Not sure about what type of track to get.

[Jasonak]

Hi
Just singed up.I recently just got into trains.I did not take the time to read up etc on this or that I just started eabying
So now got bunch of stuff and not sure which way to go.
Ive got a ton of track not sure what kind it is some of it is nickel, some is silver but not sure what it is as it came with some trains I bought of ebay.
Anyways I have bunch prob 100-150 pcs and I have some atlas electric switches as well.

Well I also got some HO scale trains,from eaby and Craigs.Two of the kits came with this power loc track which is very easy to use.I was really impressed with it.

I see they have unitrack ez track for N scale as well,so was thinking maybe I should have went that route instead of the regular track.
So should I ditch the regualr track and go with the easy or ? Is it worth the extra money ? Also I see 55 and 80 guage how do I know what I have ?

I saw flexi track and that looked good as well.

So yeah pretty lost on the track thing here
Any advice very mcuh appreciated.
Thanks

 

[RW&C]

You've probably got nickel silver track, it's an alloy which (if i remember right) actually doesn't have any silver in it.

First, decide what scale to go with.

For a permanent layout, sectional/flex track is usually best. A few people use snap-track (or unitrack, or e-z track, there are lots of varieties) on permanent layouts, but it's usually just for trainset/christmas tree stuff.

Code 55 vs 80, that's rail height. 80 is much taller than 55, and 55's usually closer to scale (depending on prototype). 80 will work with anything; some equipment will need work (new wheels) to work on 55, as the oversized flanges on some cheap/old stuff will bump along the bits that hold the rails down.

A little research always helps. This is a great place for it.

 

[Larry]

Usually when you get a lot of track off Ebay or w/train sets it's steel track, not always though. Check all of your tracks w/a magnet & don't use steel track if you have any dampness of anykind in a trainroom. I let some steel track lay outside for about 6 months before it finally started to rust.
I use Atlas or ModelPower Nickel silver flex track.

 

[Jasonak]

Hi
Thank you both for taking the time to reply.
Magent good idea,I was no-ferous metal technican (worked at scrap yard) when I was in high school should have remembered that
I actually think im going both scales the N scal id like to set up as a table model mountiains landscaping etc.The HO im going to do what ive always wanted which is run it through my house.You no build a shelf and jsut have it running around the walls through the rooms.Not sure on the exact way to go about that but thats the general idea if that makes sense.
Any way of telling which code I have ? So I can get the right flex track.
thanks again.
Also I did not really see a fax section. besides just reading threads any place on here or on the net that I can look up that will say dont buy this train do buy this ?
Im totally new any info very much appreciated.
thanks again
Jason

 

[RW&C]

Search is in the blue bar at the top, next to "quick links" and "log out."

If I remember right, code is a measurement of rail height, and there's some line up between the readout on the caliper and the code. Your steel snap-track for HO is probably code 100 (most common for HO). Anything smaller could be code 83, code 70, etc. N scale track is usually code 80, with black ties. If it has brown ties and/or is substantially shorter than the rest, it could be code 55 or 70 (unlikely in an eBay lot). If you have a hobby store in your area, the guy behind the counter should be able to describe all this much better than I can.

The HO through the walls sounds like fun.

 

[BRS Hobbies]

Just to add to what RW&C said, the code indicates the rail height in thousandths of an inch. For example, code 100 is .100" and code 83 is .083" which are common sizes in HO scale while code 80, code 70, and code 55 are used for N scale. If you have a 0-1" micrometer or a caliper, you can measure the rail height to determine the code of your track.

Best regards,
Brian

 

[Jasonak]

Thank you both for the info