Tracks

[kessteta]

I have a Mantua New York Packemaker HO Diesel Train set, that needs new tracks.  Can I use the EZ Bachman tracks? And what pieces do I need to make a 45 x 36 inch oval?

[jbrock27]

Yes you can.  If you are in a position to have to buy track (EZ) I suggest the nickel silver and advise to stay away from the black road bed track which is steel.

[kessteta]

why do you suggest the silver over steel?

[Flare]

why do you suggest the silver over steel?

They transfer electricity better and require less maintenance because they don't rust.  ;)


As for your original question, you'll need twelve 18" Radius curved pieces to make a 36" inner diameter circle, and two straight 9 inch pieces will widen that to 45 inches.

[jbrock27]

why do you suggest the silver over steel?

In addition to what Flare Gun pointed out, easier keeping the rail clean and if you ever needed or wanted to solder the joints or solder feeder wires, it is much easier to solder to nickel silver than steel.  Another thing I just thought of, as far as I know, steel track only comes in Code 100, where you can get nickel silver track in several different Codes beside 100, if you wanted to.

[rabidrabbit]

I'm new, so be easy. The track code you mentioned 100, what exactly does it stand for

[jbrock27]

Of course I will be my friend . 
Height of the rails.

[Jhanecker2]

To rabidrabbit  :   Please note that  E-Z  track  in HO gauge  comes only  in Code 100  .   Nickel-Silver is with gray  roadbed  and  Steel is black roadbed . There are considerably  greater selection of  track pieces in  Nickel -Silver than is Steel .  The other  Code  sizes   are for  non-road bed track manufactured by other companies such as Atlas , Walthers , Shinohera , Peco .etc.  which will  also operate with HO gauge trains .

[jbrock27]

Please note that  E-Z  track  in HO gauge  comes only  in Code 100  .   Nickel-Silver is with gray  roadbed  and  Steel is black roadbed . There are considerably  greater selection of  track pieces in  Nickel -Silver than is Steel .

Some things, I guess, bear repeating...

If you are in a position to have to buy track (EZ) I suggest the nickel silver and advise to stay away from the black road bed track which is steel.

...steel track only comes in Code 100, where you can get nickel silver track in several different Codes beside 100, if you wanted to.

[Len]

I'm new, so be easy. The track code you mentioned 100, what exactly does it stand for

It's just a shorthand way of refering to the heighth of the metal rail in thousandths of an inch, without regard to what scale the rail is being used to model. So:

Rail                     Actual
Code__________Height
55                       0.055"
70                       0.070"
83                       0.083"
100                     0.100"
125                     0.125"

Len

[jbrock27]

I am sure, that given this...

I'm new...

...that this...

Rail                     Actual
Code__________Height
55                       0.055"
70                       0.070"
83                       0.083"
100                     0.100"
125                     0.125"

Len

...was really what was needed, as opposed to simply this...

Height of the rails.

And I guess things still bear repeating...

[Len]

If you want to mess with the folks at the local general hobby store, go in and tell them, "I'm looking for track with 83 thousandth of an inch high rail."

I just got a blank look from the kid working there until I asked for code 83 track. He knew what that was because it says "Code 83" right on the package.

Len

[jbrock27]

Odd way to have some fun

And what is a "general hobby store"?  Is that like a dinosaur or dodo bird?