I have my benchwork almost completed, and have decided on a trackplan that is modeled after the California and Comstock from June 2007 MR. I decided on this plan because it is my first layout to build. I have a 5 year old son, that could “have” it when completed, and i move on to something newer, gaining the experiance from this build. I had bought a bunch of E-Z track, and am wondering if I should just use this, or use some hand-laid track. I don’t think I’m ready to do all hand laid, i would probably do sectional track components. Does this make sense. What do the experts think?
If I had a son interested in MRR, I would try to use some flex track to develop skills and to let him learn as well. There is nothing inherently wrong with EZ-Track if you have deep pockets and don’t mind the confinements it imposes because the curves are fixed in radius. Let me be clear…it is a very good product, just not suited for an individually tailored track plan in most instances. And it costs a lot more than the matching lengths of flextrack.
You can learn handlaying at the same time. It takes some doing, and a lot of patience, but it can be done right away. Later, on a second layout, you will be more proficient.
I am certainly no expert but, i would start of using the EZ Track and once you build up your skills you could try laying flex track. Although EZ Track is somewhat limiting, it is still a great way to get into the hobby. tim
If I have learned one thing by my mistakes it’s to plan your layout very carefully and give it a lot of thought before making costly mistakes. You usually can prevent these mistakes by doing things right the first time.I had a long layoff from Model railroading when my girlfriend now my wife bought me a trains set for Christmas the first year we were dating. (So it’s really all her fault) It was a Bachmann set with what else Easy track. We set the thing up and I could not get over how noisy it was. With in three days of running this stuff on a couple pieces of plywood I was at the LHS buying a case of Atlas flex track and a bunch of turnout building a new layout. It’s so easy to get caught up in doing things the cheap way that it cost you much more in the long run.
If this is your first layout then why not start out using flex track and cork roadbed or homabed and good quality turnouts etc. All the components that make up a good or great model railroad. Hone your skills and learn on what you will eventually be using. Easy-track and the like is fine for around the Christmas tree and for a layout for the young kids but not if you intend on getting more into the hobby and some day building yourself a layout your really happy with. Those types of track have too many limitations, are noisy as all get out and lets be honest don’t really take any ability to put together.
Learn on what you will be using it will save you money in the long run becasue you will get really tired of easy track real fast.
I use sectional track and flex track (where needed) on the layout I’m building now, which is also my first, and I would recommend it. I use ez-track on the floor (my layout dosn’t have a continus loop) but would never use it on a layout. No matter how much ballast you put on it, it won’t look as good as sectoinal or flextrack on roadbed (I use cork).
“…don’t really take any ability to put together”!!! What an amazing statement. I think – at least I hope – what you mean is that it doesn’t require any track-laying skills to put together, so the OP won’t learn those skills in the course of setting up his layout (in this, you’d be right), and not that it somehow makes one less of a model railroader if they use it.
However, your earlier statement that you have to get the trackwork RIGHT is paramount. If the OP wants to get a layout up and running – especially since here is a young child involved – then EZ track or something similar is a good way to get things going with a minimum of fuss. Yes, it’s more expensive, yes, it limits your layout’s geometry, yes, it’s loud, but unless you REALLY try to fudge, you’re pretty much guaranteed trouble-free running.
The OP has already admitted that this is a LEARNING layout, not a permanent one (although I’m still having a blast with my own “temporary” layout 10 years in), I’d say that if he understands the limitations, go ahead and use it, and learn other skills now. Or, for that matter, if he wants to get something up and running fast to break into the hobby, and then modify and redo as time, interest, and budget allow, it’s also a smart way to go.
About the only disadvantage I can see to using the Bachmann EZ track for a ‘learning’ layout is that, it being sectional track, you can experience voltage drops as the track connectors themselves loosen up with use. But that can be cured fairly well by using additional feeders to the track.
Actually, on my own rather large garage layout, I’ve got one section of Wide-Radius EZ track that I put in when I built the layout eight years ago, and it was for a specific reason–I did not trust my ability to lay flex-track around a large mountain that had a sheer drop of 6’ from track to cement garage floor.
I was in my LHS one day and saw the EZ Wide-Radius (34-36") track and immediately saw the answer to my problem. The track went together smoothly, with no rail-joint problems, and after laying it around the mountain, I soldered the rails together and ran additional feeders to the trackage. It’s been on the layout for eight years and has been extremely trouble-free. And I certainly feel a lot ‘safer’ in my mind that it’s there instead of flex-track that might possibly kink under certain conditions and send one of my trains flying off into thin air, LOL!
And it can be ballasted rather easily (though carefully).
Here’s a couple of shots of Yuba Pass, where I laid the EZ track.
West Side, under Sierra Buttes:
East Side with the 6’ sheer drop:
Both sides of the Pass are Bachmann EZ wide-radius.
Except for Yuba Pass, the rest of the layout is laid with Sinohara flex. But as I
Glad this thread came up. I am seriously considering EZ track for the curved end of three hidden staging tracks being added. As the existing upper level makes installing flex track accurately a challenge, I thought of large radius EZ. I wanted three tracks but could limit it to 2 in the radius by having the third track converge into one of the other tracks before the radius.
The track comes 5 pieces per package,so anyone know what portion of a circumference that covers?
That would give you almost a third of a circle if using a 22’ curve. It takes exactly 16 pieces for a complete circle, and if you’re using a larger radius than 22’ then five pieces would give you a quarter of the circumference.
Thanks to all who responded to my original post. The reason for asking about the E-z track, was because I already had purchased some, actually quite a bit, to set up on the floor for my son and I to run the train set he was given. So the cost factor is already spent. I probably spent about 150.00 on track. We are not using the black roadbed style, I purchased the better grey roadbed style. My plan now is set up what I have with the EZ track, and as I add on the engine yard/serviceing area, transition to code 100 track. This should be more condusive to setting the turntable and roundhouse.
I’ve been using the nickel silver (gray roadbed) EZ-Track on my permanent layout since 2004 and have had no problems with it. My layouts is roughly 8 feet by 10 feet and has 2 main loops with close to 10 spurs and 1 passing siding. Add in a switching crossover between the 2 loops. I used all Bachmann turnouts.
Really you have no problems with the track? Sometimes my loco will not go through the turnouts and i am also using bachmann EZ track. Any suggestions? tim
Though I’ve never used the EZ track turnouts, I have heard that the points of the turnout itself need a little filing to bring them snug against the stock rail.
I know that I had to do this as a matter of course on the Atlas turnouts on my old MR.
Use a jewelers file to gently file the point rails so they blend more smoothly with the stock rail. Also check to make sure the frog isn’t too high. It can be filed down if needed. I have only one turnout (A Bachmann #4) that gave me a problem with almost everything that entered it onto the diverging route. The problem turned out to be that the end of the point rail was bent inward toward the center a little too far. I could have simply ripped the turnout up and put another one in but that would mean making a 120 mile drive. Instead I used a needle nose pliers to gently bend the last 1/4" of the point rail over a little bit so it was closer to the stock rail. When I switched it to the diverging route the point rail laid hard against the stock rail just as it should. I’ve never had another problem out of it.
