MTH RealTrax-what has been your experience with it?
UD54
experience with it has been. How do you set up blocks like you do with a fibre
pin in tubular track?
TRAINMAN9
center rail. Then solder a wire directly to the center rail.
No need for insulated rails for operating accessories as this can be
accomplished the same way as the blocks.
Only drawback to this track is the need to sand down the top surface of the
center rail to remove the coating. If this is not done most engines spark when
being run. This is true with the Atlas track and switches as well.
Jon P. Vogel
> You could set up blocks by removing the copper connector underneath the tracks
> center rail. Then solder a wire directly to the center rail.
MTH recommends that you simply bend the contact so that it doesn't touch.
> Only drawback to this track is the need to sand down the top surface of the
> center rail to remove the coating. If this is not done most engines spark when
> being run. This is true with the Atlas track and switches as well.
I noticed that when I first got my MTH set, the loco sparked a lot. But, within an hour it had stopped. If I had to think about it, I would guess that the black coating was only semi-insulating and that the sparks came out from the spots where the paint was slightly uneven, thus allowing the current to arc from those small points. But, as we know, the arcing current blackens the track, thus evening out the coating. After a bit of exercise, the track is about even, and no more sparks. Of course, this is all just a wild-assed-guess. All I know for sure is that my loco doesn't spark now, but it runs really well.
I really love the MTH switches. They autosense the direction of the train into the turnout and will automatically switch. I'd never seen that before. They are just way too cool in my book. And, since all the Lionel switches I've seen were close to $50, the $50 tag on these doesn't seem too bad. Especially since in the most recent issue of O-Gauge Magazine, Jim (whatever his name is) did a bit in his column about how to make switches auto-switch. After reading his somewhat complicated scheme to do this, I appreciated my MTH switches even more.
About my only criticism of MTH track is that if you wanted some overpasses or a crossover, you have that hunk of plastic ballast built into the track. I think MTH makes unballasted track and I know that Atlas makes unballasted track, so I suppose that one could use that for such applications.
Regards,
Jon vogel
Mark Sornson
>
>
> I noticed that when I first got my MTH set, the loco sparked a lot.
>But, within an hour it had stopped. If I had to think about it, I
>would guess that the black coating was only semi-insulating and that
>the sparks came out from the spots where the paint was slightly uneven,
>thus allowing the current to arc from those small points. But, as
>we know, the arcing current blackens the track, thus evening out
>the coating. After a bit of exercise, the track is about even, and
>no more sparks.
I had the same problem. People recommend 'sanding'
the top of the middle rail to remove the coating.
I haven't done this yet, but I have a question of my
own, namely, what do experts recommend to do this
'sanding' with? Surely not sandpaper or steel wool.
> I really love the MTH switches. They autosense the direction of
>the train into the turnout and will automatically switch. I'd
>never seen that before. They are just way too cool in my book.
>And, since all the Lionel switches I've seen were close to $50,
>the $50 tag on these doesn't seem too bad. Especially since in
>the most recent issue of O-Gauge Magazine, Jim (whatever his
>name is) did a bit in his column about how to make switches
>auto-switch. After reading his somewhat complicated sche
Lionel automatic switches also auto-sense (at least the
027 automatic switches I have do). Probably the O-guage
switches do as well (I just don't have any).
What you say about the price of Lionel switches is
true, but prices seem to have fallen a bit (judging
from whatI remember about 027 prices). I've seen remote 027
switches (via mail-order) as low as $20.95 and 042 $29.95,
with O-guage swithces $35.95 (and $59.95 for O72) [from
Train Express]. Charles Ro sells standard remote O-guage
switches for $39.95, which matches the best price I've
seen for MTH O31-RealTrax switches (from Trains On Tracks).
MSRP for these switches is $49.95.
A few years ago, 027 remote switches were much more
expensive (over $30, as I recall). Perhaps the
advent of so many other track systems (like RealTrax,
Atlas-O, or Ross Custom Switches) has forced down
the price.
Oh, and by the way, what are the prices of Ross
Custom Switches like? They're running a really big
ad in the Jan 2000 issue of O-Guage Railroading
(really slamming Atlas-O). But there are no prices.
>
> About my only criticism of MTH track is that if you wanted
>some overpasses or a crossover, you have that hunk of
>plastic ballast built into the track. I think MTH makes
>unballasted track and I know that Atlas makes unballasted
>track, so I suppose that one could use that for such applications.
I second this complaint. The track riser set that Lionel sells
doesn't elevate Lionel-style 3-rail track high enough to
clear MTH RealTrax track. And, MTH doesn't make a set
of track risers, yet, although they do make an bridge girder
overpass and a steel arch bridge with risers that will
clear MTH RealTrax track. (So why-oh-why didn't they
make a full set of risers?)
RealTrax is also easier to put together than Lionel-style
3-trail track (i.e., you don't need to wear gloves), and
seems to be less likely to come apart (if it's just laid
on a table or the floor without being fastened down).
MTH shows an unballasted track in its catalogue that is
calls ScaleTrax that looks a bit like Atlas-O track.
But I don't think it's out, yet (at least no dealers
that I've been to have it in stock). PLUS, the end-ties
of each piece are cut to mate in a way which makes
ajoining rails appear to share a single tie, but this
implies that they will only join with other pieces of
MTH ScaleTrax, and MTH hasn't put an adaptor track in
the catague for ScaleTrax. However, they do make an
adapter for RealTrax that will let you join RealTrax
with Lionel-style O-guage track (or 027 track if you
shim it to compensate for the RealTrax railbed).
-mark.