Layout construction with Bachmann EZ Track

[DKS]

Why do I get the feeling Bob missed this one little point...

All suggestions are welcome except starting over with a new brand of track

..or, chose to ignore it altogether. Well done, Bob. 

[robert3985]

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[Dave V]

I chose to ignore it, and I 'splained why in my post (specific paragraphs I have edited by italicizing them)...I surely did NOT miss it... 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

I feel like you could have been more polite about it though.  I don't know if there's some bad blood there between you guys but wow...that was pretty rough.

[DKS]

...what I say is what comes out of the rear end of a bull!

Nuff said.

[ek2000]

Bob, regardless of how you put it, you did take the time to write your post and express your views on the subject and contribute in a way that you could, so I thank you for that.

I specifically asked a closed ended question of how I could get a certain result using EZ track because thats where my priority lies, in not having to sell and start over. Could I? Yes. Do I want to? No. Simple as that.

Ive seen people in this hobby turn seemingly unreal dimensions and objects into model wonders. Those little towns and industries that look so real actually exists atop someone's coffee table. That train that huffs and puffs by a grain silo by is but a 1:160 replica of the real thing. Thats the beauty of a modelers skill and creativity. To the people that accomplish those things, many of whom are in this forum, is concealing a roadbed of great challenge? I dont think so. I want to hear from them, as I've already heard from some on this thread thus far..

[robert3985]

deleted

[Dave V]

Sorry Dave, I was completely polite about it.  I even put a smiley face in there to ensure my politeness was reinforced.  You're reading "tone" into my post that simply isn't there. 

I have absolutely zero "bad blood" with DKS or any other member of TRW.  I admire his work and his comments, but...I don't always agree with him, or you, or Peteski, or anybody else 100% of the time...and I don't expect everybody to agree with me all the time either.

DKS has an especially sharp and pointed way of responding and I appreciate it.  I am just very happy that he is active here again because his advice is always good, even though his remarks zing me quite often!  I simply don't take offense, because I am sure none is intended.  When it comes to good work and valid opinions, TRW is where it's at, and differing opinions civily discussed with humor thrown in makes TRW a place where I probably spend way too much time!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

I was actually referring go your original reply to ek2000...

Either way, ek2000 made his constraints clear and I feel like there would have been a more polite, less condescending way to encourage him to look beyond his constraints.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel like new members deserve a little more supportive help at first. 

Let them earn their a$$hat first, and then you can tear them a new one about track.   

[ek2000]

I was actually referring go your original reply to ek2000...

Either way, ek2000 made his constraints clear and I feel like there would have been a more polite, less condescending way to encourage him to look beyond his constraints.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel like new members deserve a little more supportive help at first. 

Let them earn their a$$hat first, and then you can tear them a new one about track.   

Dave, you're right on the money, well said.

[Dave V]

Dave, you're right on the money, well said.

Since you're (relatively) new here it's worth mentioning that Bob is one of the Railwire track gurus (I count @Chris333 as another).  What he can do in N rivals the best work I've seen in HO.  I would not discount his advice even if it's wrapped in "tough love."

[robert3985]

deleted

[Dave V]

Dave, I share your concern about new members, which is why I was friendly and extremely gentle and thorough with ek2000 in my reply. 

Please quote me from my post to him any sentence or hint that I was tearing him a new one about his track choice or where I was "condescending" to him.  I'd like to see what I wrote that was so abominably offensive.

The ultimate condescension from me would have been to ignore his request as not worth my precious time and effort to advise him since track is a major interest of mine, as you've pointed out.

I'd apologize for any offense, but I gave none, just what I considered was my best advice, making his desire to accomplish low-ballast trackage in the easiest, quickest way...which means using track that doesn't have a built-in ballast contour instead of expending a lot of effort to hide it...which means disregarding his dictum to not suggest using flextrack...which I also explained in my reply.

I also emphasized using Peco products ONLY in areas that he wanted the low-ballast look...expressly NOT recommending that he "start over" as he erroneously thinks I recommended.

Through laying a lot of Peco code 80 trackage on my good friend Nate's layout, I've come to a reluctant but positive new view about toy trackage, which I expressed to our new member to give him encouragement rather than to "tear him a new one", specifically recommending trackage that closely resembles B-mann EZ track in every way except it doesn't have a built-in ballast contour, with ease of installation being an equal consideration, which I repeatedly emphasized.

I also gave kudos to both you and to DKS for your work with "high rail" N-gauge track, and included a photo of my work with it on Nate's layout in his low-ballast example at Branchline Yard to show that I have worked with it also and have done code 80 trackage with a low-ballast look before.

I don't assume that a new member to TRW knows anything except what he reveals to us in his posts.  So, I also included other advantages of using Peco track to represent his industrial/branchline trackage that perhaps he was not aware of, such as smaller rail and a lower railhead height on the layout...and how to possibly recoup part of his investment by selling his excess B-mann trackage.

None of this tore him a new one about his track choice, and was thoughtfully designed to get him his desired low-ballast look with a minimum of time and effort on his part.

I have no interest whatsoever in tearing anybody here a "new one" about anything at any time.  If the OP feels like he's got a new one torn, it didn't happen through any of my remarks since I did not make a single denigrating remark about his track choice...and everybody who knows me, knows that I am more than capable of shooting down toy track choices in flames and ripping new "ones" with great aplomb.  No flames at all in my reply to the OP.

Not-so-Cheerio
Bob Gilmore

Okay.

Yeah yeah..I know you don't want the logical, easy answer but want to raise or lower whole portions of your scenery base to conceal the built-in "ballasting" in the B-mann EZ track, but you also have an investment of TIME to think about too.  It'd go a lot quicker just to change to Peco 55 flextrack in places where the track would be prototypically lower and with less ballast than on the mainline.  Period.

...which you didn't give a damn about when you first started out in the hobby...but now you do.

Just sayin'....

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Maybe I misunderstood your tone but it really read to me as condescending.  Particularly the verbiage "I know you don't want the logical, easy answer..."

I really don't feel like getting into it with you, Bob.  I've said my piece.  The OP didn't communicate anything to me about it...that was my own perception.

[DeltaBravo]

@ek2000 if you need more EZ Track there is a sale at Model Train Stuff


 

[MK]

I think it applies to all tracks.

[DeltaBravo]

MK, I think you're right.

[brokemoto]

Do you want to use only E-Z TRACK or are you flexible?

 On my pike, I have used (and still have):  E-Z TRACK®, Kato UNITRACK®, Kato UNITRAM®, Atlas flex, Atlas SNAP-TRAK®, PECo. 

If you are not averse to buying a few pieces of the other manufacturers' track, you could address your problem of lower track for the sidings.  You could purchase a few pieces of Atlas Flex, cut the pieces as needed and simply transition from the B-mann roadbed height to the surface of the board, foam, or whatever you are using.  How gradual a transition is up to you.  I am not that picky about a last minute steep grade from board to B-mann (or Kato or even cork and Atlas track) as on most of my business trackage, it a switcher's pushing or pulling one or two cars (or even an RS configured unit or a small steam locomotive).  Any of those can handle the sudden climb if there is only one or two cars. 

The Bachpersonn track does not transition easily to either the UNITRACK® or UNITRAM®.  What I have done for that is use either a small piece of flex or a short section of SNAP-TRAK® to transition between the two. 

The Kato UNITRAM® is street trackage.  It is available in curved, straight sections and both LH and RH turnouts.  Some of the curves are extremely sharp, which limits what you can run on them.  It is double tracked, but I have managed to saw both straight and curved sections in half (lengthwise) and use them (most street trackage in the US of A is single track).  I considered sawing the turnout in half, as well, but took a look at it and lost the courage to try it.  The turnouts cause the most operating headaches.  The curves on them are extremely sharp, which causes climbing or outright derailment.  The plastic frogs and diamonds (remember, this is double tracked) seem to be spaced strategically to cause loss of contact with many locomotives and the consequent stalling (add to this the climbing, and the result is predictable).  I even tried laying it single track, leaving the double tracked turnout piece to simulate abandoned street trackage, but the result was still unsatisfactory.  There were simply too few locomotives that I could operate on it, so I took out most of the curves and all of the turnouts.  I suppose that I could have hardwired pairs of B-mann 44 or 70 tonners (or even Kato NW-2s) together, but, again, the number of locomotives that would operate were too few for my purposes.  I did, however, retain some curved and straight sections, so, if you want street trackage, limited use of UNITRAM® might help you.

You could keep mostly B-mann and, for less than fifty dollars, buy a few extra pieces of track to accomplish what you want.  If you do buy some flex and decide to cut it, buy a Xuron® Rail Nipper or its equivalent, if you do not already have one.  The Atlas SNAP-SAW® just does not get it, in most cases, that is.  It does have its uses from time to time, but the rail nipper is a more useful tool.