Some On30 Track Questions

[NewtoNarrow]

Hi all,

I decided after visiting my parents' house this Christmas and watching their new On30 Mogul and a couple of cars parade endlessly around the tree that perhaps my years of armchair modeling in HO might be at an end. I became enamored with the - for lack of a better word - 'chunky' size of this scale (and the accompanying 2-rail O), and was hooked. I soon ordered a new Bachmann 2-8-0 (I love the counterweights on the outside frame), and have begun planning beyond this single locomotive.

I'm getting ready to move to a new apartment in a few months that will allow me to construct a small shelf layout (I'm thinking of doing something along the lines of 14' x 2' with an additional 3' x 4' area at one end [it's a strangely-shaped room]), and I am toying with starting construction on a 2' x 7' module in the interim.

I'm ready to begin purchasing some track (I'm a bit squeamish about hand-laying, given that I have absolutely no skills in this department), but I have a few questions to more experienced modelers in the scale before starting out.

I've already decided to go with ME track (I hear that it's somewhat prone to breakage, but far more prototypical for American and Canadian tracks than Peco's product), but this raises a couple of questions:

1) Should I go with Code 83 or Code 70? I am accustomed to modeling in Code 83 in HO, but this is a brave new world, and I'm uncertain as to size rail to select in this new venture. Which, would you say, is more widely available? Or should I bow to popular consensus, which I am sure will be loudly in favor of hand-laying, difficulties-be-damned?

2) Are ME turnouts DCC-ready, or do alterations need to be made? I've been spoiled by dealing with Atlas Code 83 for a long time, and have no familiarity with other products.

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[nephthyr]

One thing that's going to determine your rail size is availability of turnouts, especially considering you're not handlaying. In HOn3, ME only makes code 70 turnouts but readily offers flex track in code 83, 70, 55 and 40. Since I'm a strange critter that likes my track and turnouts to come from the same manufacturer, I'm going to be using code 70, despite how good code 55 looks.

I'd say go with code 70 if you can get turnouts, otherwise go with code 83.

 

[UP2CSX]

Code 70 looks fine with On30 and is just enough smaller than code 83 to represent the lighter rail of typical narrow gauge lines. ME does make code 83 On30 switches but only #5's. Code 55 would look even better but then you really are getting into handlaying track and switches. For a new narrow gauge modeler, especially considering how good the ME On30 version looks, I think starting out handlaying would be a mistake. Get a module up and running so you have something to play with and practice your tracklaying skills on the next module. ME switches are the dead frog variety, even though the frog is metal, so it will work fine with DCC. It's isolated as it comes from the package, but can be powered with switch machine contacts for those who still want power routing.

 

[nephthyr]

I just checked and it seems Micro Engineering makes code 70 #5 turnouts and code 70 flex track for On30. My vote would be to use that! Peco makes code 100 and have On30 turntable also code 100.