# My first post!!



## blindndead (Jan 30, 2013)

Hey people!!

Im as new as new can be, going to give a build a shot. I have a scored a table top from work it is 8ft x a little more than 3 1\2ft. once I get it home I will go get some 4x4 legs and some foam board and try my luck with a N scale build. My first question is, do you nail down the foam board or glue it? or do you even need to? And how thick of foam do I get for N scale?
I have been looking at a Kato M1 track set just to get me started and add on track as I see fit. 
Rob


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

The foam is not a mandatory material but it does reduce sound a bit.However,its a great material to carve whatever land profile you may want like ditches,pits,etc.The thicker it is,the deeper you can dig in.I personally use two inch pink foam...works great.I glue it to my bench top with regular carpenter's glue,latex caulk is also great for this.

Kato Unitrack is very good quality wise but has little option as to the curve radiuses you can have with it.Check the available radiuses before you buy.They're not cheap and are quite limiting when it comes to designing a track plan.


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## blindndead (Jan 30, 2013)

Can you a recommend me a type of track so I can do some homework on that has a better radius and is geared for the new guy like me? I do want to use the foam ditches,pits,etc. Any thing worth doing is worth doing right.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

Most modelers use "flextrack" since you can design whatever radius you need.Then you'll have to chose between track gauges (rail heights) and prototypical looks.The one's I know of are...

Atlas Code 80:the most used,well priced,easy to work with,dependable and anything will roll on it without problems.Somewhat limited choice of turnout designs.Tie spacing based on american prototypes.

Peco Code 80:very popular also,a little more expensive and has all the quality of Atlas's C80 plus a wider choice of turnout designs and better quality.Litterally bulletproof if installed right.Tie spacing based on european prototypes,important to some modelers.

Atlas Code 55:the best looking N scale track,not cheap though with limited choice of turnout designs.Will not accept older locos and cars that have larger wheel flanges.

Peco Code 55:my personal choice.Not cheap but sturdy with a good choice of turnout designs.Tie spacing is european too though.Peco 55 is somewhat of a cheat that have C80 track buried deeper in the ties to look somewhat like C55 so that most anything can roll on it without the flanges hitting the ties.

The tie spacing is important to some but many (like myself) don't really mind.Once ballasted,the difference doesn't show that much.There are other brands like Micro-Engineering that I read good comments about,but since I haven't used them I cant comment.


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## blindndead (Jan 30, 2013)

Brakeman Jake said:


> Most modelers use "flextrack" since you can design whatever radius you need.Then you'll have to chose between track gauges (rail heights) and prototypical looks.The one's I know of are...
> 
> Atlas Code 80:the most used,well priced,easy to work with,dependable and anything will roll on it without problems.Somewhat limited choice of turnout designs.Tie spacing based on american prototypes.
> 
> ...


Great post thanks for your help!


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