Atlas anyone ?

Scott, some of us have self-control, right Mark?

I'm with Mark on limiting my expenditures. Not being a railroader, I have no desire for a "collection". I won't say never, but I have no intention of buying any more rolling stock than will fit on my tracks and I'm only buying 4-5 engines. My goal is 4, but I'm leaving the door open for a 5th because I plan to run my Christmas train only during the holidays and that is the only concession I'll give to not running whatever I buy. My "storage" yard will only be 6 tracks, 1 for each train and 1 for extra cars. I guess I'm after a toy train experience as opposed to a model railroad.

Scott,

I was expecting a response like yours.  It didn't take long. 

If our older daughter ever moves out, and takes everything with her , I may have room to squirrel things away like you.  We had to downsize before the nest was empty, and it is amazing all the stuff an artist (daughter) can accumulate.  She sounds like a lot of us, better not throw it away, I may find a use for it someday.

thanks for the comments guys.

I've got two loops of Atlas on my layout, a 4x8. All basically brand new track purchased new this Fall. Pretty basic layout. From day 1 the stuff has been "temperamental". I'll be running fine on one loop for a while, then just have a section go dead. Command Control signals are spotty, etc. Wiring, etc is all "A-OK". Switches are junk and I've found Atlas customer service and support to be pretty lacking. I wouldn't use it again and look for every possible excuse to tear it out and throw it out nor would I purchase any Atlas products again. 

Never have I had so many issues with track. Even MTH's Realtrax, arguably one of the more "difficult" track systems, has generally worked well for me. 

     I have had Atlas O track for about 10 years now. I have NEVER had "dead spots" nor has it ever been "temperamental." When I installed it, I placed one track at a time and ran an engine each time I had installed a few pieces to make sure I had installed it correctly.

     The two switches I use have never given me a problem either.

     Atlas O reminds me a great deal of the Lionel Super O track that I had back in 1957!

     Any brand of track is nothing more than a conductor of electricity*. Installed properly and connected correctly, it should be trouble free. I cannot imagine a "dead spot" in a length of nickel silver, which is a better than average conductor of electricity!

    I was first attracted to Atlas O by a layout in my LHS. With Atlas track ballasted, I had never before seen more realistic O Gauge model train track. Ties appeared to be the correct size and length and had the correct spacing. The rails were solid and "T" shaped. And, unlike other track, it was not a matter of silver rail on black ties. it was duller, more realistic nickel silver rails on brown ties!

   In the case of this LHS, some slight dust had collected in the "grain" of the ties, adding to the realism.

     Overall, I have been very pleased with Atlas track!

John Knapp

Erie, not Eerie

*Assuming it is gauged properly, etc.

I've been using Atlas"O" track since its introduction in the late '90s. Once they released the dimpled rail joiners early in its gestation period, all electrical issues disappeared. I do run power jumpers to all rails on all ends of the turnouts and don't have issues with the turnouts.

I have just salvaged my track and installed it on their third layout installation and re-ballasted it. I use Brummy's rubber ballast glued with matte medium and it makes a very quiet running layout and I'm not experiencing any conductivity or pickup issues. I do remove the center rail blackening from the top of the rail.

The only turnout issue I've had was artfully grinding some center rail clearance on my 7.5 degree high-speed turnouts to eliminate momentary shorts caused by various rolling stock trucks with likely dubious "gauge" issues. None of my Atlas"O" rolling stock has ever caused these shorts-I do believe Atlas"O" does pay more attention to proper wheel gauge than other manufacturers.

Attached pix is just after my latest re-ballast and it is running well.