DoubleDAZ posted:Thanks, Sinclair. I should have thought you might have been thinking RealTrax, not ScaleTrax.
RTR, I'm still on the fence and haven't had time to work on my design to see how Atlas would work. I do know how quiet Atlas is and it just doesn't seem like too many use ScaleTrax even though it seems quite a bit cheaper. To be sure, Atlas is more substantial looking and I don't know if the smaller profile of ScaleTrax causes problems, especially with the tight curves I'll be using. However, it appears to be closer to scale and I would have thought that would have drawn users to it. Maybe it's just a lack of availability and the fact that Atlas has been around.
I read a lot about track before picking one. I was all set to use Fastrack (didn't know much about Atlas at the time), I like the looks if it, it is a well thought out system, has built in roadbed, and many other things. Then I heard how noisy it was which was a game changer for me and I had to re-group. I still like the looks of it and think it's a very well designed track system. I may still use it for some temporary layouts in the future, I really would like to have a loop or two of it just to fiddle with.
Anyway, that is when I started researching all the other available track systems which was about 5 years ago. After that, I decided solid rail was the way to go and narrowed it down to Atlas and Scaletrax. All track systems have their own little quirks, most of which can be overcome. Scaletrax seemed to have more quirks and definitely had much less selection available in the way of curves and switches. Atlas has a much better selection of curves and switches and I decided I really liked the look of it better than Scaletrax. I like the Atlas rail joiners, beefier rails, the ties and tie spacing among other things. Also, as I said above, Scaletrax is the only track my LHS does not carry and seemed to be difficult to get. Atlas was in good supply back then and easy to get. So Atlas was the clear choice for me.
As I understand it the Scaletrax is still difficult to find and as you say not many people seem to be using it. I don't know, but maybe it is more plentiful in other areas? We only have one train store that has a good selection of O gauge around here so there is nothing to compare to. I later read some posts here by Dave Hikel addressing all the Scaletrax quirks so I now think it is probably a good system and if you do a few things up front will be quite reliable on a layout. Of course Dave Hikel is way above me in experience level and knowledge, but if he likes the Scaletrax and is a professional layout builder, it can't be all that bad. I also can't imagine the noise level of Scaletrax being that much different than Atlas since they are both solid rail, nickel-silver. I can say with certainty that Atlas it pretty quiet, even with no road bed. I have reead from some folks here that the Scaletrax is more to scale size in the rails than Atlas, but the tie spacing is off on Scaletrax and Atlas has that part right. I am pretty prototypically challenged so I really don't know the difference, other than I like the looks of Atlas track which is also my favorite and my opinion is probably somewhat biased. 
JohnGaltLine posted:Is the difference in sound really that much between solid rail track and traditional tubular? I wouldn't think it would make much difference when you're screwed down to a big piece of wood in open air that will resonate the sound anyway.
If it were me, for track that you can't see anyway, I would use Traditional tubular, and probably used track since it doesn't matter if it's not shinny, though new Menards track is less expensive than used track for wide curves. Stop by a carpet store and see if they have any scraps a few inches wide that you can use as roadbed to pretty much kill any sound. If not, just buy some at a home improvement store.
Just don't see the point in expensive track that will never be seen.
JGL
To me the hollow rail track is quite a bit louder than solid rail track, with Atlas being the only solid rail track I have any experience with. To me, Atlas is pretty quiet, even with no roadbed. I have read many posts here that say carpet or carpet pad or even carpet with pad really quiet it down a lot. I have now come around to thinking the hollow rail track can be quieted down and maybe even quite a bit. However, I have never tried this or made a comparison so I can not say for sure.
One other thing to consider here is the way people hear things. Although I really like Fastrack, it was way too loud for me. Others here say it is not loud at all and they actually think it's pretty quiet. Makes me think a lot of this has to do with everyone's differences in ears and hearing. Just like our preferences for track systems or engines, we are all really quite different in many areas.
