Questions
- What code track for mainline and spurs?
- What number turnouts?
- What brand?
What scale? Era modeled? Mainline turnouts are generally a higher speed and require a larger frog number. Yards and branch lines would have smaller frog numbers.
Pete
N scale and 1990’s to the present.
Yikes – Jacob: what scale? Let’s assume HO? [EDITED POST - I did not see the above exchanges when I posted this reply. Think in N your choices are a bit narrower – If you truly want two sizes of rail as the prototype does, then it seems to me your choices are code 55 as the smallest and then one or another of the Code 80/83 sizes for the larger. For N I cannot advise on brand. My only observation is that to my taste code 55 looks so much nicer than any other N scale track that assuming your equipment can run on code 55, I would go with code 55 throughout the layout, and just weather it more intensely and ballast it less fully for the yards and sidings to make the rail appear smaller. the rest of my posting is as I originally wrote it; and again I was talking HO.]
You correctly note that mainline rail is larger than sidings, spurs, yards, and short lines. The visual difference is not all that great but does convey to the viewer what you are trying to do.
I think the modern trend is to use Code 83 track over Code 100, which is popular but very oversize. Having said that, Code 100 is easy to work with and plentiful. So I could imagine a layout with Code 100 for the main, code 83 for sidings and yards. Otherwise we are looking at Code 83 for the main, and for the sidings, either code 70 – Micro Engineering is an excellent brand – or the commercially available Peco Code 75.
What number turnouts? The standard No. 4 turnout saves space but is rather sharp for long cars and today;s large locomotives. For those, #5 or #6 make the most sense. I’d reserve #4s for what you absolutely have to have that small a turnout. Peco typically uses terminology rather than numbers, so we are talking the medium turnout for Peco.
Atlas is a very reliable brand but suffers a bit in realistic appearance. Nonetheless a layout of Atlas Code 100 and Co
Jacob, Even though the real railroads use different size rail doesn’t mean that you have to.
When you go to ballast, just keep the ballast at tie level for your mainline and cover the ties for your spurs, it will give the illusion of different sized rail.
As to what brand to use- is your Dad going to help you build the layout or is this something you are doing all by yourself?
If you are getting help, I would use the Atlas code 55 ( preferred ) or Peco or Atlas code 80.
If this is something that you are doing all by yourself, I would suggest Kato Unitrack if you can afford it or Atlas True Track.
Craig