Best Track for Purely Running

I prefer tubular track and Ross switches...one lesson I learned the hard way with a tunnel was SCREW THE TRACK DOWN...occasional shift or derailment may work loose a section or more of track. In addition, have good access.....don't find out the hard way.....

I prefer tubular track as well, the old Lionel style 031 to 072 track works great. Also Gargraves track with Ross switches.

I have used tubular track since the late 1960's with great results.

Fastrack has been a flop for me, too expensive and horrible electrical contact(worse then tubular track) at the track sections.

Lee Fritz

As much as I prefer the appearance of other brands of track, I think tubular is probably the most reliable and requires the least amount of cleaning.

Art

If you are considering strictly performance over the long term, tubular is the correct answer. Heck, it has been around the longest and is still "ticking". Sorry, couldn't resist.

Gargraves flex track. The flex track means less sections of track so less chance of current drop at joints.  GG is smooth and I have not seen much drop but I run wire leads to each section not relying on track pins. I like to set trains running and sit back and watch. GG is perfect for that.....IMHO only!

Have to agree. Gar-graves with Ross switches. I have been using gar-graves since the sixties. Ross switches since the eighties. My present layout is an attic one. I have not cleaned the tracks in four years. I can go up there turn the trains on and watch them run with no problems.....Paul

Ditto AMCDave's recommendation--Gargraves flex[ plus Curtis and Ross turnouts]. 

Hands Down, the best choice would be, Lionel Tube Track. For fewer problems and dependability use the longest single section of track possible.

I am not anti-Lionel......but when I got into O 3R back 1993 I had a number of issues with Lionel tube track. I had a number of sections with a short in the insulation of the center rail......REALLY fun to find Christmas Eve at 2:00 am!!!  The vintage look and style is why I went with the Lionel track.....but I soon switched to MTH and then GG.

With plastic or wood ties you will NEVER get a center rail short with Gargraves!!!

If you go with Lionel check EACH section with your voltmeter for any shorts before you lay it down!!

I think the Atlas track is some of the quietest track for running, if that's important to you, that's one consideration.  I wouldn't use the Atlas switches with it however, I'm totally unimpressed with those!  I think Atlas track and Ross switches would be an ideal combination.

Tubular track.

Tubular Track.

Have large double (crossover) loop of O72 gauge tubular; want to add switches and siding(s) for extra engines at the ready. MTH DCS. Any recommendations re which switches and which adapters might work best. I can come off at any of the curve pieces at one end and return at straight at the other end.

ChoCho/ChooChoo Wally

Anything and everything you ever need on the best switches in the world can be found at www.rossswitches.com

I've got two issues with Lionel's tubular track. The first is that my scale MTH steam engines seem to bounce over the 072 switches. The second is that backing a MTH scale centipede tender through 072 switches quite often results in a derailment even at crawling speeds. 

One comment on tubular switches.  Under no circumstances would I ever use a Lionel switch.  They do what Matt outlined.  I have 86 switches on the layout.  I have a few K-Line and the rest are Ross with O gauge mating pins and the proper shim under them to bring them to the O gauge track height.  In my book, Ross is King when it comes to switches.  A few years ago, Steve started making tubular switches and he was kind enough to present me with his first switch he made.

I Run tubular track with Ross Switches and K Line 096 tubular curves,I have had no problems backing Big Boys,challengers,FEFs and Daylights through the switches.

Mikey

Well, this proves that an question like this gets answers that are all over the map.

Mine is: it probably matters much more how you set it up and install it, than what type of track it is.  Get any good brand of track and install it straight, level,and don't abuse things by, for example, twisting a little more angle of turn than intended out of a junction, etc., and it will probably work spectacularly well. 

They are all good operationally. More form a landscape impact of giving your layout the look you want

Perhaps true, but from a purely running standpoint, the profile of the track is more germane than whether it's hollow or solid.  The difference is that the Atlas track runs quieter.

On my layout I have 36 Lionel and one O-54 Atlas switch. I have had more problems with the one flimsy Atlas switch then with any of the twenty eight O-72 Lionel switches and eight PW O-22's on the layout. 

If it were me I would go with Tubular Track only if its screwed down on a tabletop and Fasrack or Railking with a roadbed if you're planning to run trains on a floor.

And, use as many 40" straights as possible to cut down on power losses.

Joe  

I use tubular track, but I don't really think it is the most trouble free or needs the least cleaning. The connector pins can be subject to corrosion, depending on the humidity where you live. If the inside of the track gets rusty, it's hard to clean, especially curves. When you are laying the track, it is absolutely imperative to check the fit of every single pin and tighten any loose connections with a track pliers. The plating on tubular track undergoes some sort of transformation with the electrical sparks generated by the wheels and rollers, especially on equipment with open-frame motors. (I think this may be a form of "galvanic corrosion," but that may not be the correct term.) The result is a kind of black gunk that is not just common dirt and oil, but something heavier. 

I have some experience with club layouts using Gargraves and Ross track, and it seems to me that those have fewer problems and require less cleaning than tubular. I built my layout with tubular anyway for several reasons:

-- It's a dual-gauge layout, 0 and Standard Gauge, and I wanted a classic look for the Standard Gauge. Using tubular for the 0 gauge kept the look consistent.

-- I have a lot of ETS tinplate, which uses sliders instead of rollers. Square-profile track is very hard on sliders, and ETS parts are expensive and hard to get. The sliders last a lot longer on tubular track.

-- I had a big pile of tubular track to start with, which made the cost picture very favorable toward tubular. 

-- My layout does not get heavy use, and all the track is easily accessible for cleaning.

One thing that helps a lot with tubular track is using long straight sections rather than traditional 10" straight sections. The longer sections eliminate a lot of track joints. 

Thank you all so very much for the many replies and great info!  I did not think this would turn into such a lengthy post but I very much appreciate everyone's enthusiasm!

I was quite surprised about the  answer being tubular rail - I'll be honest I had thought maybe the MTH realtrax would be a contender since it has the interlocking copper connectors at each piece (but not rail joiners).  

I have seen many club, museum and large private layouts with Gargraves track and that got me thinking if that may be the best. After all the restaurant where the most people eat is usually the best right?  

I certainly have  a lot to think about - thanks again for all the great info!

From a novice standpoint, I've done a lot of research and myth debunking in my 2.5 years in this hobby, given the myriad opinions.  (I've now used Lionel tubular, Fastrack and the MTH equivalent and am using Atlas O for the layout we're now building).  My vote is the Fastrack or MTH equivalent. Why?  Simple, the "nickel silver" and "solid rail" arguments are basically marketing hype / schemes.  It's a myth that solid matters. Electricity passes all over the rail, so solid is irrelevant. That's why stranded wire has better connectivity than solid.  In terms of nickel silver - another myth. Yes, it actually has more connectivity than steel, but you'd never notice in the real world.  What you will notice is poor connection points between rails. Both the tracks I recommend have very solid connection points and are very sturdy.  And made from metal that carries electric current just fine. And they're both sturdy if not permanently affixed, easy to assemble and clean.  

Conductivity is not the only reason to use solid rail track.  It runs a lot quieter than tubular and a WHOLE lot quieter than either Fastrack or RealTrax.  I have Fastrack and we use Atlas solid rail on our modular club layout.  I prefer the Atlas track by a significant margin, just wish their switches were as good as the track.  Atlas track with Ross switches would be my choice as long as I'm spending someone else's money.

FWIW, the newer MTH switchable 2-rail/3-rail locomotives don't do well on Fastrack or tubular track due to the shorter flanges.  They run flawlessly on Atlas or Gargraves flat profile track.

I started with Fastrack from two kits I purchased and added manual switches and all good. I recently used RealTrax from a set the make a reserving loop using a RealTrax switch ... switch is great but the rail is not. Hard to put together even though I was given a how to at the hobby shop. Also the rails don't always line up on top since they don't plug into each like Fastrack. Also sometimes the electrical connections do not line up either. It seems like RealTrax was designed around Fastrack patents but I am not pleased. 

I decided to use RealTrax for the reserving loop since the roadbed is narrower than Fastrack and fit the space.

The little I have done with RealTrax I came to the same conclusion, it was not nearly as robust as Fastrack.

FWIW, at 60hz, the frequency we send power down the tracks, skin effect is not a significant factor, negligible would be the word I'd use.   The skin effect for the TMCC or DCS signal is significant, but since there is no power being drawn at those frequencies, it's a non-factor as well.

Hello, just getting started with this forum arena, and yours was the first mesg i saw. i love scaletrax but also use realtrax. yes you have to be extremely careful putting the track together so the contacts underneath work together properly. one thought on the rails aligning, first if they do not line up just right the wheels hit and make a bad clunk sound and if you have a number of these it sounds terrible. so this is what i do. i use an adjustable wrench. a small one will work. the reason is that the opening will stay constant. then i just slip it down over the joint and rock it back and forth alittle and the rails will line up just right. no more clunk. charly

Yes I needed to use a tool to line them up ...

The point is that Fastrack does not have all these shortcomings 

As you can see, the scientists are here to discuss the finer points of metallurgy.  Certainly good points - all.  But contrary to one comment above, the "regular" metal used in Fastrack is basically the same as that used in the Lionel tubular track that lasts a century with no maintenance.  The tubular track from my starter train from 1973 is just fine today and has had zero maintenance.   In terms of conductivity - There is a science to this too.  But as far as conductivity, Lionel tubular conducts electricity just fine.  And has for over 100 years.  keeping it real and on a basic and pragmatic level, for sturdy operation with solid connections, it's hard to beat Fasttrack or MTH equivalent.  

Gunrunnerjohn - yep, I agree.  That's why we're using Atlas O on the layout I'm building with my sons.  He asked for sturdy, low maintenance.  Not quiet or aesthetically pleasing (two reasons I chose Atlas when deciding to build a more permanent layout).  

This is my theory as well, every manufacturer makes a quality track. IMHO, proper installation and wiring makes the difference in performance as Lee says above. I also think track selection is kind of a personal preference choice.

I would also have to go along with the others that favor Atlas nickel-silver solid rail track. That is my personal preference. I looked at every track type available when making my selection a couple years ago.

Personally, I will go one more step and say I also like and like the Atlas switches. I believe there were some problems with early Atlas track (rail joiners) and switches, but those appear to have been resolved in their current offerings, at least with the stuff I have, mostly all new within the last 2 years or so.

I use Gargraves and Ross track and Ross switches.

With that said...If all you are going to do is run on a loop of track (with no switches?) I'd get Atlas.

Atlas is the best looking and it's solid rail.  The down side, it's expensive.

If you're going to use switches, I'd still get Atlas track but use Ross switches.  I prefer Ross track over Gargraves track also, the reason is that the Gargraves track is embedded in the wood ties whereas the Ross track is held down with spikes.  Ross doesn't make flex track I don't believe.

The question was for the best track for purely running,  If cost is no object, my choice would still be the Atlas track and Ross switches.  I never said tubular doesn't work great for most folks, but it does have issues with the newer MTH stuff that's switchable 2-3 rail with the scale sized wheel flanges.  Since I have three of those that I can't run on my Fastrack or tubular track without frequent derailing, tubular track is not the best for me for purely running.

One might argue that it's MTH's fault that they don't run well on that track, but that doesn't alter the fact that they won't.

If you are going to be in a humid basement or attic you might want to consider the Gargraves stainless steel track. It won't rust nearly as easily as regular steel. I would imagine the nickel silver doesn't rust easily either.

I went with Gargraves stainless for my attic layout in a humid attic in SC.

I like the atlas track the trains run well on them and we have had a layout that has been out side for 15 years or so.It is out front of our store all year round. Little cleaning and train runs all day.this track is a good track for running on switches in side use I would use atlas with mods or Ross .