Track selection
- Thread starter JoeG
- Start date
Laidoffsick
3 Railer
only if you lay it right 
no kinks, no abrupt curves, take your time and do it right. less joints than sectional track = less possible problems
no kinks, no abrupt curves, take your time and do it right. less joints than sectional track = less possible problems
Selector
Well-Known Member
Yes, and often no.
Yes if you practise and test your results often. No if you slap down what seems to look good and then attempt to wire it up permanently, hoping it'll all be okay.
There are factors that contribute to success, and all involve ridding yourself of ignorance. For example, will your choice of engines and rolling stock negotiate every inch of your track system as you configure it, forwards and backwards, towing and shoving? Some engines don't do well on curves below about 24", and even then only at a slow yard speed.
Cardinal Rule: The closer you get to stated minimums, and actual minimums that unfortunately do vary from item to item a bit, the greater the probability of indeterminate accidents (which breed unhappiness very quickly in this hobby). If, for example, your engine has a long driver base and the manufacturer states that its minimum operational radius is 22", you can expect to have three or four times the number of accidents that are indeterminate...without an apparent cause...if your curves are at or near 22". Flex or sectional track...don't matter. As you move away from the minimums, and assuming you don't make other typical errors, your indeterminate accidents will drop off to nil. Lastly, you can construct elegant and very prototypical easements into curves that you will not be able to do with sectional track. You can substitute a larger radius section at the commencement of the curve that will act much like an easement, but it won't look as good as the ones generated by flextrack.
All track must be supported evenly and joined properly. All track lengths must have all four rail ends dressed with a metal file to eliminate flange snags. This is critical on minimum curves because your flanges will, perforce, be running very close, or along, the inner face of the rail heads along the curves. Sharp road surfaces or flange faces will be among the indeterminate accident causes I was talking about.
Very specifically, each type of track has its uses and benefits. However, the benefits of flex outweigh those of sectional in the areas of cost and flexibility of curvature and lengths so that you can actually close a convoluted track loop without resorting to a three or four degree kink and hope your trains won't mind.
-Crandell
Yes if you practise and test your results often. No if you slap down what seems to look good and then attempt to wire it up permanently, hoping it'll all be okay.
There are factors that contribute to success, and all involve ridding yourself of ignorance. For example, will your choice of engines and rolling stock negotiate every inch of your track system as you configure it, forwards and backwards, towing and shoving? Some engines don't do well on curves below about 24", and even then only at a slow yard speed.
Cardinal Rule: The closer you get to stated minimums, and actual minimums that unfortunately do vary from item to item a bit, the greater the probability of indeterminate accidents (which breed unhappiness very quickly in this hobby). If, for example, your engine has a long driver base and the manufacturer states that its minimum operational radius is 22", you can expect to have three or four times the number of accidents that are indeterminate...without an apparent cause...if your curves are at or near 22". Flex or sectional track...don't matter. As you move away from the minimums, and assuming you don't make other typical errors, your indeterminate accidents will drop off to nil. Lastly, you can construct elegant and very prototypical easements into curves that you will not be able to do with sectional track. You can substitute a larger radius section at the commencement of the curve that will act much like an easement, but it won't look as good as the ones generated by flextrack.
All track must be supported evenly and joined properly. All track lengths must have all four rail ends dressed with a metal file to eliminate flange snags. This is critical on minimum curves because your flanges will, perforce, be running very close, or along, the inner face of the rail heads along the curves. Sharp road surfaces or flange faces will be among the indeterminate accident causes I was talking about.
Very specifically, each type of track has its uses and benefits. However, the benefits of flex outweigh those of sectional in the areas of cost and flexibility of curvature and lengths so that you can actually close a convoluted track loop without resorting to a three or four degree kink and hope your trains won't mind.
-Crandell
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Yeah, what Crandell said. Flex track has a definite advantage in having few joints but that will be quickly offset if it's not laid correctly. Laying flex track curves is an art an you will have to practice to get smooth curves since it's very easy to get kinks in flex track with even realizing it - until you run a train through it. I suggest you get several lengths of flex track and practice before laying any permanent track on the layout. I've known guys who just couldn't get it when it came to flex track and, for them, sectional track was a better choice. Curve radius is also a critical issue. The more room you have for larger radius curves, the easier it is to use flex track. As you get down to 22" and below radius curves, it's harder to lay a good flowing curve without kinking the track to get it to join up.
Flex track has a definite advantage in having few joints but that will be quickly offset if it's not laid correctly. Laying flex track curves is an art an you will have to practice to get smooth curves since it's very easy to get kinks in flex track with even realizing it - until you run a train through it. I suggest you get several lengths of flex track and practice before laying any permanent track on the layout. I've known guys who just couldn't get it when it came to flex track and, for them, sectional track was a better choice. Curve radius is also a critical issue. The more room you have for larger radius curves, the easier it is to use flex track. As you get down to 22" and below radius curves, it's harder to lay a good flowing curve without kinking the track to get it to join up.dpeterson3
Member
Atlas code 100 flex track is what I use for everything. As they stated, make sure your radii are large enough for the largest engine you plan to run. I have two Northern class engines from Bachman that shot axles because the cures on my layout are too tight. My third one is now relgated to a shelf until I get room to make a bigger layout. If you are worried about not getting the curves right, make a template out of wood or foam board. That way you always get the correct radius. You could also do what I do. I draw out the radius I want using cork roadbed and then glue down the bed. Then, just nail the track on top in the center. The radius is done already so no worries.
Joe, you can about double the radius from N scale to HO scale to get an apples to apples comparison. A 10" radius in N scale is about a 20" inch radius in HO. It's perfectly possible to lay out a good flex track curve in N or HO with this radius but it will take some patience and testing. In terms of motive power, the radius is considered tight in both scales. You can run steam engines up to about a 2-8-0, four wheel truck diesels like F units and Geeps, and freight cars up to 50' feet long. Anything bigger than that is going to give you trouble. If you can just increase the radius by two inches to twelve inches, you'll greatly increase the range of equipment you can run and decrease the problems of indeterminant derailments that Crandell wrote about.
Selector
Well-Known Member
Joe, I believe the equivalent of the generally accepted minimum of 18" in HO for your scale is about 10", and I have no use for radii that tight. They are fine if you are modelling an early short line or a back woods industrial track with Shays and such, but for modern (1957 and later) modelling, you would be better to try hard to get 12-14" curves on your layout.
I think.....others in your scale will know more precisely.
Will_annand
Member
Flex for sure, less joints to worry about.
