Opinions on Bachmann EZ track for a beginner


The black roadbed EZ-Track with the steel rail is crap. The gray roadbed EZ-Track with nickel-silver rail is much better and is all I use. I looked at the Kato track some years ago and decided it was too expensive. Also it didn't have as many choices of track pieces as the EZ-Track even though I still had to fashion some track pieces myself to fill short gaps.
 
You have a complicated layout- from the few pictures posted that I saw. I would think that you might use more flex type track and permanently install everything. I still have not decided on a course I will take.

What I do like are the DCC controls.

Can one link the operation of all the switches etc completely to a laptop ?
 
scibiz said:
You have a complicated layout- from the few pictures posted that I saw. I would think that you might use more flex type track and permanently install everything. I still have not decided on a course I will take.

What I do like are the DCC controls.

Can one link the operation of all the switches etc completely to a laptop ?
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My track is permanently installed. The plastic roadbed is half buried in wall joint compound and isn't going anywhere without being pried up with a screwdriver. It took me two days to take up half the track so I could change the layout to a walk-in design.

That I don't know. Being that the DCC turnouts get their commands through the track it should be possible.
 
DoubleDAZ said:
I'm doing N-Scale and I'm also tying to decide to stay with E-Z Track or move to something else. I'm interested in your specific reasons for choosing Kato vice E-Z Track. I've got about $100 invested in E-Z track, but I'm having 2nd thoughts, mostly because I'd like to use FlexTrack for straight runs to add some gentle curves.

Also, and more important to me, I'm about 5 months from beginning construction on a 10x6 layout that will have to be portable. It will be done in 2-4 sections and I'm currently working on designing two 10x3 sections. The sections will back against each other using tunnels to go to/from each section. I might cut both sections in half to give me four 5x3 sections to make it easier to assemble/disassemble 3 times a year. At any rate, I'm interested in how you deal with your temporary layout.
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I started with E-Z Track and it worked good until I started adding switches for sidings and yards. The E-Z Track switches just caused too much frustration and required too much massaging to get to work reliably. Also, if the switch was just after or before a turn, my big steamers would pick the switch too much. I bought a KATO starter set and some switches to see how it was. Sold all my E-Z Track the next year.

KATO has a lot of N-scale Unitrack available - a lot more than they have for HO. It's easy to put together and the switches are better than the E-Z Track. Check out the KATO web site for all the pieces that are available http://www.katousa.com/
KATO even has balast that matches the plastic roadbed if/when you want to make the layout more permanent.

As for my temporary layouts, they are on the floor for now - no tables or benches. Pretty rudimentary but still fun for me as I get to change the track configuration every winter when I set it up. I place buildings and other stuff around the track whereever it looks right. I use DCC for all my locomotives and a standard power pack for controlling the switches. My passengers cars us Rapido interior lights that are battery operated and use a magetic wand to turn them on and off. It would be nice if KATO made an electro-magnetic de-coupler section of track. Glueing a magnet between the rails works but they work sometimes when I don't want them to work.
 
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Thanks, Tuna. I've checked out the Kato site before, but it's hard to tell by just looking at photos. Even looking at them in the LHS makes it hard because of the plastic wrapping. So far, the E-Z Track is working fine, except for 1 switch, but I still might buy some Kato UniTrack just to see for myself. I'm leaning toward a dual-run layout anyway, so having one with E-Z Track and one with UniTrack wouldn't be so bad, at least to start with.

I want a more permanent layout, but I admit it was a lot of fun using new designs every so often with the old Lionel set I had as a kid.

BTW, have you seen their DCC-controlled coupler? They had a link, but for some reason they either took it down or it's just not working right now. The coupler was on a Mikado, so it could only uncouple the whole consist and not individual cars.
 
DoubleDAZ, order the KATO basic Unitrack set (3-102) and a couple of #6 powered switches (2-860 & 2-861). That will get you started and that is what I did.

With the E-Z Track, the snap hook holds the track pieces together while you have to make sure that the track joiners line up to make the current flow between track pieces. I found that the joiners didn't always line up and sometimes got loose over time.

With the Unitrack, the couplers do both - connect the track electrically and the plastic pieces together. The KATO joiners rarely cause me any concern and when they do, they can be removed quickly and replaced. Try doing that with the E-Z Track.
 
I plan on doing that just as soon as I find a comparable set for N-scale. My layout is going to be 2 levels with separate layouts on each level (though I still have to explore DCC power/wiring requirements). One level will be a relatively simple loop in a 10x2.5 space. The other will be more involved on the full 10x6 space and run under/around the top level. Both will be bisected down the 10' length by a diorama of some sort and use tunnels to run between the 2 sections and the section will come apart. Think of it as a 2-level 20x3 shelf layout folded in half back around itself.

If I buy some Unitrack, I can always use it or the E-Z Track for one of the levels and eventually convert all to the same brand track. I intend to try out my design using 2 simple ovals as soon as my non-working locomotive comes back from Bachmann. I already have enough E-Z Track for an 8x4 oval with 2 passing sidings, so all I neeed is enough Unitrack to make an 8x2.5 oval. I think I'll get enough to add one passing siding too just so I can compare turnout operation, etc. I may just go ahead and get the DCC system and a DCC loco too. Then I'll have enough to play with while I decide on my final design and which track to use.

I'm also thinking of using their Double Track for the upper layout, so do you have any experience with that? Might be easier though to just run 2 loops so I could vary each a bit. I'm not sure the Double Track will fit within the space I've allotted.

Guess I'll have to duplicate my XTrkCAD design using the Unitrack parameter files, if they have them, to make sure things fit the way I hope they will. I also want to see how Flextrack looks with the Unitrack. I'd really like to use Flextrack for the straight runs so I can curve them ever so slightly, but that's not a must have. I'd also like to incorporate some uneven terrain to simulate the gentile hills found in the wide open spaces without creating an actual uphill incline.
 
New to EZ track

I bought some EZ track for my 6 year old and am going to permenantly set it on a plywood layout. Is there another way to adhere the tracks than using the glue method. I see small holes in each track...are there nails/pins than can work as well?
 
Ez Track

Im laying ez track on wood plat form what is the best way to deadin all the nose? i dont wanna use foam or glue it down i plan to nail it down but was wondering what would make it quieter?
 
peted said:
I bought some EZ track for my 6 year old and am going to permenantly set it on a plywood layout. Is there another way to adhere the tracks than using the glue method. I see small holes in each track...are there nails/pins than can work as well?
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Nails work, yes, however I can't remember which type, other than they're very small.
 
Had to do some googling:
http://www.modelgeeks.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/rail/6980/Bachmann-EZ-Track-Question

Looks like your best bet is to drill your own holes into EZ track with counter sink and use #4 wood screws.

It's actually a rather inexpensive solution. Boxes of 3/4" #4 screws are very inexpensive.

As for drilling plastic. Do the holes using the drill set to forward. To do countersinks, you want to run the drill in reverse! Trust me, it works. If you go forward, you will have little control over how deep those counter sinks are.

Plastic mounted to plywood will be a bit loud though. With some lionel track, I put carpet padding and inexpensive green carpet down and loosly screwed teh track down. VERY QUIET! Not sure what your plans for decorating are though.
 
What I did on mine was put a 1/2" sheet of white bead board down on the plywood and laid the track on that. I then applied an 1/8" to 3/16" layer of drywall joint compound over all the exposed bead board and around the base of the EZ-Track roadbed. Once this dried I built my scenery on it.
 
If you use carpet, don't use shag. Gets in the gears, trust me. Try using cut pile. The cut out shapes make excellent small valleys. You might think about using carpet nails to hold the track in place. Placing a nail at the edge of the plastic, using the head of the nail to hold it in place. The nail heads will disappear under the layers of scenery
 
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