About seven years ago , I bought a bunch of flex track from a vendor at a Greenberg Show for a ridiculously low price of less than $1.50 per length (30 inches). Vender said nobody wanted it because it was too stiff and he wanted to get rid of it. So, I bought it. I came across the track this morning while looking for something else. To confirm that it was indeed the same track I tried to bend a piece and it just sprang back to approximately its original shape. Anyway, I looked on the bottom of the ties and saw the words, "Made in Italy". This has to be old track as I don't think anything in the hobby is made in Italy anymore. So, my question is when the last time flex track was made in Italy? I'm thinking it was in the early 1960's. Anyone know for sure? By the way there was no other identification such as manufacturer on the track. The "Made in Italy" was on the bottom of three ties on each piece of flex. I'm thinking this may have been imported by Model Power but not sure.
So, he said it was too stiff when it is the type that returns to being straight if you release it? That is the more flexible type. The stiff stuff kept the curve to which you curved it. Atlas' original flex track was the stiff type in 1967 -68 but it wasn't long before they switched to the more flexible track. Normally, the Atlas imprint would be on the track if they sold it. This track was almost certainly made by Casadio if from Italy and they did make the specialty pieces like switches, rerailers, etc. for Atlas. Once again, however. Atlas' name was always on the bottom. There were many importers, in the early days, so it could have been from more than one but it was Casadio track. That company was about the only company, early on, to make N scale track. Not the early sixties. Mid to late. The only company that made 9mm flex track in the early sixties was Peco. Maybe Arnold. Atlas Flex track was originally 69 cents for a 30" length. Doug
I'm thinking AHC a synonym for Rivarossi. They put out some flex track that was extremely hard to work with. I have some early Peco flex track that will never find it's way on the layout because it's so stiff and hard to work with. It might get used for an industrial straight siding. That would be about all I can think of.
I just use the Atlas stiff stuff for straight yard tracks because, when you curve it, the gauge narrows and it is already borderline to start with. It does work well for the straight yard track purpose, however. Doug
AHM (not AHC) offered flex track that I believe was made in Italy. That's certainly true for track in Horribly Oversized. My father wasn't very pleased with it in 1:87 proportion either... so I never got any for N Scale.
Yes, AHM, and they were associated with Rivarossi in HO scale but not N scale. They sold Lima, at first and then some RoCo? They did have N scale track from Casadio. I bought three of their layout expansion sets that included two switches and some track. The track was just like Atlas' original track except the rail is aluminum instead of nickel silver. It actually worked fine, however, and I still have a bit of it used in a yard. Doug
There's still a hobby shop in NZ selling something very similar, it's made in Italy and over here it's always been known under the Garnet brand. Very stiff, very cheap. It's not as good as Atlas or Peco qualitywise but does fit a budget better. I just threw some lengths out that I didn't use.
What I learned to do with Atlas flex track, is to make sure the rail that slides or the side where the ties aren't connected to each other, is always on the outside of the curve. The opposite of what many of my fellow hobbyist prefer to do. My present layout was built that way. Your right, otherwise it will narrow. NMRA's gauge check shows it's right on. So far so good.
Yeah, they varied the tie structure too. Some of what I have is like what you are talking about where all the ties on one side are connected but on the other side, two ties are connected and there's a gap - two ties connected - gap - and so on. Other that I have has the two ties connected - gap thing on both sides and it's staggered so the gap on one side is across from where two ties are connected on the other side. The latter style worked "better" for curving. Doug
You mean something like this...? I believe that's a Woolworth's "Special" price sticker at the top left, by the way. They carried a LOT of AHM in both Normal and Horribly Oversized...
Wow! That's the exact set and Woolworth's is where I got them. Sticker says $5.97? Sounds about right. I had forgotten those switch controllers came with the set and I still have and use those, too. And note how nowhere on the package does it say "Nickel Silver"! Wherever did you find that picture? I think my FP45 was about 2 bucks and they had some left over MRC stuff, too. I got a B&O RSD-15 for about 5 bucks. Doug
There was a #2 track set, too, which had two switches and just curved track. It was a bit cheaper, maybe 40 cents, or so, For the extra few cents, I opted for the larger set. I mean, who wouldn't want more straight track? Doug
It was this kind of track set, as illustrated above. I tended and deliberately steered away from. I didn't like sectional track and was looking for something I could use to mold my own curves and do it without all those frustrating rail joiners. Truth is I never actually got away from the rail joiners but i did manage to get away from the small sectional pieces and into a much more realistic style of track laying. Furthermore I wanted wider curves. Pushing my N scale layouts out to 15" radius curves. Not satisfied I pushed out again to 24" radius curves. Now we are talking. It took a while. Now watch what I'm going back to. What with my vision being a problem I'm finding the new sectional track of Kato's Unitrack, to be the answer. You know, for now. We will see how far this takes me. Later.
