track selection

[dennismacro]

i'm looking at a nscale setup. what track is best code 55 or code 80? thanks

 

[leghome]

To me the most forgiving/easiest to use is Atlas. Also the Atlas track is one of the most cost effective and their turnouts are very DCC friendly. Even if you are not going DCC right now it is always best to plan for what might happen in the future. I did not and now am doing a lot of rewiring on my layout, of couorse when I started mine DCC was in the beginning stages..

 

[dennismacro]

thank you larry,great advice

 

[pcarrell]

Larry is right, Atlas track is quite easy to work with and it's all DCC friendly. Their code 80 track line is virtually bulletproof and the code 55 line is excellent too. The code 55 line does have some flange issues with older equipment, but if you're buying newer locos and don't mind going with low profiles on your rolling stock (looks better anyways) then the code 55 has killer looks.

Peco code 55 track will give you the look of code 55 without the flange issues because it's really their code 80 track buried further in the ties rather then a true code 55 track. Thing is, the ties are spaced to European specs rather then U.S. specs, so it looks a little different. It's very well built and rugged track, but it can be a little hard to find and pricey. The electrofrog turnouts may need to be modified to be DCC friendly, I don't know.

Micro Engineering makes many codes of track (code 80, 70, 55 40, etc.), and their stuff probably looks best, but it's pricy, hard to find, and they only make #6 turnouts that need to be modified to be DCC friendly (They have a new DCC friendly version for HO scale, but not N). They do make bridge flextrack that is the way to go for bridges.

Shinohara / Walthers track is good, but it needs modification to be DCC friendly. I've only seen it in code 80.

For my own layout, I chose Atlas code 55 for all visible track and Atlas code 80 for hidden track. I also went with Micro Engineering code 55 bridge track for my bridges and the bog scene (my prototype used bridge track ties to cross a bog) that I have yet to build.

 

[chimmike]

I am using Atlas code 80 myself. Turnouts are cheaper, and I don't have to retrofit all my old rolling stock for use.

 

[dennismacro]

thanks guy for the great advice.

 

[OldTrail]

i have decide on atals code 55 myself. although i have ALOT of older equiptment that will need retrfiting (i want magnetic knuckle couplers anyway) .

i like the way it looks and the availability of it and i dont think its too costly i havent started laying it yet so as far as install is concerned i cant offer any insight yet, but hopfully soon

Ryan