Hi everyone My son and I are new to building a layout and are having problems we are trying to build a small coffee table layout with a Bachmann Jupiter train. The layout is about 2x4 It incorporates 4 turn outs We are using Bachmann EZ track and are having terrible trouble with the switches I have been researching other problems that people have had with them since we started and that has helped some of the problems The first was the Frog not fully transferring left or right but with a internet search I fixed that Second was a derailment issue with the Frog tips needing to be filed down that i fixed as well Third and the one I need help with is a couple of the switches are so intermitten in letting power through if you jiggle the switch or put it half way between settings then it works I dont visably see anything that would do this At this point I am ready to give up on this Bachmann track but feel like I have to much invested in these switches to not try a little harder If anyone can please Help us I would greatly appreciate it Happy New Year If the consensus is to switch track Please give me some reviews on what the best track is with switches
You wouldn't believe the money I had invested in EZ-Track with alot of the same switch problems you describe. Finally bagged up the whole lot, invested in Uni-track & have never regretted it one bit. But Hey that's me, Just thought I'd throw that out there.
I can attest to Unitrack being worth the money in terms of reliability. Check Ebay, but don't forget your local hobby shop. The people there are usually pretty good about advice.
I have not used either to any extent, but the people I know and trust definitively prefer Unitrack over EZ-Track. I would strongly consider switching now before investing any more money and/or time.
Yes we have decided to switch out the track. I will look into the uni track. I think I want Peco switches but Dont know which track yet. I know this has alot of opinions but I am open to your advise
That Bachmann EZ track is the low end of the quality scale. I understand if you don't want to just pitch it all, but at this point I wouldn't invest any more into it either... I highly recommend Kato Uni-track for a beginners. No other track can beat its ease of set up and dependability right out of the box. I was without space for a layout for quite some time and would occasionally scratch the itch by setting up a temporary loop out of Bachmann EZ track. Then one day my LHS owner tried to talk me into Kato Uni-track and gave me a good deal on enough to make a small oval and I was hooked. I've never regretted it and every N scale layout I've done since has used Uni-track. Yes, it is pricey but it is also the high end. You are getting the quality you pay for. While some modelers may complain is it not "prototypical" (main points being ballast color and tie spacing), it actually is! It is just that Kato is a Japanese company and the prototype for Kato Uni-Track is Japanese track! IMHO it's also the best looking of the sectional track on the market too. Having good dependable track is a serious foundation to being able to enjoy your layout and this hobby and not becoming frustrated with it. The switches (turnouts) are pricey, but you don't need to go out and buy a dozen of them to make a good layout and the ones you do buy will last you for many years (I've got some that are pushing on two decades old now) so over time you will only be adding to your collection of track, not replacing it.
