atlas flex rails, e-z track or kato unitrack

[pamardon]

what do you guys recommend?

thinking about the cost and how much fun or headaches building your first railroad?

[Hunt]

Depends on the complexity of track plan.

For a track plan that can be built with sectional track, consider Kato Unitrack, especially if the track plan includes turnouts.

[hobo1]

kato unitrak is the best and its easy to work with. track selection is limited so plan well. If you are like me i changed my track plan 20 times till I got it the way i wanted it. kato track allows you to do this. also atlas track is outstanding too with more variety     hobo

[Frisco]

Kato.

[skipgear]

It depends on your needs.....

If you are building a permanent layout:
Flex track is the way to go but there is a learning curve. It takes a bit more planning, skill and patients to lay flex track properly.  As far as which brand and type to go with. That is a debate in itself. The quick and easy answer, if you are starting fresh and don't have older equipment to deal with, Atlas or ME Code 55 is the best looking and working. If you have older loco's with larger flanges, C80 from Atlas or Peco is the answer.

If you are still struggling with a design or are track laying skills challenged:
Kato C80 Unitrak is the best current track system. The track is bullet proof and has two different turnout types plus the double crossover. I have lost track of how many different radius curves are available but I think it is like 5-6 in both 15, 30, and 45 degree sections. Atlas' new C65 True Track is going to give the Kato a run for it's money, when more track sections are available. right now it only has one turnout size, 2 different radius curves, and some various straights. The Atlas track is by far the best looking but will not be as durable as the Kato.

Sorry but Bachmann N EZtrack is not even close. Only two radius curves available and they are not even close so that you could create a double track curve. Only two turnout sizes available, actually one size and a wye. They offer a nice single crossover but with only 11" and 19" radius curves available, you can't use them in a double track layout. All this with a track system that has been out for many years now with plenty of time to fill in the holes. I had a test loop setup with EZ track for a while, I had to throw out about 15% of the curve sections as I built it because they were out of gauge.  Atlas has matched this assortment in their initial offering with plans of more to come.

[westsidelumber12]

Of course people are going to say kato but to be honest, e-z track is not the best but if you build a railroad with it you got basically atlas track with a roadbed.....with e-z track you can go buy a 40 foot model power bridge and connect to ex track and make a river under it, its that easy anything with stander track is yours for the taking with e-z track, only downside is that when your making a trackside building you have to counter in the roadbed or get stander track and make transition to level ground then go back to e-z track when your done. If you ask me e-z track is the way to go, kato is not realistic enough to go spending all that money on, yeah atlas track u get all the glory of e-z track but you gotta go ballasting all of it.

But in my full honest opinion the next layout i make will be Atlas track....why because its what everyone else uses and its been around for years so atlas had to have done something right....