I am a complete beginner and need some advice on which brand of track to buy. I want to build a 4 x 8’ layout for my kids in HO scale. I hope some of you will give me your recommendations as to which brand of track is the best for my needs. Here are the qualities I’m loooking for:
Snap together feature (the type that has the road bed attached to the rails and ties)
Competitive price
Readily available at retail model stores
Is there anything else that I should be considering?
For snap together track I highly recommend Kato Unitrack. It has a realistic roadbed (at least as realistic as you can get in plastic), it is code 83 (more prototypical), and is readily available at most hobby shops. I do not know how it stacks up price-wise to other snap together track but in my opinion it doesn’t matter because the Kato track looks so much better. I was so impressed with it that I am currently building a 16’x12’ layout with it (with some flex-track for bridges, etc).
I think Kato even has ready made starter kits for a 4’x’8 layout. Check it out.
Bachmann sucks. It has no electrical conductivity. NEVER buy life like…it is just horrible. I would go with atlas or kato. Kato has realistic roadbed. Atlas’s track snaps out to make coventional rail joiner track. It’s up to you.
I’ve used Kato Unitrack in N scale and had great results with it. Judging from the responses I see from everyone else, the HO track doesn’t seem to be any different. My past and present HO layouts have always been built with Atlas Flextrack but if I were going to choose a sectional track with built in roadbed, the Kato again would be my choice. That’s my [2c].
I use the Atlas True Track its code 83 has its own roadbed and the track comes right off if you choose to make your own roadbed. I have took the track off and sprayed the roadbed with Fleckstone paint Available at craft stores and wallyworld, and it looks pretty good. It goes together good and tight with no gaps and is a lot cheaper than Kato, but the Kato is very good track also, like others said steer away from Bachman and life like. Also around here all my LHS carry Atlas True Track they also have starter sets. The Kato for some reason harder to find here in HO but they seem to carry N scale. The cheapest place i have found Atlas True Track is Firsthobby.com hope this helps.
I have used Bachmann for several years on my wife’s Dept 56 Christmas Village display, and also around the Christmas tree. I do not like the slide in slips, they are a PITA, and I have had several conductivity problems at the connectors. ( Of course in the worst plac eo reach on the layout after all the buildings are in place and no place for me to knell) KATO tracks were purchased two years ago, and I am totally pleased with their positive locking action, ease of snapping together, and much better design for conductivity.
Kato has a neat deal where you can buy a whole layout in parts. I am flex track only but under the tree we use “G” Bachman and the track is TRASH! I am buying some LGB for this year.
If you get a predesigned layout from Kato you will be up and running faster with less crying, both you and the kids!!
Don’t buy something just because somebody else says it’s best for them. What works for them may not be the best for you. The best way to tell is true hands on experience. Get some of each type, experiment with it and make your own choice. I bought things in the past based on what others said was best and in some cases regretted it. My best decisions came from actually working with what was available and in the end, what worked best was keeping everything simple.
I’m using Atlas Code 83 True Track and like it. I’m even starting to add a light coat of real ballast over the plastic road bed. Out of 22 turnouts I’ve had a couple that were defective and they are a little difficult to remove and replace. Also they do have exposed switch machines which I don’t like.
Another drawback with True Track is they only have Snap Switches which are close to an 18" radius. This limits track arrangement possibilities. I would prefer to use #4, #6 and #8s.
You get a lot of clickety clack with sectional track but I kind of like it. My original plan was to eventually snap the track out of the plastic roadbed and place it on cork or WS roadbed as it would be easier to ballast. I probably won’t do this although I may try to change out some of the snap switches. WS roadbed height matches up well with the True Track plastic roadbed.
However, I think if I were to start over I would use Kato, mainly because the remote switch machines are concealed. Much more expensive though. But, at my age, I don’t like crawling around under the layout to install Tortise switch machines.