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hey all, i had a track question, i recently purchased the bachman EZ track expander set to use with my EZ command starter set ... i have heard (after i purchased it) that the Atlas True Track is quite better ... if sou can anyone tell me why or even a comparison? as it isnt too late for me to switch now if need be ..
True Track and E-Z track are basically identical except you can remove the Atlas track from the plastic roadbed and use it for standard sectional track. The E-Z track is fixed to the plastic roadbed. The E-Z track actually has better spike detail than the Atlas True Track. Where E-Z track really falls down is the quality of the switches. They don't have a positive spring throw and tend to be very difficult to use, as the wheels of a passing tran move the loosely held points and derail. The Atlas switches are much better in terms of mechanical reliability. It would be great if you could mix the two but the connectors don't mate so that's not possible. I'd have to give the nod to True Track because of the better switches.
I'll take Kato Unitrack over either.
I'll take Kato Unitrack over either.
You have to remember Uni-Track costs about 4 times more though.
I bought the WGH Set for $180 at my LHS.
Mike
I think im going to go with the Atlas track
I think im going to go with the Atlas track
I was very disappointed with the Atlas true-track. If you are looking for roadbed track, it does not get any better that the Kato Unitrack.
I purchased Atlas and was very unhappy with it. The roadbed does not connect very cleanly and comes apart at a sneeze.
Obviously, I am not running a permanent track.
If you are and will be soldering together pieces, then I guess it wont matter what you get and the Atlas will be fine.
However, I needed something I could change easily as my son likes different layouts.
The track connectors on the Kato are much easier to use and stay together pretty strongly.
I got the Kato WGH layout for $140. Great setup. I was thinking of getting another for expansion.
Yes, its more expensive, but it will be worth it in the long run for temporary lines.
thank you i will be looking into this more
I have only ever used EZ-Track, and although I have a problem with the cost and the quality of their turnouts, I do like the EZ-Track. But, my point for posting is, about the True Track, my understanding is that it was designed to be taken apart if a person 'migrated' up to more realism and wanted to lay decent looking track that he/she could also ballast. I don't know about Uni-Track, but EZ-Track is not meant to be reduced to just the ties and rails...it stays permanently bonded together.
-Crandell
thank you ... do you have any suggestions on how to prevent the turnouts from messing up?
Btw, Kato sells bags of ballast to match the grain and color of the road bed on their Unitrack.
As far as E-Z track switches, you'll have to file the points so they are razor sharp. The are too blunt as they come, and your engines and cars will pick the points and derail. The points also don;t have a positive spring closue, so they tend to be sloppy, with the points able to move slightly away from the stock rail when running a train through a facing point switch. The frog is often too shallow and narrow and be has filed deeper and wider. I added a spring to the underside of the switch so the throwbar has some tension, and that helped a lot. The switches are now pretty reliable but it does take some work. The E-Z track looks good when ballasted, and the tie profile is deep enough to show a normal ballast profile, compared both Kato UniTrack and True Track, which have shallow ties, so it's nearly impossible to ballast between the tracks without covering the ties. The spike detail on E-Z track is much better than either Atlas or Kato, and looks very realistic when ballasted. Once I worked out all the bugs with the switches, I've been happy with the performance.
Bachmann is now starting to offer a much wider variety of switches as well. One of the downsides of all track and roadbed combined products is that the cost is much higher than flex track and normal switches. However, for a beginner, the E-Z track is very easy to work with, is mechanically strong when the sections a clipped together, and had good electrical conductivity. I understand that Bachman has made some incremental improvements to the switches, so newer ones may not have as many problems as my older switches. I think they do look good when they are painted, ballasted, and weathered. This is an example from my layout. E-Z track is on the right and standard Atlas flex track is on the left. I think the E-Z track looks a lot better.
I realize that I implied I only have trackage of the EZ-Track type to this day when I said I have only ever used EZ-Track. More accurately, of the pre-ballasted type, EZ-Track is the only one I have used. However, I used Atlas Code 100 flex on my current layout.
My Christmas layout each year is EZ-Track that came with the On30 set my wife bought me, and to that I added quite a few of the recovered sections from my first layout. It is robust, goes together well, and on a properly prepared sub-roadbed, lies flat and true. Good stuff.
I am happy to learn that their turnouts are improving.
If you go with them, place a small piece of a wooden match between the stock rails and the points, right at the tip of the point rail, and then use a metal needle file to sharpen the points. Try not to reduce their height while you do this...just thin the blade by filing the outer face of the rail that the flanges will use as ramps. Be slow and deliberate. Each point will take between 6-20 swipes with a good file.
thank you all so very much, really helped me
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