Ken S posted:Hello All-
I am still kicking around track plan ideas, I was all set to go forward with Atlas, but my local hobby shop warned me off of it because of availability problems (sounds familiar aka MTH). Sooo, here we go again with Gargraves this time. I put together a 5x9 layout which will be an industrial park that I plan on having as destination industries for a future larger layout. I put something together and I'm coming to the forum for feedback. The empty area in my siding is a 4" gap that I guess I'm going to have to close with a custom cut piece of track.
As always, thank you all for your feedback!
-Ken
For what it's worth, the availability of Atlas O track is greatly improved. We are stocked with most likely everything. I use Atlas O for our 60' by nearly 40' layout. Videos from our layout are available on YouTube - the channel is MrMuffin'sTrains and they are also indexed on our website at mrmuffinstrains.com
Clearly, there's a big percentage of the hobby that prefer Gargraves and Ross switches. We are building a 90' by 3' extension right now using this system. It will be a passenger yard, with some freight switching, and large dog bone turnarounds on each end. Once in, I am planning to add a second level. I will likely use Atlas O for the second level.
If you haven't looked at it, MTH Scaletrax is also a very nice alternative. The ribbon like center rail is very thin. Dr Rich Batista used it for his Black Diamond Railway and he has a fantastic series of videos about its construction. Historically, this track system has been in short supply but most everything is available from MTH now. If you're planning to bend your own curves using flex track, this maybe the system for you.
Buying track can be kind of difficult because the cost of shipping can really be significant. We offer all three track systems, but the way we do it for track purchases of any quantity is to send the customer a spreadsheet of the available products and let them select we they need, then we custom quote it. That way they get a deal, and we don't lose our shirt on the shipping.
