# MTH's RealTRAX



## alroz (Apr 26, 2012)

Hello all,

I just ordered an MTH O scale set (30-4801-1)- Steam freight. It comes with their realtrax
I will be using a 5 x 10 L shape platform and going to try a freight yard layout.
My question is, I am going to obviously need more track, can I use say Atlas or I believe Gargraves is it? Ot do I have to be consistent with the track?

Thanks very much,

AlRoz


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

alroz said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I just ordered an MTH O scale set (30-4801-1)- Steam freight. It comes with their realtrax
> I will be using a 5 x 10 L shape platform and going to try a freight yard layout.
> ...


 No sir ,not at all ,Atlas offers a track adapter to go from not only realtrak ,but many other styles or brands of track, check out the Atlas web site on "atlas - O - 21st Century track system" ,you may also look at the 
"Ross custom switches," I here they make a better switch track.

good luck ,and please post up your progress....................mike


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## alroz (Apr 26, 2012)

Hey Big Mike,

I thank you for your reply. Got to tell you, MTH's switch tracks ar enot cheap my any means. I just calculated the extra track and needed switch tracks etc for this freight yard layout, it came$800.00 or so and that i sjust for the 4X 8 layout that the book has.

Alroz


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Truthfully, I'd forget about the RealTrax and get some "real" track. I was totally unimpressed with RealTrax, it doesn't mate all that well, and the connections don't work well. For the modular track systems that are easy to use for O-gauge, I'd consider Lionel Fastrack. It is noisy, but it goes together well and the connections are solid. The switches are also quite reliable.

For a more realistic look, I've been working with Atlas track recently at our modular club. Atlas is nice stuff and has solid rails and a nice look.

Whatever you get, track and switches are not cheap when you consider a whole layout.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

none of the switch track are cheep, John is right about the Lionel Fastrak,the switches work perfectly,at least mine do,my intier layouy is fastrak,with the exception of one piece of "o" gauge track going over my girder bridge,again its not "cheep" but it works nice ,I have over 25,000.oo in just trackage...........mike


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## Jimmy (Sep 21, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Truthfully, I'd forget about the RealTrax and get some "real" track. I was totally unimpressed with RealTrax, it doesn't mate all that well, and the connections don't work well. For the modular track systems that are easy to use for O-gauge, I'd consider Lionel Fastrack. It is noisy, but it goes together well and the connections are solid. The switches are also quite reliable.
> 
> For a more realistic look, I've been working with Atlas track recently at our modular club. Atlas is nice stuff and has solid rails and a nice look.
> 
> Whatever you get, track and switches are not cheap when you consider a whole layout.


What he said exactly:thumbsup:


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## alroz (Apr 26, 2012)

Ok so after I lay down the initial RealTrack that MTH give you, I can then can continue the layout with Atlas' or Fastrack's tracks and switches, is that what I understand?

Thanks Everyone.
AlRoz


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

alroz said:


> Ok so after I lay down the initial RealTrack that MTH give you, I can then can continue the layout with Atlas' or Fastrack's tracks and switches, is that what I understand?
> 
> Thanks Everyone.
> AlRoz


If thats what you want,yes it can be done, but I would save the MTH realtrak for a rail yard, siding, or something else in your layout ,so your main line at least looks uniform ,in other words, use what ever brand of track you choose for all your main line trackage 

I think it would just look and run better that way, this is as always, JMO..............mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'd lose the RealTrax, the small amount that comes with a starter set isn't worth fooling with. List it on eBay and put the money toward real track.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I'd lose the RealTrax, the small amount that comes with a starter set isn't worth fooling with. List it on eBay and put the money toward real track.


yes, thats true John,and if its not been used, his local hobby shop may give some trade-in on the new track,atleast in my neck of the woods they do.....................mike


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## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

FWIW, I've seen layouts with yards of one kind of track and mainlines of another. It looked ok to me. Afterall, most of the track was covered by rolling stock.

Or, put your starter track under a mountain


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

Dave Sams said:


> FWIW, I've seen layouts with yards of one kind of track and mainlines of another. It looked ok to me. Afterall, most of the track was covered by rolling stock.
> 
> Or, put your starter track under a mountain


see, thats what is so great about this hobby, One can do what he/she wants to and its ok,its really up to you what you do, as long as you or having fun doing it................mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

My point with the RealTrax is IMO it's just lousy track! The connections are poor, the switches are problematic, it's just sub-standard product.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

IMHO, the only inexpensive track and switches are 022 switches and O-31 track. Everything else is way too much. I have 86 022 switches. Compute how much that would be if they were FasTrack swithces?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, tubular is certainly the cheapest, since there's a vast used market. OTOH, there are reasons for selecting other track types. However, if you're going to use one of the alternatives, it should at least be reliable!


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Well, tubular is certainly the cheapest, since there's a vast used market. OTOH, there are reasons for selecting other track types. However, if you're going to use one of the alternatives, it should at least be reliable!


for those of us who hate de-railments,and have a large layout,tublar track and old school switches may not be the way to go,and for me, I could not care less about price, I just want to avoid as many problems as I can with my layout. ............Mike


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

Tubular O31 and larger track has proven for me to be the most derailment free and lowest cost track option. Tubular O27 is just the opposite, the least reliable track option there is.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I've had good luck with O31, and I've been using Fastrack recently, and I'm quite impressed with the reliability. It's not as realistic looking as some other track types, but it's worked very well. My major complaint with O27 was the switches, I really didn't like those at all.

Our modular club is using Atlas track, very nice looking track, we'll see how reliable it is after we get all the modules built and running.


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## Handyandy (Feb 14, 2012)

Hmmm...
All I use is tubular O27 and nearly never have a derailment. Once in a great while one of my Marx 666 locos lifts the pilot truck on a Lionel switch (on the straight track, coming from the frog end of the switch - don't ask what model number the switch is). Have zero issues with K-Line or vintage all metal Marx O27 switches. Of course my older Marx physically can't go through anything but my Marx switches, but that's a different issue.
My biggest (and only Lionel) locomotive is a 2020 turbine and it even goes through the old Marx switches without a hitch. None of my Lionel postwar freight cars or Marx cars have any trouble either. 
On the other hand, I only use manual switches and have no passenger cars (yet).


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I've found that O27, in addition to the issues with switches, limits your selection of locomotives too much. I have a number of locomotives that simply won't run on O27, but run fine on O31 or O36 fastrack.


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## Handyandy (Feb 14, 2012)

That's kinds what I thought, the bigger equipment can't handle the sharp curves. My layout is small so I only buy the smaller sized equipment so I can run longer trains.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have stuck to "traditional" sized stuff so I can run it on O31 or O36, but none of my Legacy diesel locomotives will handle an O27 curve through the switches, they run into the switch housings.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I have stuck to "traditional" sized stuff so I can run it on O31 or O36, but none of my Legacy diesel locomotives will handle an O27 curve through the switches, they run into the switch housings.


thats when Fastrack shines,gotta love fastrack............Mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Yep, not much runs into that little lantern.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

Nope, not even scale size well cars............Mike


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