Preferred Make of O Gauge Track

I am a big fan of atlas track and switches.  The nice thing is that you can also use Ross switches as they mate with atlas.  I think gargraves ties are too large for my eye.

I recommend Gargraves track and Ross switches.

Michael, it really depends on what YOU like and what 'effect' you are hoping to achieve. Fastrack is a very good system in many ways for most traditional layouts in a modern setting.

For an overall more realistic appearance with cost and ease of working with it, Gargraves track and Ross switches will probably garner the most votes here.

As mentioned above, the ties are too large to appear 'scale-like' and Atlas or ScaleTrax are better choices here although Atlas (like Gargraves) has rails that are too large for a good appearance with scale O gauge equipment. ScaleTrax has lower profile rails but the tie spacing is too far apart for mainline trackage so it's sort of a toss-up and personal preference for the 'best' and most realistic 3 rail track. 

Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages. All are good systems however.

 The San Diego 3-Railers have used atlas track since construction in 2003. We have a majority of Atlas switches buth yave some Ross Custom Switches with Atlas switch machines

I have been using Gargraves with Ross switches for years and years. One reason is real wood ties and and any curves you will need. Don

I second the Gargraves track and Ross switches.  Price, performance and looks all add up to the perfect blend for Hi-Rail layouts.

My layouts (one is 18 years old) use Atlas O track and switches in sizes from O-36 to O-72. I think Atlas has the most realistic appearance of any O gauge track. An important advantage is the solid nickel-silver rails with flat top and realistic cross section instead of the types with hollow tubular rail. The important thing is to do a good job of laying the track. Level - no kinks - no abrupt transitions between sections.

MELGAR

I absolutely love the look that Atlas track provides and their system allows for 4.5 inch spacing based on their curve selection.  The downside is the cost when you put it up against Ross.  The other downside is if you can find a supplier with a decent price, they never seem to have the more popular sections in stock.  I have had an order in with a supplier since March and am still waiting for all the pieces to come in so they can ship it complete and I don't pay multiple shipping charges.

Atlas O the way to GO!

I'm old school. When I had my layout, I used Lionel tubular track with Johnson's rubber roadbed. I loved it. 

Hi Michael,

I’m in the Atlas camp as well. Very happy with the way it came out. Glad to hear you’re building a permanent layout. Please post pics when you can. Best of luck. Will it be Long Island themed?

Andy

Well, this question comes up periodically, and my thinking still is, nobody makes it....Scaletrak (nontubular) rails on scale wooden ties, with simple, not proprietary (universal), connection.

 All the track mentioned is great track but I use Lionel superO track made in the late 50's till the late 60's. The best  looking track IMO.

The downside is the radius of 036 and the switches. There are a couple of places that can stretch the radius of the track to almost any size. The modeler could do it himself if you wanted. 

The switches are another issue, both powered and non-powered are O36 and the powered and non powered were not the best in quality.. 

I would use Ross switches plus they match up pretty well with super0. 

There is a super0 forum, just google it for allot of great info on buying, selling and using  super0. 

Dave 

 Depends on the look and detail you want.

Gargraves manual switches, MTH Scale Trax and Atlas O 2 rail flex is what I would like to use for street running. No need for power toward the end of sidings.

MTH Scale Trax  have the most narrow center rail out there and the I rails -ties look the best IMO.  

jim sutter posted:

I'm old school. When I had my layout, I used Lionel tubular track with Johnson's rubber roadbed. I loved it. 

I also prefer Traditional Lionel O Gauge tubular track and independently powered 022 switches . Opting for it is to be a Contrarian  and the advantage of that is that it can be bought used for a low price because many hobbyists are unloading it to get the modern track and switches. Other benefits are that nothing works better with Magnetraction; it is very easy to install, and the switches are easy and inexpensive to repair, and there are plenty of parts available.

Disadvantages are it looks more toy-like (I like the way it looks) and most of the used track and switches have tight 031 curves, although wider radius curves can be found. 

Another vote for GarGraves/Ross.

Things I like about this combo:

• the very wide variety of Ross switches including the double slip and double crossover
• stainless steel GarGraves rails
• wood ties
• sectional curves up to 0138 
• same track pin used for GarGraves and Ross
• track pin power feeders

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Rich883 posted:

I am a big fan of atlas track and switches.  The nice thing is that you can also use Ross switches as they mate with atlas.  I think gargraves ties are too large for my eye.

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Gilly@N&W posted:

Another vote for GarGraves/Ross.

Things I like about this combo:

• the very wide variety of Ross switches including the double slip and double crossover
• stainless steel GarGraves rails
• wood ties
• sectional curves up to 0138 
• same track pin used for GarGraves and Ross
• track pin power feeders

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

jim sutter posted:

I'm old school. When I had my layout, I used Lionel tubular track with Johnson's rubber roadbed. I loved it. 

I also prefer Traditional Lionel O Gauge tubular track and independently powered 022 switches . Opting for it is to be a Contrarian  and the advantage of that is that it can be bought used for a low price because many hobbyists are unloading it to get the modern track and switches. Other benefits are that nothing works better with Magnetraction; it is very easy to install, and the switches are easy and inexpensive to repair, and there are plenty of parts available.

Disadvantages are it looks more toy-like (I like the way it looks) and most of the used track and switches have tight 031 curves, although wider radius curves can be found. 

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Gilly@N&W posted:

Another vote for GarGraves/Ross.

Things I like about this combo:

• the very wide variety of Ross switches including the double slip and double crossover
• stainless steel GarGraves rails
• wood ties
• sectional curves up to 0138 
• same track pin used for GarGraves and Ross
• track pin power feeders

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

jim sutter posted:

I'm old school. When I had my layout, I used Lionel tubular track with Johnson's rubber roadbed. I loved it. 

I also prefer Traditional Lionel O Gauge tubular track and independently powered 022 switches . Opting for it is to be a Contrarian  and the advantage of that is that it can be bought used for a low price because many hobbyists are unloading it to get the modern track and switches. Other benefits are that nothing works better with Magnetraction; it is very easy to install, and the switches are easy and inexpensive to repair, and there are plenty of parts available.

Disadvantages are it looks more toy-like (I like the way it looks) and most of the used track and switches have tight 031 curves, although wider radius curves can be found. 

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

jim sutter posted:

I'm old school. When I had my layout, I used Lionel tubular track with Johnson's rubber roadbed. I loved it. 

I also prefer Traditional Lionel O Gauge tubular track and independently powered 022 switches . Opting for it is to be a Contrarian  and the advantage of that is that it can be bought used for a low price because many hobbyists are unloading it to get the modern track and switches. Other benefits are that nothing works better with Magnetraction; it is very easy to install, and the switches are easy and inexpensive to repair, and there are plenty of parts available.

Disadvantages are it looks more toy-like (I like the way it looks) and most of the used track and switches have tight 031 curves, although wider radius curves can be found. 

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Atlas O the way to GO!

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building.  Thanks so much for posting the pictures! Your layout looks great with the track! Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Steamfan77 posted:

Hi Michael,

I’m in the Atlas camp as well. Very happy with the way it came out. Glad to hear you’re building a permanent layout. Please post pics when you can. Best of luck. Will it be Long Island themed?

Andy

Hey Andy!

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! The  theme will be primarily LIRR, but I’ve collected locos and rolling stock with many other road names. Ha! Ha! Some of those I simply couldn’t resist so I’ll be doing a lot of switching  off on Trains with the different road names. Most of my stuff however is L IRR livery. 

Michael

I had a ton of fastrack. No more. It was a revelation at first. Then one day I couldn't take the noise. I bought some atlas. Big mistake in the sense I couldn't dump the fastrack fast enough. And I'm kinda positive about fast track overall although you may find that unbelievable.  So freedom, got some ross and gargraves. Very similar stuff really. Now my comments are about track excluding switches and principally about noise level. Looks are not as important to me although these all look better to me than fastrack. And it is possible to mix them as I have done but this requires various kinds of modifications that would annoy some. Finally... while there seems to be a secondary market for these other brands, fastrack has them beat there by a mile as far as used goes, there is a lot.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

jim sutter posted:

I'm old school. When I had my layout, I used Lionel tubular track with Johnson's rubber roadbed. I loved it. 

I also prefer Traditional Lionel O Gauge tubular track and independently powered 022 switches . Opting for it is to be a Contrarian  and the advantage of that is that it can be bought used for a low price because many hobbyists are unloading it to get the modern track and switches. Other benefits are that nothing works better with Magnetraction; it is very easy to install, and the switches are easy and inexpensive to repair, and there are plenty of parts available.

Disadvantages are it looks more toy-like (I like the way it looks) and most of the used track and switches have tight 031 curves, although wider radius curves can be found. 

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Severn posted:

I had a ton of fastrack. No more. It was a revelation at first. Then one day I couldn't take the noise. I bought some atlas. Big mistake in the sense I couldn't dump the fastrack fast enough. And I'm kinda positive about fast track overall although you may find that unbelievable.  So freedom, got some ross and gargraves. Very similar stuff really. Now my comments are about track excluding switches and principally about noise level. Looks are not as important to me although these all look better to me than fastrack. And it is possible to mix them as I have done but this requires various kinds of modifications that would annoy some. Finally... while there seems to be a secondary market for these other brands, fastrack has them beat there by a mile as far as used goes, there is a lot.

Thanks so much for the info.  I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Thanks so much for the info everyone! I have a bit of time to make a decision as I need to finish off the basement first before I can start designing and building. Everyone on the form is been so helpful and it’s much appreciated! 

Michael

Gilly@N&W posted:

Another vote for GarGraves/Ross.

Things I like about this combo:

• the very wide variety of Ross switches including the double slip and double crossover
• stainless steel GarGraves rails
• wood ties
• sectional curves up to 0138 
• same track pin used for GarGraves and Ross
• track pin power feeders

Count me in for this combination as well.

One of the other advantages of GarGraves is the ability to use one of the outside rails as an insulated control rail to trigger signals or occupancy lights.  Fiber pins or even round toothpicks can be used to insulate rails.  My convention is:

Inside rail:  Ground (black)

Center rail:  AC Hot (red)

Outside rail:  Control (green)

George

Gar Graves for 40 plus years and Ross switches for 25 plus years. Ross more switch choices and Gar Graves if you don't use the preformed curves the flex track gives you pretty much any curve...............Paul

Once installed and debugged, I like Gargraves the best because of looks and quietness.  That said, I have a mainline  of about 180 ft of Fasttrack, that I call the low road and one of about 60 ft of tubular that I call the high road because it is around the top of the ceiling on a handmade trestle around the room.  I have a heinz 57 mainline that is made up of Gargraves, a 072 Gargraves wye with 2 036 fastrack switches, and a tubular section.  The Gargraves on cork or foam bed is the quietest section and I have some more to install somewhere.  I prefer fasttrack over MTH realtrax, but I do like the fact that I can squeeze an 031 oval in between an 036 or larger fasttrack.  

david1 posted:

 All the track mentioned is great track but I use Lionel superO track made in the late 50's till the late 60's. The best  looking track IMO.

I agree.  To my eye, Super-O was and is the best-looking 3-rail track.  Instead of FasTrack, I wish Lionel had introduced an improved version of Super-O instead.

The downside is the radius of 036 and the switches. There are a couple of places that can stretch the radius of the track to almost any size. The modeler could do it himself if you wanted. 

036 was pretty wide radius at the time Super-O was introduced, but as you say, it's a very tight curve for today's scale equipment.

The problem with bending existing track to widen the radius is that Super-O isn't made any more, and there's a finite quantity of Super-O sections to bend.

The switches are another issue, both powered and non-powered are O36 and the powered and non powered were not the best in quality.. 

I dunno.  I used to have a Super-O layout in the Seventies, and I never had trouble with any of the switches.

 

For looks and reliability, I have preferred MTH Scaletrax first.  I have had zero issues running Scaletrax over the years including the switches. 

My second is Atlas however the center rail being so large has always bothered me.

If I was looking at something where I needed a large variety of switches I would go Atlas and mix Ross switches in where necessary.

Of course you can mix Scaletrax and Ross switches, but it would take a little more work and would be more noticeable.

I used only Gargraves Flex Track and Ross Switches on my layout.  Midwest Cork for the roadbed.  Completely satisfied so never tried anything else.

Dennis

Keep in mind Most track in 3 rail out in the market : Atlas O, Gargraves, Ross, and MTH Scaletrax have outside rails insulated so one can use to activate accessories or use as a trigger device for a bunch of electronic projects.

But note that Atlas O is:

• made out of soild nickel siver rail so the rails do not rust and 
• can be used outdoors and
• can be repaired if broken. The other track systems do not repair easily.

In regards to availability, Atlas O large network of dealers have many  sections of track. IT may not be one stop shopping from time to time but the track is out there. And because it is fixable and doesn't rust, I have been purchasing used track at a fraction of the cost of new track with confidence. I can't say the same for the competition. 

irish rifle posted:

I recommend Gargraves track and Ross switches.

Yes. No problem with GG switches, either - especially the original O-100 type. I have Ross, too. Great stuff.

"At the end of the day" - boy, have I heard that expression too many times, lately - GG/R seem to have fewer glitches and design flaws than other trackage, are available and, if you care, essentially domestic. Plus, rare in this Millennial world, a straightforward nature.

Downside: the ties are too big (I'm long over that) and it comes looking like a chrome bumper on a '53 DeSoto (why, oh why, not all 3 rails blackened? I'd pay for it as an option.) - but brown camo flat spray takes care of that - before it's laid. Still - rather not have to paint it.

I have a mix of gargraves, Ross sectional, SuperO, and Ross switches.   If I was to do it over again, I'd go with AtlasO sectional track and continue using Ross switches.   I have no experience with Lionel fast track or anything MTH puts out.

I have a 4' x 12' layout currently under construction (and aren't they all ?). Since it's mostly postwar and MPC, I'm using tubular. Now, I've always liked the look of tubular 072 curves and straights with their closer ties, so I've used K-Line 042 curves and 36" straights and Williams 031 curves to try to duplicate that look (all track has the "0" profile, not 027). Switches are all manual: Four Lionel #042 (031 curve) and one #721 (072 curve). I also use UCS & RCS sections for my operating cars. The "roadbed" is grey paint. All in all, I like my "retro" look.