WHAT BRANDS DO YOU LIKE AND WHY? I WANT TO GET STARTED WITH THE RIGHT INFO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
SCOTT
Atlas. Looks good. Works good. Price is good.
You can spend twice as much for some that look a little better, but by the time you paint, ballast and weather it, I don’t see that much of a difference.[2c]
I used Peco and found it to be very flexible and easy to work with. There are no nail holes in any of the crossties, which was another feature I liked about it. I fastened it with latex caulking instead of using nails, and there were no unsightly nail heads or holes to contend with.
I haven’t used any of the Atlas code 83 flex track, so I don’t know if it has nail holes and oversized crossties like their code 100 products. I did use a couple of the Atlas code 83 turnouts and found them to be very close to Peco’s products in appearance and quality. They are definitely an improvement over their code 100 turnouts.
I’m not sure which brand of flex track Loathar thinks costs twice as much as Atlas, but it’s not Peco. Cherry Creek Hobbies in Torrington, Wyoming sells Atlas code 83 flex track for $3.75 each and Peco is $4.60. But as Loathar also pointed out, once it’s down, ballasted, and weathered, you’d probably be hard pressed to be able to tell which is which.
I’m using Atlas code 83 concrete-tie flex, modeling a prototype that had installed concrete ties just before my modeling month. There are ‘unfinished’ nail holes (don’t penetrate the top surface of the tie) in the centers of the ties every few inches. The ties appear to be very close to scale size, and the oversize track fasteners really aren’t. Pandrol clips are a lot bigger than rail spikes.
Since I lay my track on grey latex caulk, I don’t put nails in the ties.
I’m something of a fanatic when it comes to good trackwork, and I am satisfied with the results I have achieved so far.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Scott,
From my personal experience Atlas is hard to beat for the price. As others say, all the track looks good when it is ballasted and weathered. The bigger question is what turnouts are you planning to use. My simple advice, pick the style and code of turnout you wish to use and buy the same manufacturer’s flex track. You’ll be miles ahead with smooth joints and good operating regardless of which one of the vendors you choose. Different brands of code 83 track are not necessarily 100% compatible.
Our more elite rivit counting brothers insist that ME is the only way to go. Me, I am using Atlas code 83 turnouts and flex track, but if I knew then what I know now, I’d be using code 100 Atlas flex track and Peco turnouts.
I have found that most modular railroaders use Atlas/Peco code 100 for their layouts. Most of the rivit spike counters who use ME also tell us they use code 100 for staging and their helix. Their rationale is that appearance in those locations is not important, but it should be told that hidden staging and the helix are the most demanding part of a pike and they trust it to Atlas code 100 and Peco turnouts.
Here is a link to my blog and my turnout selection methodology. The link for an excel spreadsheet designed to facilitate that decision is on that page.
http://wwwjoe-daddy.blogspot.com/2007/12/ll-turnout-selection-methodology.html
Good luck and I hope you have a lot of fun with your new model railroad.
Just my 2 cents
Joe Daddy
Atlas code 83 has low profile brown ties and small spike heads. (unlike the code 100) It has nail holes on the underside of the ties that don’t go all the way through so you can drill them out if you want.
I was thinking of the Micro Engineering and Walthers/Shinohara track being twice as expensive as Atlas which can be bought for around $2.69/each if you know where to shop.[;)]
http://www.nhshobbies.com/category_s/56.htm
Better deals can be had if buying a whole case.