hello everyone, im at the point on my layout where i need to start buying my Flex track. i am useing code 100 Shinora switches and im looking for a more proto typical look than atlas flex track. i have looked at Shinora track as well as Peco and Micro Engineering. the Micro Engineering track is kinda expensive for me, but i was wondering what you guys might recomend. the Shinora code 100 switches im useing have brown ties, and i would like to find flex track with brown ties. also, does anyone know a chep place to mail order flex track from? thanks for all your help!
Have you already bought the turnouts? If you haven’t, then I’d reccomend using Walthers code 83 turnouts (they’re actually made by Shinohara and only marketed by Walthers) with Atlas code 83 flex track. If you already have the turnouts, then I suppose that you ought to use the Shinohara code 100 flex track, but there might be better brands out there that I am not aware of. You could also use the Atlas code 83 flex track and Shinohara code 100 turnouts and use Atlas transition joiners, although I don’t think that it’s a good idea to use transition joiners on many pieces of track on one layout.
yes, i have already purchased around $350.00 worth of Shinora switches. i just want to find a flex track that would look close to shinoras track, like brown ties and code 100. im trying to keep from paying a fortune for flex track, the switches already hit me pretty hard. thanks!
Shinohara used to make code 100 flextrack, whick looked nice despite the oversized rail. Micro Engineering also looks good, and probably can be had for less than Shinohara. Because ME has such small spike heads and a decent rail cross section, most viewers won’t realize you’re using code 100.
If the rail cross section and short (compared to most other commercial track) ties don’t bother you, Atlas has re-tooled its code 100 with much smaller spike heads. I saw some at the hobby shop and it looks a lot better than old Atlas code 100. The problem is finding it, since hobby shops and distributors seem to have plenty of the older Atlas track with the huge spike heads.
If you’re finishing the track with your scenery, the color of the plastic ties is a non-issue. Paint the track to match the prototype, or at least to kill the shine on the rails. I intermix brands of track as well as handlaid and once it’s painted the differences disappear. If you don’t want to paint the track, remember that either Shinohara or ME code 100 have brown ties.
I am almost done with my benchwork. I used to use code 100 but I’ve seen what code 83 looks like and I am planning to use it this time.
Just make sure whatever track mfg you choose, that the overall rail height and profile match your turnouts. I just ran into problem, I have code 83 Atlas Flextrack and Walthers Shinohara code 83 turnouts. Guess what, discovered from different thread, the rail height is different due to thickness difference in the ties. My opinion code 83 and even code 70 is much better looking than 100 but might be too late for you to change.