i am just starting out modeling. my ? to you is who makes the best track for the buck. money is tight, so that is a big issue, but i also want to get away from the k-line track look.
The best track for your buck´s is still simple tubular. If money is the big issue, then you can´t get any better and cheaper then tubular. The other makes must be judged by others, I can´t compare any other makes, since I only can compare tubular with buco, a european brand of tracks, like gargraves.
Having used, at one time or another, virtually every track type available for O gauge, I finally settled on Atlas O as my preferred all-around choice. It costs a bit more than conventional tubular track, but I have found it to be superior in terms of construction, appearance, and reliability.
I can think of no compelling reason to short-change yourself on track, since it it the single most important component on a model railroad. Track is the distinguishing feature, and your trains are wholly dependent on good trackwork for smooth and trouble-free operation. Better to have fewer trains and put that money into good track, in my opinion.
Without a doubt, tube track (either K-line or Lionel) is best for your Buck.
It is 1/3 to ¼ the price of any of the newer type tracks out there. There is even a large market of used track because it has been around for so long. I would say the next best is Gargraves, again it has been out there a long time and you can sometimes find it on the used market.
You can dress up tube track by adding extra ties and ballast.
tom
I think it really boils down to what you like best appearance-wise and operating-wise, esp. with regards to turnouts and variety of radii.
Ain’t no such thing as best + cheapest
A certain amount of tradeoffs are inevitable.
Consider your current fleet of trains, esp. w/regard to their radius requirement. If yours are all semi-scale, 031 compatible, then you must also think to the future, if perhaps you fall in love with something that might only operate on 072.
If you disguise tubular track a bit (add some underlayment under the ties to cover up the height and ballast it) it looks really good to me. I’m now ballasting the track and the height is not an issue anymore. I’ll put some photo’s in photo fun tomorrow, you’ll see that tubular can look good too…
Yes, tubular track is by far the best deal and you can find fantastic deals on used tubular track at train shows.
Tubular is the best.
I’ll go one step further and say that used tubular may be the best deal ever. Most dealers Hover up a ton of it (and many just trash it) when they buy collections. About 11 years ago I lived in Seattle and I needed a lot of track for an around-the-room layout I was building. I wanted three mainlines and some sidings for storage. I went up to Eastside Trains in Kirkland - he was the only dealer in the area that I new carried bundles of the used stuff. I bought, oh, 200 or so pieces and it worked out to about 25 cents a section. There were excatly two pieces where the finish was worn through, and maybe three sections I had to add a track pin or two to. Oh, most of it was postwar vintage, too. It filled the gap to get trains running NOW rather than a lot later due to $$$$ concerns.
Once you get going, you can make a decision on sticking with the tried and true, or one of the newer systems.
Can anyone tell me a good reliable palce to order the newer K-Line switches that have the low profile housing?
I agree with David: Best (for you) may not always equate with cheapest. You might start out with a low-cost track system and be perfectly satisfied with it, as is. If so, that’s great! But you also might, for example, start out with the cheapest track you can find, only to discover a short time later that you want something more realistic looking. That appears to be a very real possibility in your case since you indicated that you want to get away from the K-Line track look (which certainly is not all that different than other tubular track). Well, in that case you have a couple of options:
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You can dress up what you have with additional ties (these will likely cost you something, and will take time to install), roadbed (this will cost something), and ballast (also likely to cost something).
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You can switch to one of the more realistic looking track systems, but then you’re stuck with disposing of the old track, which you already paid something for. You can expect to get a very low return on that investment, no matter how cheap the stuff was to begin with.
So, it’s really worth exploring around a bit to actually see what each track system offers before you invest in any large quantity of the stuff. Visit your local hobby shop, if you’re lucky enough to have one, and see which systems they stock and support. Visit the various manufacturers’ web sites and/or get a copy of their catalogs, and see what the various offerings really look like and what is actually available in terms of curved sections, switches, control sections, and the like.
Yes, it’s certainly possible to start out cheap to get some trains up and running. But I’m not sure that’s the best solution for the long term, especially as you begin to expand your empire and as you become more involved in the hobby.
Can anyone tell me a good reliable palce to order the newer K-Line switches that have the low profile housing?
So far, I only found them here at warehouse hobbies. Other dealers should have them & you could try a K-line super store. Maybe go to K-lines’ webbsite & locate a dealer store. Hope this helps! [img]http://www.wholesaletrains.com/OProducts2.asp?Scale=O&Item=MDKTK&offset=50[img]
you can try this place, it’s where I ordered mine from
The Train Shop
3310 Baffale Rd. Eire Pa 16510
814-899-2157
They were $25.00 each delievered
Part number
LH = K-0265
RH = K-0266
hope this helps
tom