I am curious to know, wether anyone here has run across any sort of super detailed flex track (decent looking tie plates, joint bars etc…), or other pre-fab track (ho scale). I find myself faily unimpressed by the majority of pre fab track on the market, but dont really think i’m up to tackling hand laying quite yet. I’ve seen a handful of companys producing some top notch detail parts for proto:87 track, but again, i dont know that i’m up to the challenge quite yet, especially if i would have to retro fit my entire fleet of cars and locomotives with the narrower (yet stunning…) proto:87 trucks and wheels. Thanks!
The best I know of thats off-the-shelf is Micro Engineering. Googling that should turn up some good info and pics. Here’s a Walthers link: http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?manu=255&split=30
http://www.cvmw.com/cvt/index.htm
Central Vally makes a “sort of” flex track that’s really detailed. The tie strips are 1’ long and come in branch and main line spacing. They inter lock and flex real EZ. You glue or spike whatever code rail you want on them. They make really detailed turnout kits that are curvable too.
Micro engineering is pretty detailed flex track. They also sell it in a weathered version. The last I checked they sell 18’ for about $33.00 which is 6 sections. That comes to $5.50 for a 3’ section.
You don’t specify what era - prototype track has changed over the years, too. I’m assuming you are looking at 1920s or later, with creosoted wood ties and tie plates, but before the current concrete ties (or alternative preservative on wood ties) and self-guarding turnout frogs.
The Central Valley tie strips and the MicroEngineering flex track have both been mentioned as pretty much state of the art commercial offerings for that era of track. Most of the Proto:87 Store (http://www.proto87.com/) products will work equally well for either NMRA track specs or P87 track. The big exception is the frogs. But separate frogs are available for either standard.
If you are in the diesel era or model interurbans, switching to P87 is doable today for a small roster. Availability of P87 steam locomotive drivers and the possibility of having to rework the valve gear keep me from making the leap.
because track is a model, too.
Fred W
Central Valley track is the best. Do not let yourself think it is too hard to work with. If you want realistic track, you will work very hard to make ANY flex track look good…even Micro Engineering. The CV system makes it much easier to paint the ties and rail. Ballast is much easier to lay down.
A lot of people think that it is too much work. We believe the track is as much a model as is the locomotives, rolling stock, and structures. If you see a layout with the CV system, you WILL see a big difference.
…not only that, but, then you get to use all the great track parts by Details West! lol- (shameless plug)
Keith Turley/ Details West
Getting good looking flex track is the first and easier part … getting good looking turnouts to match is the harder part.
As to HO track, MicroEngineering track is really good, with near-scale tie plate and spikehead detail, and with random variation on the tie-end placement. Central Valley Tie strips are also good – again with near-scale tie plate and spikehead detail, along with random variation on the tie-end placement.
For turnouts, I feel using the CV tie strips for turnouts is hard to beat. I give a complete step-by-step clinic with photos on my web site for using the CVT strips to do a turnout.
(Click image to enlarge)
As to joint bars and that kind of detail, I give a list of links here for where you can purchase such parts for HO or N scale.
Here are some closeups of code 70 Micro Engineering flextrack.
When I was in HO I found that either Micro-Engineering codes 70 or 55 track or CV tiestrips, once additional weathering was added, look extremely realisic. IMHO this track looks much better than handlaid due to the tieplates and near scale-sized spikes. You can add additional details and find out more from the links that jfugate provided in his post. If you’re a masochist you can handlay your own with separate ties, spikes, tieplates, and rail from the parts provided by the P:87 Store but it would look no better than the other track mentioned above . I am very fussy about realistic-looking track, from HO to G scale, as I feel it really makes or breaks an otherwise nicely done layout.
Try Precision Scale Top Track. It’s available in codes 70, 83, and maybe 100 (Can’t remember.), in regular and super-elevated.
It has nice plate and spike detail. Some of the plates are just slightly out of line, some have all the spike holes filled, some don’t. It looks good after being painted and weathered too.
The Micro Engineering track shown in the previous posts looks to only have a single spike on all but a few ties (And none holding the plate to the tie). This doesn’t follow prototype practices, especially on main track. You might find that on industrial sidings. The only single fastener systems are the ones similar to Pandrol clips, even then the tie plates are fastened down using spikes or lag bolts in multiple holes.
Where can you get that Precision Scale at? Never heard of it before. Google only turned up G scale.
What are the opinions of Peco Code 83 as compared to ME and Walthers/Shinohara in terms of overall look and detail?
Tom
At my expert tips forum here, I list a link to the PSC web site (among other detailed flex track web sites). The PSC web site has HO track available under the Misc area.
Joe, may I ask why you don’t use it? I would like to hear your reason(s) since it helps me to decide where I should go from here…in a next layout incarnation.
-Crandell
For code 100 holdovers, the Model Power track is still around and still cheap. It has the tie plate with 4 bolts and small spike heads, for code 100, it’s still one of the best looking and did I say it’s cheap.
Uh, don’t use what? Help me out here Crandell, with a bit more context.
Ooops! I jumped to the conclusion that you don’t use PSC Top Track…it was my question, and I guessed for some odd reason that you don’t actually use it yourself…do you? Sorry for the confusion.
-Crandell
Given that my layout is essentially done in the trackwork area and has been for almost 10 years, and given that I still have 30 or 40 feet of MicroEngineering flex track still in my personal stock, I’ve never had a need. I like the ME track, and frankly had lost contact with PSC until recently.
But their track does look interesting and I may order a piece or two just to take a good look at it for review purposes.
Thanks, Joe, I’ll have a look myself.
-Crandell
Just remember that a lot of details start to disappear after you ballast and weather, once saw a layout done with atlas code 100 cheap stuff that was so well done you had to take a second look, now I wouldn’t recommend that but you can get a real good look from micro without a lot of work. I use shinohara code 70 as micro was not available when I started gathering materials luckily I don’t need much more as it is getting hard to get because their production is tied up producing code 83 for walthers.