Bachmann code

[mikec069]

Atlas has various codes for their track (100, 83, ??).  What is Bachmann E-Z Track coded to.  Or does it matter.


Thank you

[SteamGene]

All track has codes.  Yes it does matter.  To join code 83 to code 100 you need a 83/100 joiner or you need a piece of (almost impossible to find) transition track. 
EZ-Track is code 100 and mates readily to Atlas code 100 as long as you bring the Atlas up to the level of the EZ-Track.
Gene

[tommy4u2]

This was taken off the atlas web site explaining code track

What's the difference between Atlas HO Code 83 and Code 100 track?

Literally, the code of a piece of track is the height of the rail in thousandths of an inch (meaning code 83 rail is .083" high; code 100 rail is .100" high). The significant difference lies in the physical appearance of the two types of track. Atlas Code 83 track has fine, brown ties whereas Code 100 has slightly thicker black ties. Because of its accuracy (and the color of the ties), Code 83 is more prototypical, and therefore more realistic than Code 100. Code 83 is known as a finer-scale track, and is the choice of discerning modelers.

[SteamGene]

I use code 100 on my mainline and code 83 on sidings and one bridge.  I do that for several reasons.  The C&O used unusually heavy rail and the code 100 comes closer to C&O practice than code 83.  Those brown ties bother me - all the ties I've ever seen were black/dark gray, not brown.  Code 100 is (was?) cheaper.  I still think I'm a discerning modeler.
Gene

[ebtnut]

Code 100 rail was the defacto standard for HO track dating from the early days.  It represents very heavy rail (about 152 lbs./yard) in the prototype, a rail size used only by the Pennsylvania RR on its heaviest traffic main lines.  Code 70 rail came in sometime in the early 1960's, and represents rail of about 100 lbs./yd, a very common weight in the steam era, even for some main lines.  Code 83 rail came in I believe in the 1980's, and represents about 132 lb. rail, which is pretty common for today's heavy duty main lines.  Serious modelers use a variety of rail sizes depending on the character of the track--Code 83 for main lines; code 70 for secondary lines and passing sidings; code 70 or even code 55 for yards and spurs.  I belive you can get adapter rail joiners for Code 100/83 at a good train-oriented hobby shop.  If your handy with a soldering iron, you can take a code 100 rail joiner, squish half of it flat with a pair of pliers, slide the open end onto the code 100 rail and solder the code 83 to the top of the squished half.  You will probably have to file down the head of the code 83 rail some to match it to the top of the code 100 rail (this method works better mating code 70 to code 100). 

[kevin2083]

what would be the code for 70-ish pound rail?

would code 55 be close?

[ebtnut]

Code 55 works out to about 75 lb. rail, close enough in my estimation.

[JerryB]

Rick Blanchard (UrbanEagle) maintains a website showing lots of prototype vs scale data. Here is a table of rail sizes in various scales, including the prototype:

http://www.urbaneagle.com/data/RRrailsizes.html

Look down the page to the third table for the most complete information. It shows prototype rail sizes from ASCE 25# up to the PRR's 155#.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[r.cprmier]

EBT NUT;
I believe that, like you say, code 83 came along in the seventies; however it was to offer a compromise for the pizza-cutter flanges from Europe, as they wouldn't operate on code 70.  it worked.

Rich

[Bill Baker]

To add to Gene's comment back on January 21st, Shinohara makes a transition track, 6 inches long that transitions from code 83 to code 86.  Walthers distributes them.  You can also find them on the INternet Train site for just under $5.00.

[SteamGene]

They are now just over $5.00 and back ordered, just like Walthers who has no idea when they will be avaiable.  I do now a box sold on eBay for something over $15 a few weeks ago.
Gene