Santa brought me a MTH M.P. E-6 ABA for Chritsmas but I have 1 problem. My layout track has o27 tubular 27 in curves and I need o31. Time to step up. Anybody have any sugestions, pros & cons of the track they are using. It seems there is a lot to choose from.
Well first: WELCOME to Trainboard!! Glad to see that Santa still delivers trains Boy, as to track...I don't know much and really a lot has to do with personal preference and the needs of you new engine set. Perhaps some of the O Scalers here can help (I am strictly On30 so consequently use HO track). Plenty of folk here will have the right answers for you soon
Hello there, Welcome to TrainBoard.com. I've built layouts in just about every scale out there except Z scale (Blind Scale). Go check out what Atlas has available and do yourself a big favor and get away from the 0-27, 0-31 and spread your wings a little. Atlas has a selection of track and switches that make your trains almost look real as they make the haul. My advise is the same for any scale. Get away from the toy train look and move more toward realisim. Well...as much as possible...considering we are operating "Toy Trains", grin! That reminds me I need to get over to a friends layout and work on his O scale layout. His control panel needs some attention. Have fun!
Plan your track layout a bit, before you buy track. Pick the widest radius you think you can fit in your area. Consider that you can mix radii symetrically, and look at some layouts online. I like my http://www.rrtrack.com/ software. As for the best track, consider your needs. Will it be under the tree, or on a layout that you will ballast? For under the tree MTH realtrax and Lional fasttrack are good, but do have that toy look. Atlas is nicer looking, but you probably need something under it. I too went from tubular O27 to MTH O31 CHristmas 2007. A week before Christmas, our old Lionel had issues. I went out a bought a nice MTH RTR set. It came with REalTrax O31 and some track planning software. I simply redid our exact layout in O31 and bought the pieces I needed. The train was set up without disturbing our Christmas village!!! Sweet!!! Fast forward to the big mistrake. I join ebay and overbuy a stock of realtrax O31. I like the track, in general, but thats not where I'm headed. This CHristmas layout was awesome, BUT. We're really into the CHristmas layout as a family. I was able to redesign the layout for next year using much wider radii. This allows for nicer engines and cars, but I now want to rebuy are those curves and ultimately will spend more than I would have, had I done some planning. I love this forum (so much so that I support it) It rocks in N scale. I have found that there aren't as many o gaugers here and one of them recommended http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x So now I split my time, between the forums and have learned alot. The o is away until Nov and I'm focusing on my n layout. Enjoy yourself and welcome to the forum, I'd love for more content in the O section
I run a combination of track. I use the Lionel Fasttrack that came with the Harry Potter and Thomas train sets. I've added a bit more track as well. My smaller stuff runs good on it. However, to run my larger 3 rail stuff, I set up the Atlas track. I use O-72 and O-81 curves, with 40" straight sections, switches and smaller filler sections as needed. Both work great, for me, for temporary layouts. whether at home, on the floor, or at club show in December. As others have stated, go with as large a curve as space will permit! You'll be MUCH better off in the long run.
