Fine scale HO track?

[old coot]

The plastic tie kits that the Proto:87 store offers are MUCH better than the CV kits.

So what exactly is the difference?  Compare the Proto87 photo
http://www.proto87.com/ho-track.html
with the CVT photo:
http://www.cvmw.com/cvt/index.htm
If price indicates quality, then yes, the Proto:87 tie strips are better.

[asciibaron]

The plastic tie kits that the Proto:87 store offers are MUCH better than the CV kits.

So what exactly is the difference?  Compare the Proto87 photo
http://www.proto87.com/ho-track.html
with the CVT photo:
http://www.cvmw.com/cvt/index.htm
If price indicates quality, then yes, the Proto:87 tie strips are better.

they are the same product - P:87 is selling the CVT product

-Steve

[Ian MacMillan]

The plastic tie kits that the Proto:87 store offers are MUCH better than the CV kits.

So what exactly is the difference?  Compare the Proto87 photo
http://www.proto87.com/ho-track.html
with the CVT photo:
http://www.cvmw.com/cvt/index.htm
If price indicates quality, then yes, the Proto:87 tie strips are better.

Yeah because those are the CV kits... P87 was offering another set that was not made by CV. Had much finer tie plate and grain detail.

[rswinnerton]

Ed,
I've got some Micro Engineering code 55 track I could give you a hunk of. I should be back from trucking school in a week or so.
Russ

[ednadolski]

IMHO, the absolute best-looking track is the P:87 Ultimate. Yes is handlaid but if all you want is 12" then it should not be too bad.  It's definitely better than any flextrack,  having separately applied tieplates & details, plus real wood ties.  It can be a lot of work to do a whole layout.

To me, the best looking prefab track is Micro Engineering. The spikes & tieplates are pretty close to scale, and the molded woodgrain is convincing.  The turnouts are now DCC-friendly (isolated frog and throwbar), tho they only come in #6.

I don't much care for CV -- it's more work than flextrack and you still end up with painted plastic ties instead of real wood.  The "spikes" do not cover the rail foot which is less convincing to me.  You have to glue the rail down using nasty solvents such as Barges cement thinned with MEK.  Yuk.    Or you can spike it, tho that sort of defeats the purpose IMHO.

The CV turnout kits take a bit of effort.  The point heels pivot in the plastic tie base, so it's probably best to solder each point rail with a small jumper wire for best electrical continuity.  Don't rely on the foil contact strips that come with the kit.  The cast points sometimes have to be straightened & cleaned up with a file.  I don't think you need to file a notch for the points into the stock rails.  The "throwbars" work but leave something to be desired in terms of appearance.  Forget the "frog" that comes with the kit, and go with a frog from Details West or P:87 Stores.  I'm not crazy about the plastic guard rails.  Still, the CVs have some plusses: they come in a variety of frog sizes and they are the only commercial turnouts I know of that can be custom curved. 

HTH
Ed

[Ian MacMillan]

Yes the P:87 Ultimate is great! I started handlaying it starting about 2 years ago. At that time no jig was available so doing the tie plates was a pain in the a$$. I did look good though, and I liked all the plates for the turnouts. But I am working on a 22'x45' layout, so that would take forever!

I've now switched to the ME C55 and C70. Wish the turnouts could be had in #8s and #10's tho.

[ednadolski]

Andy now has jigs for turnouts, and I think for regular track as well.

[Ian MacMillan]

Andy now has jigs for turnouts, and I think for regular track as well.

Yes there are now, which makes it much easier!!! The tie plates were a PITA. But they look damn good.

[ednadolski]

The trick with the tieplates is to paint them a contrasting color from the ties -- if your colors are too close, then the tieplates disappear.

BTW, the HO scale-sized P:87 spikes are small enough to spike handlaid N-scale code 40 track with wood ties:



Andy also makes etched tieplates and turnout details for N scale.

[Ian MacMillan]

When I first started with them I had a hard time keeping the plates straight on the tie. I ended up building a jig, but now the one that Andy has is even easier.

I know exactly what you mean about the contrasting color. The first set I airbrushed were way too dark and they were pretty hard to use, so I had to spray them with a lighter color.