New MTH S-Trax Question

Haven't seen any of the track yet, but I don't imagine Mike would go through the expense of retooling for a different code rail.

Rusty

Mike MTH S-Trax should match up with the old S-Helper track. 

      S-Helper Service Track                       MTH S-TRAX                                     

      (uncouppling section)                    (uncouppling section) 

As you can see they will match up just fine. They use the same locking stabs, rail, and of course same plastic roadbed.   

Rusty,

I hope you are right, but for the moment MTH says different.  If they would not have listed the rail height in their online catalog I wouldn't be  asking the question.  Online, MTH clearly states that it's code 125 rail and in an old post comparing SHS to Fastrack you measured the SHS rail height at code 133.  I would compare the two myself, but I only ordered the flex track which is not due until July the earliest.  In all likelihood you would think the track and rail height should match the old SHS so I'm hoping MTH just used the wrong number in the catalog.  Until someone actually compares the two, I don't want to make any assumptions.

Tim,

There's no doubt that all the plastic looks identical and should match up fine.  My question was about the rail height which is not evident in the pictures.

Thanks, Mike

Mike the rail code will be the same rail code that S-Helper used. 

Tim,

Thank you for your responses.  That makes a lot of sense and that's what I was predicting until I saw the MTH catalog where it listed a smaller number than SHS for the rail height.

I'm really not trying to make a big deal out of this.  Based on the nice job MTH did with the boxcars they released earlier, I'm pretty confident that the track will be just as nice.  As I said earlier, the number in the catalog is likely not correct, but right now, it's all I have to go on.  I was just hoping that when someone who ordered the track gets their order, they could confirm that it does match the old SHS in rail size.

Thanks, Mike

Your welcome Mike. I enjoy helping fellow S-Gaugers out. If I can get my hands on some of the MTH S-TRAX I will post to show you guys that the rail is the same.

OK...

Nuthin' fancy here, this is a quickie shot..  MTH S-Trax on the left,  SHS S-Trax on the right.

Perfect match as far as rail is concerned.  The MTH molded ballast is a little lighter, maybe a little less gray and more brown, but that's it.  There were color variations with SHS, also.

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

Thanks for the photo.  It appears that the rail height is the same as what SHS used and not the smaller code 125 that MTH had listed in the catalog.  I can't wait to get my flex track to see how it looks.

Mike