Plastic tie (MTH) vs wood tie (Gargraves/RCS)

I haven't used Scaletrax but I got some as a flatcar load and it struck me as very fragile. Several little bits at the ends were broken off right out of the box, despite being in the original factory packing. My club uses Gargraves and Ross track and it has been excellent. I'd take a look at the Ross; there's a huge variety of curves and Steve Ross is the kind of guy who doesn't let anything out with his name on it unless it's the best. His switches in particular are superlative, with some design improvements over Gargraves. 

I've found the Scale Trax to be a real pain to connect sections and like you, found some of the end electrical connection parts, out of the box, had to be bent back into position. The daughter tried to connect several sections and, with my help and despite lining them up carefully, we still struggled getting them to connect. I know there's prolly a trick and practice but...The wood ties and "spiked" rail has such an organic and railroady aura about it, and I have a tendency to lean toward craftsman-type made-local products. Thanks guys.

While I like the low profile of Scaletrax as well the solid rails that it and Atlas track have, and notwithstanding all the compromises we make with 3-rail track systems, the real wood ties of Ross (which also has spikes) and Gargraves capture that "railroad" like effect much better than the systems with plastic ties. 

 

I also appreciate that Ross and Gargraves are made in USA; there's still something fundamentally good about that.

I much prefer plastic ties.  they look just as good when done, I think.  But when gluing in the ballast the glue mixture I use sticks harder to wood.  Inevitably a few pieces of loose ballast with glue on them stray onto the ties during the process and on wood they tend to really adhere quickly and are difficult to take off unless you get them right then - a distraction at the time.  On plastic I just leave them for later and they are easy to pop off by just running a finger or small wood piece down the track. 

I'm at the same place that you are Pat. I am currently running Fastrack but I'm going to have to tear my layout down because we are moving to NJ early next year. After we move, I plan on doing a much larger layout than I have now as our next abode will be chosen on basement size and shape . I too have narrowed my choices down to Scaletrax and Gargraves/RCS. I really like the low rail and tie height of Scaletrax and how great locomotives look running on it. The downside for me are the Scaletrax switches. I like doing switching and operations so my layout will have lots of them and reliable, hassle free operation is paramount for me. I don't have a real good comfort level with Scaletrax switches and MTH's selection of switches is kind of sparse compared to RCS. RCS on the other hand is tops in reliability and in the ease of operation department. I'm fortunate because my LHS (Ready To Roll Trains) is an MTH Megastore and they also sell Gargraves and RCS. They have both Scaletrax and Gargraves with wooden ties side by side on the same store layout. I must admit, that to me, when both are ballasted there isn't all that much difference between them visually and I really do like the look of the wooden ties versus plastic. I just wish that Gargrave's ties were a little more narrow and not quite so thick. But, be that as it may, I'll probably end up going with the Gargraves/RCS combination and use Atlas under table switch machines. Good luck with your decision!

I think JohnS has nailed it:  Use the MTH only if you like the look better.  Many members have expressed displeasure with ScaleTrax' performance.  I love the idea of real wood, the tie color is just right, and GarGraves is the least expensive, as well.

We of this hobby are blessed to have so many choices of track, for sure.

 

Our (wife+moi) choice was Gargraves track, Ross turnouts.  And everytime I (LHS Trains Mgr) call either of them  they are friendly and grateful to the bone.  They're both just great folks deserving of our continued support. 

 

Oh yes, they make pretty good products, too! 

 

Nonetheless, our customers have their favorites in which they're invested.  And they're each pleased with their choice for their own reasons. 

 

And that keeps this hobby going....and Mother Earth on its axis.

 

KD

I really have not heard anything good about scaletrax,theres been a post about it here and there and its usually negative,that being said at the club i belong to we use Ross turnouts and Gargraves Phantom Track,the phantom line has the center rail blackened.

My newest layout is using Gargraves Flex track with Ross Custom Switches. Ross has a very wide selection of turnout sizes to choose from and that gives you great flexibility in your track planning. The Ross product is also high quality and performs well. When you ballast and weather this track, you will be impressed with the nice look you can achieve.

Having installed most all three rail track I must admit that, all issues considered, GG & Ross are winners for a variety of reasons.

 

www.tomthorpecurvedbenchwork.com

If I were to rebuild my layout today I would use all Ross products.

 

I now run Atlas track with Ross switches, which by the way, looks and runs very well, but you do have the plastic ties.

 

I originally had all Atlas track but had to remove all there switches due to problems with connectivity, poor switch machines and dead spots........................................

 

I wish we could get Steve to make Ross track and switches on scale ties with ScaleTrax rail.  That would be my ideal 3 rail track system!

 

One of the great features of the ScaleTrax system is that the ties are scale in all three dimensions.  That makes it compatible with scale wood ties for specialty track work as well as many of the tools and other track products used by 2 rail modelers.  If you are seriously into creating a branch line feel and consider track a part of your modeling there is nothing better in 3 rail than Scaletrax.

 

Here is an Atlas bridge that my brother Dave redecked with scale wood ties and ScaleTrax rail.

 

 

This is a ScaleTrax mainline and switch transitioning to code 148 rail hand laid on scale wood ties.  The center rail on the code 148 siding also serves as the running rail for On30 making this functional dual gauge track.

 

 

This has been a great exchange (and I did a Search through the Forum archives), got me really thinking about the options, my core desires and I've re, re re-read a few books re O scale track choices and (more) Realistic Hi Rail layout building. Like my other lifetime hobby amateur astronomy (big telescope in my own observatory) everything is compromise and getting in touch with the real me.

 

I have decided to go with the Gargraves Flex/Ross switches and sectional track systems. My decision is based on:

 

- After years of unproductive frustration in smaller scales I want to have fun, Keep It Simple Stupid for my back bedroom retirement bucket-list smallish layout;

- Don't want to get bitten again by the perfectionist "scale bug" (but it DOES look great) that hampered me for too many years...in fact I'm running like **** from this   ;

- Don't need a system with a steeper learning curve; I want more straightforward from the start;

- I want simple operations and manual hands-on turnouts (i.e. Caboose Industries throws)...I love this from Ross

- Railroads = steel rails spiked on wood ties and the GG/Ross track samples I first saw in the LHS had that WOW "hit me with a hammer" reaction...very railroady

- I've never been one that leans toward latest-and-greatest; I'm very old school, "classic" minded and place more in value and bang-for-the-buck

- I'm a whiz at scenery and confident I can make my stuff look as superb as the ScaleTrax in the Black Diamond Railroad DVDs I own

- Craftsman made (vs mass produced) in the USA has a special attraction to support the local business. Same with my telescope...research, experience with other products and introspection led me to a "classic' (even old-time) straightforward but renowned, high quality design hand-made my a specialist Master Optician in his small shop (one of the last remaining in N. America) in nearby Pennsylvania. The relationships, friendships and benefits from this decision have been too numerous to count, and my pathway to determine the system to achieve it bear remarkable parallels.

 

Thanks everyone. During Hurricane Sandy we're moving furniture out of the back bedroom to make room for benchwork; I'll post updates as this project develops.

 

Pat Kelly

 

My entire layout is Gargraves Flextrack with wood ties.  I like the look and that I can make custom curves.  When ballasted the track or ties do not look oversized.

.....

Dennis

Late to the party on this thread, but searched it out because I am building a basement layout. My old layout I had was a yard, and I  used only ROSS track and switches. I like the look of ROss track better than gargraves because each tie is 'spiked' to the rails. I was on the fence about ordering more Ross track (which I need for my new plans)  or scrapping what I have and going with new, either MTH scaletrax or Atlas. 

 

THe real wood ties won me over again, and the finer look of Ross beats Gargraves track IMHO. It's those spikes that do it. Steve Ross picks up the phone and sends you your stuff PRONTO. And it's always just what you ordered. Heck, I ordered track last Friday and it was at my door on Monday. Service indeed.  Yes, the tie size is larger, but ,after ballasting and painting, to me on the whole it looks and 'feels' better than plastic. 

 

Sometimes even Scale modeling is more than measuring the size of things.

My layout is all Ross track (except the Gargraves # 108 uncoupler/unloader sections).  These photos might give you a few ideas as to how the Ross track looks.

 

This photo shows a piece of Ross track nested in a piece of Ross roadbed which gives you a nice beveled foundation for ballasting.  (I spraypainted the Roadbed with Krylon's American Accents "Stone" textured spraypaint to eliminate the roadbed's natural yellow foam color.)

 

 

Here's a curve on the far back side of my layout where you can really see the track details.  The track sits in the Ross road bed and then I ballasted on top of it.  I think this is the sort of look you're trying to obtain.

 

 

The other thing to consider is trackwork reliability.  I've only had two derailments, if you can even call them that in six years.  In both cases, a car with a shoe on the truck split the switch (same switch in both instances).  I think that says something about the quality of the Ross track.

 

One other point if you use Ross track and their roadbed.  The ties counter-sink about half their height into the road bed.

 

I've used Realtrax for years even though I was never all that fond of it. It came in a set years ago and, well, that's just what I knew and added on to it over time. While I'm not a rivet counter (been known to use a Dept 56 building or two [shock...gasp]), I do really like the flexibility, reported reliability and finally, the aesthetics of Ross. I recently tore down my layout of 12 years or so and will soon begin the transformation entirely to Ross track and turn-outs with just the occasional piece of Gargraves where flex is needed. Like others, I have been on a quest for track knowledge for months. And I just can't seem to come up with any better solution. In fact, there are many good options. I just finally had to make a decision.

hello guys and gals.........

 

Can Ross sectional track be use on the floor carpet layouts if not what can be done ?  I have a sunset 3rd rail Texan locomotive and needs larger curves than 0-72 as I was thinking of Ross 0-112 or 0-120 curves sectional track.

 

the woman who loves the S.F.5011,623

Tiffany

Pat,

 

I've built/rebuilt my layout 5-6 times over the past 13-15 years and have always used RCS and GG track and switches.

 

Here's a photo of one of the old layouts showing how their track looks with Woodland Scenics ballast:

 

 

As much as I hate to ballast, it does hide the thickness of the wooden ties.

 

Here's an old photo of my current layout:

 

 

The track behind the caboose is sitting on 3/8" thick rubber anti-fatigue matting, the track in the foreground has True-Scene Modeling Fibre applied where the NW2 sits, but behind it I haven't applied anything yet.

 

The Modeling Fibre (I think Bill calls it Fusion Fiber now) is really easy to put down, I even put some down BETWEEN the ties AFTER the track was laid.  Not recommended procedure but I wanted to see if I could do it.

 

I'm presently working on the scenery and hope to replace those nasty looking trees with something more realistic, but I think you can get an idea of what the GG and RCS track look like once down.

 

I've reused that track in the 1st photo on my present layout, just knock the mess off you don't want to carry over.  I used some brown paint pens to paint the side of the rails.

If he does, I'll be buying several from him.

 I'm looking to achieve that narrow gauge back woods atmosphere a la Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette.

 

Are there any pros/cons between these two highly rated product lines that would be better for my application?

 

 

Just a thought here Pat based on what you sad in your original post about wanting a narrow gauge look.  Scaletrax is really nice track and with the slightly overspaced ties (a major complaint among some) it might really capture the look you're after.

 

We used it on a reasonably large home layout and were most pleased with the experience. The track is certainly not 'fragile' in the slightest and the low profile rail is hard to beat for realism in our 1:48 th scale. It generally makes your locomotives and equipment appear more massive whereas GG in particular is huge and much too big for a smaller O scale train in particular.

 

Something to think about...