Choosing N scale track: Overview

Edit from the future (2021): the price situation now is radically different than it was when I wrote this in 2009.  Peco is no longer at such a large disadvantage and has gained in popularity.  Please check your own prices when you read this.

Once a modeler chooses N scale he/she then has to choose which brand (e.g. Atlas) and line (e.g. Code 55) of track to use. This decision has to come fairly early in the planning process as different brands/lines of track and switches have different geometries, thus impacting the layout design. This post provides an overview of what's available in the U.S. and Canada. In a later post I'll go into more detail on the topic of the different lines of flex track/switches, where there is a lot of choice and a lot of factors to consider. N scale track can be grouped into 4 categories. I'll list them here in order from beginner to most advanced:

1. Roadbed Track & Switches
2. Sectional Track & Switches
3. Flex Track & Switches
4. Hand-laid Track & Switches

Note that Atlas and Peco offer lines of track that include both (2) and (3). When choosing your type of track these are the factors to consider. Ease of Use and Time to Install. This factor can vary tremendously from one category to the next. At the extremes consider that a sizeable roadbed track layout can be put together by a beginner in an hour or less, which is about as long as an expert needs to assemble a single hand laid switch. Appearance. In general, the trade-off for ease-of-use and time-to-install is appearance. The more time you invest in installing your track, the higher the potential quality of the appearance, depending upon your implementation. Nothing looks as sharp as quality hand-laid track, while no amount of scenic detail can fully hide the unrealistic plastic appearance of roadbed track. Price. In general, the most expensive category is roadbed track and each successive category is cheaper. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. Some sectional switches can be quite pricey, and many people who handlay track invest a lot in specialized handlaying tools and materials. Flexibility. With handlaid track you can create any configuration, curve, spiral, or switch geometry you need. With roadbed track you are limited to the pieces the manufacturer offers. Sectional track is a little more flexible than roadbed track in that you can cut pieces. Flex track is equivalent in this regard to hand-laid track except for the switches. Operational Reliability. All categories of track offer anywhere from poor to excellent reliability depending upon brand and installation quality. Within each category certain brands are better than others. So, with those decision factors in mind, here is a survey of each category of track: Roadbed Track includes a built-in plastic roadbed underneath the ties. The roadbed adds stability, but the main advantage is that you "click" one piece of roadbed track to another, so assembly as fast and the track stays locked together. The different brands of roadbed track are not compatible with one another, but you can construct a "transition" track between two makes if so desired. Each manufacturer offers a variety of lengths of straight track, plus a variety of curves in different lengths and radii, plus switches and special purpose track like crossings. Roadbed track is the preferred choice for starter sets and newcomers to the hobby, especially children. It's also popular for those modelers who prefer operations to construction and aren't overly concerned with appearance. The quick setup feature also makes it popular among those who need to tear down and rebuilt layouts frequently. And of course, all roadbed track features insulated switch frogs for ease of use. Historically all roadbed track has been code 80, and Kato has been the most popular manufacturer due to both their large variety of track and their reputation for impeccable operations reliability. Bachmann offers a smaller line of cheaper roadbed track that tends to get less favorable reviews for reliability, especially the switches. Life-like train sets include their own roadbed track, and apparently you can order extra pieces, but the selection is very limited. This past year Atlas has introduced a line of code 60 roadbed track that is clearly intended to compete with Kato for the lion's share of this market. Early reviews are that Atlas wins on price and appearance, but I have no experience with it. Sectional track is similar to roadbed track, but without the roadbed. The track consists of plastic ties and rails, and each manufacturer offers a variety of curves, straights, switches, and special track. Connections are purely by rail joiner, so if you use sectional track you'll want to at least pin it into place on a board, and most people install the sectional track on top of a roadbed material, like cork, then glue scale ballast on top to complete the effect and hold the track in place permanently. Because the connection is by rail joiner different makes often work interchangably with each other, if the rail size is the same, and even if they don't it's usually not hard to build a transition track between two makes. Makes that work together: Peco 80, Atlas 80 and Peco 55; Atlas 55 with Micro-Engineering flex track. Sectional track was available decades before the introduction of roadbed track 20 or so years ago. Many people, myself included, thought that sectional track would eventually be completely replaced by roadbed track, but it turns out that a lot of modelers like sectional track. A well-scenicked layout with sectional track can look very nearly as nice as one with flex track, but avoids the extra work and skills that flex track requires. There are apparently enough of these modelers that when Atlas released their new code 55 line 4 or 5 years ago they included a huge variety of sectional pieces, and they have been a big seller. Atlas flat-out dominates the sectional track market in North America, with code 80 and code 55 lines. Peco, a UK firm, once was very popular but has lost most of their market share due in large part to exhorbitant prices, recently made worse by the weak dollar. A few other makes have been available in the past, such as Shinohara (code 70) and Model Power, but their market share is almost non-existent now. For modelers building new sectional track layouts the choice is likely to be between Atlas code 55 and 80, although Peco code 55 and 80 may be an option for a few. I'll cover the differences between these lines of tracks in my future post on flex track, since all of these sectional track lines include compatible flex track as well. Flex track is a section of track 29-36" long (length depends on the manufacturer) that can be bent to shape. With flex track you can duplicate anything that you can do in sectional track, plus you can build curves of radii that are not available in sectional track, and even create curves of changing radii, such as spiral easements. Flex track is considered better in appearance than sectional track, in part because curves and spiral curve transitions can look more realistic, and in part because sectional track has too many rail joints and has funny looking partial ties at both ends of each track piece. With the exception of Micro-Engineering code 40 track, all flex track lines include compatible switches. In addition, as noted above, sectional track lines from Peco and Atlas offer compatible flex track. So, there is a large selection of flex track lines to choose from - more choice than available for sectional or roadbed track. Since it is not difficult to connect the different types of flex track (using a transition track if necessary) many modelers do just that. For example, using larger rail for main lines and smaller rail for branch lines and sidings. Flex track does require more work to install than sectional track. When laying sectional track the curves and straight lines are already built in. With flex track you have to mark curves and straights onto the roadbed, then carefully adjust the track to match the marks. Spiral easements -- in which the curve gradually transitions from a tangent to a curve or from one radius curve to another -- require more skill to create than constant radius curves. Flex track often has to be precisely cut to fit, with the rails often of different lengths due to curves. This task is harder in N scale than HO because there is less room for error. Then there is the fact that around curves flex track joints need to be soldered to keep the curve steady and without dents. None of these skills are hard to learn, but taken together one can understand why some modelers prefer sectional track. I will review the different lines of flex track in a future post. Hand-laid track is preferred by those who want the absolute best possible appearance. It's not nearly as common in N scale as it is in HO (the size factor makes it harder to assemble the smaller N scale parts together by hand), but it's not rare either. While there are those who hand lay both the track and the switches, its become more common recently for modelers to hand lay the switches in combination with their preferred flex track, usually choosing Micro-Engineering for appearance reasons. The advantages of hand laid switches are many. First, if done well the appearance can be nearly identical to the prototype. The difference is noticable enough that visitors with any model railroad knowledge at all will see and admire it. Second, custom switches can be built for any situation. Need a switch with a #9 frog, or an outside switch on a 28" radius curve, or a crossing of a curved track and a straight one? None of these are available unless built by hand. Price is also an advantage, at least theoretically, as you are just buying rails, ties, spikes and/or glue and/or solder. In practice many modelers who hand lay track invest in specialized tools and jigs, or even buy partially assembled switches that have the rails and a few key ties in already in place -- all of those things save time and help make for reliable switches, but also cost money. The down side is that this is a lot of effort and time. And while proponents of hand-laying are correct to say that anyone can learn the skill, it's a skill that takes time to learn to do well. One noted hand-laying proponent, the prolific model railroad author Tony Koester, says that it takes him about an hour to assemble each of his hand-laid HO switches. (Tony's method is described in his Model Railroader book, Trackwork and Lineside Detail.) Others, such as the makers of Fast Tracks jigs for handlaying switches, say it can be done faster. I seriously considered handlaying my switches until i realized how long it would take to build the 130+ I will have on the main layout. At the rate of one switch per hour, and maybe 4-5 hours per week on the layout, that translates to at least half a year just assembling (not installing) switches. So I bought mine. But for those with smaller layouts, or with more time, who place an absolute premium on appearance this is your best option.