All the track is MTH flex, the rail is .137-.138 high. this is the minimum all the original Gilbert equipment will run on. Tested .125 but no go. The turnouts are made from the same rail, stripped out of the flex track. At the time the layout was built there was no commercial source of turnouts using .138 rail so SMARTT built them as part of layout construction using modified FasTrack jigs. We looked closely at Tom Stoltz's turnouts and used the same clearances for the wing and guard rails so the turnouts allow flawless operation of both scale and high rail wheelsets.
Since the layout was built Fox Valley has made turnouts available using .138 rail. Theirs require specifying scale or high rail when ordering.
I have run some scale equipment on the layout. As long as it handles the minimum 30"radius and #5 turnouts the scale equipment can run anywhere. The turnouts other than the freight yard are #6 and#8's.
I really enjoy the layout and in retrospect glad I waited as long as I did to have it built. My priorities in what I wanted for a layout evolved over time, so now I have exactly what I want, limited only by the size of the room.
