It’s all very much appreciated. Pete: I’m expecting to use #5’s only in yard and siding applications. Mainline will be 6’s, #4 wyes, and likely some 30+ inch curved turnouts. That said, I do have an Athearn Challenger available for testing. The manufacturer claims it will take a 22" radius and a number 5 has a 26 inch internal radius so I would think, appearances aside and in the absence of an S curve situation, the Challenger ought to be able to negotiate a number 5 at least at low speed. To be tested of course. Duckdogger: My initial take on both the Peco and the ME is that when they are bent, they tend to stay bent instead of returning to the original configuration. It also takes more force to bend either than it does the Atlas. My question to you – was the kinked rail you describe so vividly with Shinohara flex or with Atlas? Please keep sharing experience – this is beyond price for planning my first and, given my time of life, likely last layout.
Kinks in the middle of curves are easy to prevent - solder two pieces of flex together BEFORE forming the curve. Once it kinks, forget it.
–Randy