Hello--
I'm in the finishing stages of laying the track for my first 4' x 8' layout. Only about 5% of the track is actually laying on the table, while the vast majority of the sections are on risers and custom-cut incline/decline wood pieces that are spaced every 5" or so. The track is all laying over homasote strips with the exception of about 10 or 12 track pieces that will be inside of a mountain structure. Next comes the interesting part, where I will lay the plaster cloth and begin the aesthetics.
Getting back to my original question, have I committed an error by selecting the Super O track? My only experience had been with the 50s Lionel tubular track, and I wanted something more realistic. When I stopped into my only even remotely local train shop a few weeks ago, the (decidedly grumpy) owners laughed and shot each other a look when I mentioned that I'm using the Super O. When I asked why they didn't seem to approve, the one guy told me to rip it out and put in Gargreaves. He said that I can regularly expect to be replacing the rollers, and that Super O was considered a bad design 50 years ago; much worse now with all of the modern options.
I didn't think much of it, but in my test runs these past few nights, I've noticed that the bus connectors on the center rail have a propensity to pop up and/or off from time to time when the train constant passes over them. Further, it seems to be a rough ride in general, or at least rougher than I was accustomed to with the tubular Lionel. When switched into reverse (which I don't plan on doing in regular use) the wheels of various cars tend to jump off the track.
What's the deal? Have I made a mistake by going with the Super O?
