Code 55 may have destroyed my interest in N-scale forever

It’s just not fun anymore and I’m so sick of fooling with it. I guess it’s OK if I’m not running trains on it, but I also have a lot of money tied up in trains that need a place to run. About half the locos and cars I have never have been run before and truthfully I haven’t done anything at all for a couple of years.
My problem now is that I spent so much money and time on it that I just can’t set it out with the trash. At least with Unitrack I could unsnap it and sell it on eBay without too much of a loss. I don’t know how much I’d get for approx 50 Atlas C55 turnouts and the flex track is probably worthless.
So now instead of a fun hobby, I have a huge burden and regret every time I go into the room of how much money I spent on this. If I could just wright it off in my head and remove it from my house forever, I might try another layout with Unitrack. I keep telling myself that I’ll have more time to deal with it next year when I retire, but it just depresses me more and more every time I think about it.

 

To bad. I never used Atlas track. I used code 55 by Micro Engineering. Never had any problem.
Sell all your N Scale and build a small On30 layout. Cost about the same. Not much chance of accumulating to much stuff. Lots of fun to build and operate. If you really want to go to the dark side, do battery power and radio control.

 

I was just looking at Craigslist to see if anybody was having any luck selling them but only found a couple of O-Scale trains not worth listing. I have 6 Lionel O-scale trains, but don’t have room to keep them up all the time.

I also have two more N-scale layouts one code 80 that needs some repair and a Unitrack layout that I may actually start using after making some modifications.

Atlas Code 80 Layout


Kato Unitrack layout


And my Atlas Code 55 layout

 

Sorry to hear about your issues with ordinary section track and flextrack. It takes a lot more time and meticulous care to get that track to run flawlessly. It is why I'm NOT using that kind of track for running trains. Even though model railroaders have to take some care even with the track-in-roadbed systems (Unitrack, Tru-Trak, EZtrack etc)... the likelihood of success seems to be much greater than with other more labor intensive methods.

I got hooked on Unitrack because of the same issues you are having. Several other members of the club I used to belong to also adopted Unitrack as their preferred method because their entire interest in the hobby was to run trains without hassles.

Before giving up on N scale... try one of the track-in-roadbed systems with the funds you may recover from the Code 55 experiment you had. As you mentioned... if that doesn't work for you... Unitrack is pretty easy to re-sell.

PS> I just noticed our posts criss-crossed and you have a Unitrack layout. How is that layout running?

 

The only issue I have with my Unitrack is that the I can't get all my trains on it otherwise I love it.

 

What all is making it frustrating? Laying it? Keeping it clean? Keeping it kink free?

 

Sleeper06:

I remember when you built your Unitrack layout, you enjoyed running trains. I suggest you go back to Unitrack and have fun again.


Shades

 

I'd bet you would be able to sell every Atlas 55 turnout you've got, as long as you can pull 'em off undamaged. Brand-new #5's are going for about $12.80 more or less online right now. You could sell yours like hotcakes for ten bucks each on the Bay without any problem.

I'd sell 'em in 6 packs to help out your buyers with the shipping cost.

That'd be (conservatively) $500 since #7's and Wye's would sell for more than ten bucks each. Plan on 10 percent in fees to the Bay.

Looks like you may have several areas on your layout that have flex pieces that are full length. Those would also be easy to sell. Pieces that are between full length and 2/3rds length will also be easy to sell. I am also sure you could find a buyer for the shorter pieces too that are more than 1' long. Put the pieces/parts up for bids on a week's auction and you'll sell that too.

Gotta make sure you take good photos and offer a full and complete description for what you sell on the Bay.

If you're unfamiliar with how you use the Bay, I am gonna bet that there are TB members who might buy your turnouts and track...saving you the fees.

Looks like a reasonable amount you'll get for your track would be at least $650...maybe more. That'd buy a significant amount of Unitrack to help you with your new Unitrack layout and get you back into enjoying the aspects of the hobby you like.

As for myself, I never used Atlas 55. I use Micro Engineering Code 55 and 40 and build my own turnouts. I never had any problems (whatever yours may be). Also, my portable layout fills a 27' X 11' room and I can't even start to put every engine and car I have on it. The ones I'm not running stay on the shelves in my workshop until it's time to run 'em. I never perceived this as a problem.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

 

As to me. i m building my layout based on Atlas C55 track. But i do not have any big problems. Yes, original turnouts must be repaired (wings sharpened, prominent ends removed, wings joined, backlash adjusted...) . But the same problems also have turnouts from other suppliers! Peco for example! It's usual situation!

I m gluing my track using epoxy. If i wish to modify tracks, i remove all without any recovery. Atlas turnouts are not so expensive. It's not a problem. Deleted rails i use at tunnel catenary.

But now i cannot find out Atlas C55 #7 turnouts at stores.

What do You know, where to get it?

-------
Vadim.

 

Sorry to hear about your problems..Me,since I went to Micro Engineering track,my railroading experience has become much more enjoyable,the reliability of locomotives running on powered frogs is so much better than the Atlas C80 turnouts I used to use with the dead frogs..[Aptly described...]
I've actually started a whole new "thing",I'm going out of my way looking for the small stuff I avoided before..I love watching something like a Bachmann Dockside crawl around my railroad with no problems,I'm even working on a logging railroad....I wouldn't,however,recommend ME track to anyone who doesn't like doing trackwork in the first place,it's not for the uninitiated..

 

Hey Johnny....

I remember way back when you where designing that layout. I remember thinking..."Thats a lotta track and a lotta switches in a small space...hope it all works ok." I also remember when I built my my first 'dream' layout. It however was C80. I found out pretty quick...some of us are just gonna have problems no matter what we try. I even thought about burning THE Trailer to the ground I was so upset with track problems !!! When my new layout dream started to take shape...I decided on Unitrack. I havent looked back. I have been running trains with hardly a track problem one for over 2 years now !!!

Take it from a fellow modeler who couldnt/cant lay a piece of flextrack straight or get a turnout to work right if his life depended on it....GO WITH THE UNITRACK ! I figure you can even possibly reuse a lot of those electronics even with Unitrack.

As someone has already said...take all that C55 off the benchwork and sell it. Recoup some of that $$$. If you arent a feebayer...list it here on TB's swapmeet forum.

We Unitrackers are a fun bunch...and some guys have done some awesome stuff with Unitrack.

Dont give up...give in to your inner Unitrack feelings...lol

As far as getting ALL your trains on a layout at once...dont try to design a layout with that in mind...unless you wanna mess with multiple layers and helixs... <<<Shudder>>>. It's not that hard to take locomotives off a layout and put different ones on it.
Slight inconvenience...but nothing insurmountable..

 

You Aught to switch to Fasttracks, and build your own turnouts.



These were my first attempt

 

I find unitrack to be very reliable. I do wish it looked more prototypical, but to some degree the unitrack can be gussied up to look better (to a point).

I'm also taking a very hard look at Atlas True track.

Jeff C

 

I'm not sure whether you come here just to vent, or to seek help. If it's the latter then please tell us what problems you are having.

On my layout I've used Peco, ME and Atlas C55 track, and the Atlas track is my favourite by a country mile. Yes, Atlas turnouts need a bit of work to ensure reliable operation, but that only takes a few minutes per turnout. They are so cheap compared to ME and Peco turnouts that the extra effort is trivial.

I've looked at your track-plan and I can't say I'm a big fan of it. However, I would be interested to see the circuit you've used for your "homemade interface board" that controls your servos.

Regards,
Ron

 

Wow Ok there is a lot of responses, but unfortunately I woke up late and have to rush off to work, but I’ll get back to this when I get home.
All the code 55 is finished but I’m having troubles with expansion and the turnouts breaking. Out of the 48 turnouts I’ve had to replace 4 with in the first two years. I actually built the Unitrack as an extension to the code 55 so I could run longer trains but that didn’t quite work as planned.
I have to run now or I’ll be late for work.

 

I do not have time to buildt 100 turnouts by myself. I prefere to use ready ones.

 

Over the years, I can remember more than one veteran model railroader's telling me "if the track and flanges were to exact scale, our trains would not stay on the track". When the code 55 and lighter rails became available, I recalled that advice and stuck with the code 80. I figured that if ever I were to build a diorama, I would go with a lighter code, as a diorama focuses more on the modelling and less on the running or operating. A theme for any diorama that I might build would likely be nineteenth century or a backwoods/mountain short line, anyhow, so the track would need to be a lighter type.

I use diverse types of track on my pike: Atlas flex, Atlas sectional, Bachmann E-Z TRAK, Kato UNITRAK. My turnouts come from all of the above manufacturers with the addition of PECO. I have learned the strenghts and weaknesses of all of the above and use each piece where it both fits and performs best. I adjust my operations to avoid problems caused by the weaknesses of specific pieces. Further, I am not averse to taking out pieces and sections that perform poorly and replacing them with something else.

I ran one section of the layout as pretty much a Plywood and Pacific until I was certain that I had addressed all of the problems. This involved things such as replacing UNITRAK #4s with #6s, in some places.. There were consequences to that: adding an extension to one end of the pike and altering some other track. In the end, the missing derailments made it worth the effort. I have just begun to add scenery to make it the Short Creek and Nopedale as opposed to the Plywood and Pacific. Recently, I finished laying track on the other section. It will progress more quickly out of the Plywood and Pacific phase as it is simply a double track roundy-round with a few turnouts. Still, problems have surfaced and the necessity of replacing certain sections/pieces with something else has already made itself apparent. To be sure, a consequence will be adjustment of some other track, but in the end, I will not miss the derailments.

As should be obvious from what I mentioned earlier, most of the track that I am using has a reputation for quality. To be sure, even the track with the better reputation has its flaws, but it is possible to make adjustments and operate the equipment that you want.

The B-mann track does not have the best reputation, but, truly, the curved and straight pieces are, for the most part, fine. Every once in a while, you will find a malformed section, but that is why I buy a little bit more than I need. This way, I can complete the pike, send back the malformed sections to Bachpersonn, which they have no problem replacing.

Weaknesses in track sections seem to appear more in turnouts than anywhere else. I have some locomotives that will pick points and frogs on Atlas, Kato or B-mann turnouts. Filing and altering does not always solve the problem. Swapping out one brand for another has usually worked. When I use it in certain places, some of the problem track becomes suddenly no problem. In other cases, modifying operations on the problem track eliminates the problems. Below are two illustrations.

Coming off a curve into a turnout is supposed to be a no-no, especially at speed. Sadly, many of us do not always have space to repsect that. At any rate, the aforementioned prohibition goes double for UNITRAK #4s. Replacing the #4s with #6s solved the problem. I still have two UNITRAK #4s that come offf curves, but I run only certain equipment over the diverging at slow speeds, so they cause no problem. The two places where I operate on the diverging at speed have #6s, which are fine.

B-mann #4s (they appear sharper than that) have a reputation for causing derailments on the diverging. I have two of them, but I operate only RS configured or switcher diesels over them. I do operate steam over them, as well, but nothing larger than a 2-8-2. Further, I go on the diverging only at slow speeds. Pushing more than four cars with truck mounted couplers on the diverging does cause derailments on them, so I push no more than that. This is not a big deal, as rarely do any of the businesses on those spurs receive four cars at a time. In addition, pushing long cuts of cars with truck mounted couplers on curves, even, can cause derailments. One of the modelling magazines did an essay on the cause of this.

In your case, I would go back to the code 80, or UNITRAK. If it looks pretty, but won't run, it ain't no fun.