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I am new to trains and have a lot of questions. I already have two train sets. One HO and one N scale. I have enough track to set up a few layouts. I have found a few ideas online but I am stumped. I have Bachmann ez track and the layouts that I have found and like are calling for Kato Unitrack.
My question is this: What is the difference? Also it calls for 186mm track. Can I still use my ez track for this? Is there much difference? I know that ez track is measured in inches.
I think they are pretty much the same, but I don't know for sure.
Are you saying Bachmann E-Z track for HO and Kato Unitrack for N scale? The concept for both is the same. The track is embedded in a a plastic roadbed that simulates the typical height and shoulder of a mainline track. Bachmann E-Z track has terrible switches that need lot of work to get them to function reliably. Kato Unitrack is much better quality but is also much more expensive than buying normal N gauge sectional or flex track. The problem with both systems is they don't allow much flexibility in terms of curves that you may have space for but the companies don't make the radius you want. With Kato, you often see all the measurements in metric. A 186 mm track is just a section that's 7 5/16" long. You can go to
http://www.katousa.com/N/Unitrack/g-single.html and see the various track sections that are available and the metric conversion for each piece.
If you have a lot of Unitrack than that's obviously what you should use but any layout plan that calls for Unitrack can also be used with typical N gauge sectional track once you know the measurements. Unless you really have a lot of Bachmann E-Z track, I would discourage you from building a serious layout with it because the switches are so bad. You would do much better with Atlas or Peco track laid on a cork or foam roadbed. Being able to use flex track for curves is a huge advantage since you can make the curve that fits you layout rather than trying to adapt curves to a sectional track plan.
I have set up both. The most important thing of laying them is that the rail joiners connect solidly. After trying both (in n scale) I can say I like Kato better.
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