Which Track To Choose
| Your first choice will be whether to go for code 80 or code 55. Code 80 is the standard size rail throughout the world and code 55 is a finescale version. The code 55 track and code 80 track profiles can be seen below. The 80 and the 55 stand for the height of the track, 80 being 0.080" and 55 being 0.055". Note - some older rolling stock may not run on Code 55 due to the depth of their flanges. |
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If you choose code 80 you have got several different manufacturers who produce track. The main ones are PECO, KATO UNITRACK, FLEISCHMANN & TOMIX. The first 3 are widely available, Tomix is not so widely available but does have a huge track range (available to order on request). Below is an image to show you the 4 main track manufacturers:
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 Left to Right: KATO UNITRACK, TOMIX, FLEISCHMANN & PECO |
| Peco, Unitrack & Fleischmann will all connect together with no problem, they are all at slightly different heights due to the Fleischmann and Unitrack having a built in track bed. However all you need to do is to pad underneath the joining piece of track and away you go. The Tomix track is a slightly different story because it has a built in plastic joiner that is not removable (unlike the Unitrack) and is also on the opposite side to all the other tracks. However you are able to get around this problem with the Unitrack conversion track which is actually specifically designed for use with the Tomix track. |
| Choosing the track for your layout is really down to personal choice, if you have a specific plan in mind it may not suit all the tracks radius of curves and points, you may not like the look of certain track and that may sway your decision (but remember all these tracks appearance can be altered with not too much effort, we will show you how later on) |