# What's the most reliable N scale track?



## ogaugeguy (Feb 3, 2012)

What do you N scale folks consider the most reliable, easiest to use, least hassle free snap together N scale track with simulated built in roadbed for a temporary seasonal layout?


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## bewhole (Dec 31, 2016)

I am going to say Kato Unitrack. A lot of people here swears by it. I myself have not used it yet.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

I agree with bewhole. I've not used it but what I've read, Kato is the cream of the crop.


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## clovissangrail01 (Oct 8, 2019)

I have been playing with that Kato Unitrack on the dining room table testing locomotives, and it's pretty good stuff. Looks like it will hold up to being set up and taken down over and over again. And if you are careful and don;t just slam it together, the connections are smooth, so things run well.

If you're wanting in for a Yuletide train, you could do worse.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

I can give another thumbs up for the Kato track. Maybe not the cheapest option out there, but I'd say you get what you pay for. I'm mostly an O gauger, but have a few other scales that I like to dabble with on a temporary basis. I've got the Kato Silver Streak Zephyr set which is great for my small apartment as it allows me to run a train without taking over the whole room with my O gauge stuff. It goes together well and also dismantles easily. The rail joiners and the roadbed clips are integrated as one piece and are replaceable should the need arise. I believe other systems such as the Bachmann track use a normal rail joiner with clips molded into the roadbed which don't work so well when the clip snaps off. I've yet to damage one on the Kato track though.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Kato "easytrack"?*



bewhole said:


> I am going to say Kato ez track A lot of people here swears by it. I myself have not used it yet.


bewhole;

The roadbed track made by Kato is called "Unitrack." EZ-Track is made by Bachmann. Everything I've heard about Kato Unitrack is that it is better quality, especially the turnouts, Bachmann EZ-Track turnouts do not have a good reputation for reliability. Kato does cost more, but it is better made, has more variety of track pieces, especially curved sections, and the turnouts are reliable. So, since the OP asked for the best roadbed track, I'd recommend Kato Unitrack over Bachmann EZ-Track. I suspect that's what you meant too.

Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:


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## clovissangrail01 (Oct 8, 2019)

The Kato Silver Streak Zephyr -- That's one of the trains I've been running on the dining room table. It is a gorgeous train set, and santafe158 is right -- You do not need a ton of room to run it. Mine is going to end up on a door on that Kato track.


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## bewhole (Dec 31, 2016)

traction fan said:


> bewhole;
> 
> The roadbed track made by Kato is called "Unitrack." EZ-Track is made by Bachman.
> 
> Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:


Fixed. LOL for some reason I get that mixed up. :laugh:


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

As apparently the only Bachmann EZ-track user here, I will say it has one basic virtue - it is ~95% compatible with Atlas Code 80 N scale track. That can be handy if you want to use something like Atlas' little bridges. You can also use Atlas wired rail joiners if you have something like an MRC DC power pack to power your train. The one Atlas accessory that "doesn't play nice" with Bachmann EZ-track are the little yellow insulated rail joiners; (and although I haven't tried it myself) there is a workaround for that.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

GNfan said:


> As apparently the only Bachmann EZ-track user here, I will say it has one basic virtue - it is ~95% compatible with Atlas Code 80 N scale track. That can be handy if you want to use something like Atlas' little bridges. You can also use Atlas wired rail joiners if you have something like an MRC DC power pack to power your train. The one Atlas accessory that "doesn't play nice" with Bachmann EZ-track are the little yellow insulated rail joiners; (and although I haven't tried it myself) there is a workaround for that.


Unless the N scale stuff is significantly different than the HO, it has one major drawback, too. The turnouts are absolute junk. Short points and embedded twin coil solenoids are just asking for trouble.


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## bewhole (Dec 31, 2016)

All they are going to use this for is for a temporary seasonal layout but I am hoping they "Catch the bug" and get into it further.:thumbsup:


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## ogaugeguy (Feb 3, 2012)

bewhole said:


> All they are going to use this for is for a temporary seasonal layout but I am hoping they "Catch the bug" and get into it further.


 FYI, years ago I had the HO and N bugs but after an arson fire that destroyed my home and contents including all those trains, I drifted away from the hobby but returned in a major way after my retirement. This time however it's O gauge though I still have a few S, HO, N, and Z scale collections - - even a G gauge set.
The N track will be for an "in a tree" setup located midway up a tree circling it over and under its branches while traversing the tree's circumference. That setup will carry a late 1800's Christmas passenger steam engine consist.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

Then try Kato - Bachmann EZ-track will "lock" with a hard surface underneath it, but I don't think I'd trust a loop of it to hold together held up by just the branches of a Christmas tree unless you glue the sections together.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

The gray bachmann is somewhat higher quality than the black. I'd go for that if you just wanted to experiment without laying down the cash. You can probably find a fair pile of it on Ebay. Kato as everyone says appears to get the thumbs up overall for the plastic road bed track. It certainly seems nice from a don't have it but touched it point of view.


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## Fifer (Apr 21, 2011)

KATO UNITRACK


:smilie_daumenpos:


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## BikerDS (May 1, 2012)

I've been using Kato Unitrack since 2006. I do have it permanently mounted, so I don't know how it does being frequently assembled/disassembled. I have never had any problem with it.

If you are simply using a loop of track and running DC (with Kato's power pack) it is great. If you get adventuresome and add some turnouts, you'll end up with a lot of wires laying on your table top (control wires for turnouts). If you decide you really need DCC, you'll have even more wires (feeder wires). At this point you really should consider a permanent layout - which is more fun anyway.


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## seacoast (Sep 12, 2010)

I would agree on N scale Kato Unitrack as the best. I do not know if Atlas still makes their True Track in N scale , that’s ok too.


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

Another vote for Kato Unitrack. I didn't want to mess with a separate roadbed and ballast and found it to be the best.


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## DavidJones (Nov 21, 2019)

*I bought*

a ton of Bachmann ez-track and switches on ebay a year ago. I think its generally a good product. No matter how much planning you do, there isn't much substitution for laying the thing out and seeing if it fits. Most pieces of track I've relaid. The quality is reasonable, but I'd agree the Kato is better. At least their switches are. Less fragile.


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## cale10 (Jun 15, 2013)

if your just going in a straight line, or curves, pretty much any brand N scale track will work pretty well. where reliability comes into play is turnouts as there are some really good ones, and some really bad ones.


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## ted535is (Dec 3, 2019)

fwiw I'm going to put my 2 cents in here. 

I've been in and out of N gauge for the last 30 years. The Kato product really is nice and very reliable. I just don't like the plastic roadbed underneath. Just a personal preference. 

I've recently gotten back into N and have done quite a bit of research into Code 55 and Peco comes up highly reviewed. The flex track is very similar, if not indistinguishable from Atlas but the switches are far superior. I've started working with them and have to agree that are almost flawless operationally. 

If your preference is to go real scale with separate roadbed mainlines and no roadbed in yards, etc. I recommend the Peco product and for their switches in particular. 

Your mileage may vary.
Ted


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## rrjim1 (Mar 12, 2015)

Sectional track including Kato will never be as reliable as flex track. Common sense will tell you that the more connections the more problems that can exist down the road.


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## kenf (Dec 7, 2019)

ted535is said:


> The Kato product really is nice and very reliable. I just don't like the plastic roadbed underneath. Just a personal preference.
> Ted


Ted,

Here's an excellent video on how to ballast Kato track. I especially like this guys' work because, while he "does it right", he also uses basic supplies when possible.

I'll be doing my first build, soon, and I'll ballast as Roy does here:


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Significantly different yes, but in a bad way.*



CTValleyRR said:


> Unless the N scale stuff is significantly different than the HO, it has one major drawback, too. The turnouts are absolute junk. Short points and embedded twin coil solenoids are just asking for trouble.



CTValleyRR;

From what I've read about Bachmann N-scale EZ-Track turnouts on another forum, they are significantly different from the HO-scale Bachmann ones alright. Significantly worse! :smilie_daumenneg: 

One comment was "The HO ones are bad, the N-scale ones are junk, plain and simple."
Another said, "We bought a lot of these things. We regretted it as soon as we put them in play. Fussing with them didn't help either. We gave up and lost a lot of money. We can't give these things away! There were other comments in the same negative vein.
The only "favorable" comment was from someone who had modified them to work (sometimes) "They're OK, but only OK. I run them only manually." (The weak, embedded, twin-coil switch machine does not always throw the points all the way) "You have to flick them pretty good or you will get a derailment. It's easy to have them (the points) go into the center if your not paying attention, or just bump one." 

That's not exactly the sort of glowing praise that would motivate me to run right out and buy some! 

I tacked the comments, and my own quality rankings of seven commercial turnouts, onto the end of my beginner's PDF file "All about turnouts", attached below. My hope is to dissuade at least a few "newbies" from throwing money away on these turnouts, and experiencing the same problems that other folks have had with them. 

By the way I loved your "plastic chips & nickel silver" comment! :laugh:

Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:

View attachment All AboutTurnouts rev 5.pdf


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## QueenoftheGN (Dec 10, 2019)

i would say kato unitrack


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

traction fan said:


> CTValleyRR;
> 
> From what I've read about Bachmann N-scale EZ-Track turnouts on another forum, they are significantly different from the HO-scale Bachmann ones alright. Significantly worse! :smilie_daumenneg:
> 
> ...


The thought that anything could be worse than an HO Bachmann turnout is truly terrifying!!!


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## DavidJones (Nov 21, 2019)

I got a giant box of EZ track with about 15 turnouts on Ebay over a year ago.

I've spent a year getting things to run. I looked today and of the 16 turnouts I have, 11 are now Kato. I still have an unused EZ track turnout (L when I need R), but the rest have all had to be replaced. I did the last turnout replacement on Wednesday. It was Kato with Kato track. After maybe 2-300 hours fiddling with the EZ track, strangely when I laid the Kato I just expected it to work. It did!!!!


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