Hello, new to the forum and want to start by asking what may turn out to be a not so easy question.
I am just getting back into the hobby myself after a 10 year break. I have a 10x10 area officially acquired from the landlord (AKA wife) that my boys, 10 and 7, and myself will be designing and building a layout. I will also be using DCC. Any ideas you may have are certainly welcome on this issue alone.
We don’t really have a focus as to tiem period or road or region. Just looking for something that will keep the kids and I happy and able to operate. We defininitely want a continuous loop and a yard tor two to switch.
I plan on using Code 83 nickel/silver and my question is: what are you preferences/experiences with the diferent track manufacturers and quality? Is there one I should be looking at that blows all the others out of the water or are they all essentially the same except for the tie diferences?
I used Atlas code 83 flex track almost exclusively on my layout. Micro Engineering also makes some that is a little more prototypical looking (smaller "spikes), but it’s rather pricey. It’s all up to you. Except for a Peco curved turnout, all of mine are Atlas Custom-line #6s. Once weathered and ballasted, you’ll hardly notice the difference.
I, too, have a layout that I’m making with my younger sons (9 and 7).
If you don’t have anything in mind yet, you might want to invest in the track with the pre-attached roadbed so that you can more easily experiment with different designs and layouts until you see what your boys like. They may be drawn to continuous running or prefer switching. They may also demand changes to accommodate new things that they see (although you may want to reserve veto power in the event that they get really silly).
As far as the brands of this are concerned, Kato’s Unitrack is probably the best, but it’s far and away the most expensive. Atlas’s Tru-Track, Bachmann’s E-Z Track, or Life-Like’s Power Loc are all of comparable price and quality, and will all work just fine (just watch the Life-Like, because it also comes in two varieties – steel with black roadbed or nickel-silver with gray roadbed; you want the latter).
Having a layout that you can design / redesign on the fly may serve you better with small children. The only real drawback to this approach is that your options are limited to the pieces available.
I use Atlas Code 83 flex track. The majority of my turnouts are also Atlas Code 83 #6 and #8; but I also use some Walthers turnouts for special situations.
After trying all micro engineering, atlas, and peco, I prefer micro engineering the best. First for me when you bend a curve it stays in shape so it becomes easier to lay and you are not constantly fighting it like atlas track. It takes a little trial and error to get used to but once you do it’s much easier to me than laying atlas. I also like that when you lay a straight with it it stays and won’t bow out when installing. They are all good track and you can’t go wrong with any of it but ME is just my preference. It is also a little more realistic looking than atlas.
How much money do you want to spend? That would be the first and most important question when deciding on which track to use. All model track can be used to build great railroads, some require more work than others and some will look a little better in the end. If I were to get a deal of say, 500 pieces of code 100 Atlas flex and 50 assorted turnouts for $20, I would certainly use it and be happy for it. If on the other had I had $5,000 budgeted for track, I would use Proto 87.
When I got back to MRR a few years back. I was in the same boat. I read all the opinions on track and decided to go with code 83 Shinohara. I am just about through my tenth box on the layout, that’s a hundred Metres of track. I have been delighted with its performance. The things to consider are, what track do you like the looks of? Different brands flex differently, so this determines how easy it is to work with, which is also a personal preference thing. Availability of chosen product. Where I live there are several sources of Shinohara and they always seem to have a mountain of track and turnouts in stock.
I would recommend going code 83 but as far as brand it is what ever turns your crank.[:)]
My layout is about half and half, ME flex track, and handlaid track, ME rail spiked to wood ties. For areas that are close up for viewing, I like the hand laid, for other areas I use the flex. One thing I would not use is sectional, and I have been laying HO track since the early 1980’s.
If you use curved turnouts, Walthers/Shinohara has the widest selection. Although you can combine them with other manufacturer’s sectional track according to some who have done it, that takes some fussing; therefore, it is easier to use W/S for all your track. It is high quality and good-looking, but more expensive.
I use Shinohara but since you are just starting out, and with what you talked about, I would go with Bachmann’s easy track, then If you get serious about it, then go with the better stuff. You can pick up the easy-track for cheap on e-bay and I know people that have a bunch of it around to do test configurations before they start cutting up the more expensive stuff so it’s not like it doesn’t have uses beyond the here and now.