Atlas Z Scale Flex Track?

[Atlas Paul]

Tie spacing?  Color?  I'm very interested in this.

Prototype tie spacing, ties molded in dark brown (same as our N code 55).  The tooling is still being tweaked but as soon as we have something that will be like production, we will get some photos posted.

[strummer]

Looking forward to it; thanks, Paul...

Mark in Oregon

[peteski]

Thanks for the link, though he only has the ancillary bits showing in N on his Shapeways store.

Here is a lint to the -800 fuselage: http://www.shapeways.com/product/SGV3BQJ5A/n-scale-737-800-fuselage?optionId=59995807  His website and store aren't well organized. On the bottom of that page are also the ancillary bits and -600 fuselage.  It was actually me and my friend who got him to offer this kit in Shapeways.  We bought the PLA filament-printed  kits and they are rather rough (need a lot of priming and filling to make them usable).  We contacted him and asked of he woudl offer it inn FUD.  He now does but we already have 3 of the rough printed fuselages.

I am also going to ask him if he would be willing to offer the ice breaker frame and cradles separately from the skybox cover. That will save quite a bit of money. Not all the fuselages travel with that skybox cover and besides, I can make one of those from some styrene, or cut done one of the LBF skyboxes.

I will be making decals for these fuselages.

[Sokramiketes]

Here is a lint to the -800 fuselage: http://www.shapeways.com/product/SGV3BQJ5A/n-scale-737-800-fuselage?optionId=59995807  His website and store aren't well organized. On the bottom of that page are also the ancillary bits and -600 fuselage.  It was actually me and my friend who got him to offer this kit in Shapeways.  We bought the PLA filament-printed  kits and they are rather rough (need a lot of priming and filling to make them usable).  We contacted him and asked of he woudl offer it inn FUD.  He now does but we already have 3 of the rough printed fuselages.

I am also going to ask him if he would be willing to offer the ice breaker frame and cradles separately from the skybox cover. That will save quite a bit of money. Not all the fuselages travel with that skybox cover and besides, I can make one of those from some styrene, or cut done one of the LBF skyboxes.

I will be making decals for these fuselages.

I meant that I was looking for them in Z scale, not N.  Not that I didn't see the fuselage!  My sentence was confusing.

[peteski]

I meant that I was looking for them in Z scale, not N.  Not that I didn't see the fuselage!  My sentence was confusing.

Ah, ok.  You can contact him through the website and ask - he has been very responsive for us.
I also should have realized that you meant Z - after all this is a Z-Scale thread. 

[robert3985]

All kidding aside a large modular Z scale layout would be amazing.

Something like that might be enough to catch the eye of the mainstream MR press
and help break the Stigma that the small scales are for when you have no space...

I've designed a "modular" or sectional N-scale standard that is designed for "small trains/large scenes" with a minimum sectional dimension of 6'X3' (3' wide at modular ends), and a railhead to floor height of 53" with a minimum mainline visible radius of 24".  My portable layout is designed around this basic standards parameter with my partner Gregg Cudworth using the same standards to buckle up to me at shows.

Minimum LDE length is 12', passing sidings are 9 feet 7.5 inches long (to accommodate a Big Boy, 30ea. 40' cars and a caboose) and the emphasis is on prototype scenes and operation at shows.

Present combined show layout occupies a 40' X 30' space (including show stanchions and off-limits area around layout).

Layout is built with adult viewers and operators in mind.  Little kids can go chase trains at the Ntrak layout or visit the Lego display, OR be held by their fathers to look at ours.

We get lots of positive comments about the depth and height, as well as railfans pointing out where they stood in Weber Canyon watching trains..."That exact spot!"...but the predominant comment is still "Gee, I love what you're doing, but I do N-scale because I don't have room for HO."

*sigh*

Most likely, the small-trains-for-small-spaces attitude will continue on in Z-scale too unfortunately. But...ya never know!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Catt]

Doubt it will do much good but I just posted on ATLAS's Facebook page about how nice it would be if they made the new flex the same length as the N scale flex.I also mentioned that 36" would be even nicer. 

About that airplane fuselage (SP) check out Stony Smiths Shapeways store.

[PGBowler2]

Doubt it will do much good but I just posted on ATLAS's Facebook page about how nice it would be if they made the new flex the same length as the N scale flex.I also mentioned that 36" would be even nicer. 

About that airplane fuselage (SP) check out Stony Smiths Shapeways store.

As I mentioned on Page 2, the flex will be 24 inches long (proportionately 10% longer than the N scale track).

There will be a sample at the NSE convention as well as the NMRA convention.

[Denver Road Doug]

As I mentioned on Page 2, the flex will be 24 inches long (proportionately 10% longer than the N scale track).

Paul, any particular reason why 24"?   It seems like--if you're already setup to cut 30" pieces for N, and assuming you're otherwise using the same physical rail--using 30" would be an all-around better idea.   Is the idea that you're gonna use the QC culls for Z?   That's about the only reason I could think of, short of some specific marketing data...and I would be surprised if polling any significant number of Z-scalers would result in some overwhelming preference for 24" over 30".   I suppose packaging/shipping considerations could be another reason.

Thinking about a large-ish Z layout, you are cutting my productivity by 20%!!!   

[Chris333]

I seem to recall the reason the N scale flex is 30" is because of drop testing and shipping.

[JoeD]

looking forward to some switches

[Cory Rothlisberger]

Paul, any particular reason why 24"?   It seems like--if you're already setup to cut 30" pieces for N, and assuming you're otherwise using the same physical rail--using 30" would be an all-around better idea.   Is the idea that you're gonna use the QC culls for Z?   That's about the only reason I could think of, short of some specific marketing data...and I would be surprised if polling any significant number of Z-scalers would result in some overwhelming preference for 24" over 30".   I suppose packaging/shipping considerations could be another reason.

Thinking about a large-ish Z layout, you are cutting my productivity by 20%!!!   

24" was as big as we could go without our supplier becoming concerned about molding quality. Yes, there are 1,000 ways to skin a cat, but we have faith in our suppliers opinions on our designs. And in reality, we can cut rail at any length without much of a hassle. So being set up for 30" pieces for the N-scale flex didn't play into the decision. Of course, shipping is the other factor. We all know how much UPS loves long and flimsy boxes. 

PS - Atlas Fun Fact. There is ONE piece of HO Code 100 Flex Track that was 6-feet long in existence. It was raffled off at the New England Proto meet about 4 or 5 years ago. Again, logistics kind of screw us there. It was a pretty cool sight to see though...

[Catt]

Six foot long sections of ATLAS code 100 flex would be great "but" I can just see someone buying a box of it and trying to figure out a way to get it in their Mini.

I do have a question though,how does 24" Z flex track come out to 10% longer than the 29" long N scale track?

[Denver Road Doug]

I do have a question though,how does 24" Z flex track come out to 10% longer than the 29" long N scale track?

N is 1.375x the size of Z.  (i.e. "proportionately")  So, 1.375 x 24" = 33".     33 is a little over 13% larger than 29.   EDIT:  Atlas Flex is actually 30", not 29".  33 is EXACTLY 10 percent larger than 30.

[wcfn100]

I do have a question though,how does 24" Z flex track come out to 10% longer than the 29" long N scale track?

24" * 220 = 5280"

30" * 160 = 4800"

5280 / 4800 = 1.1 or 110%

edit: fixed.


Jason