# Sectional Track Design



## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Without restricting yourself to any scale/size, which sectional track has come the closest to providing the smoothest surface with the best electrical connections in your opinion? Has anyone ever gotten it completely right?

I am not looking to compare track options or characteristics like lane spacing. I am just interested in whether anyone, since slot cars were born, was able to develope a really good plastic (or wood) sectional track design.

Thanks...Joe


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Carrera Go 1/43 scale track is pretty smooth. I also have some Marchon track that I thought fits together so well, but I never set a track up using it. I heard the Tjet track was good.

Rich

_The thoughts and opinions expressed are soley that of the writer._


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## Mike(^RacerX^) (Mar 15, 2003)

For HO,there has never been anything to my liking.That being said,I built my layout with Tomy track,even tho I had a ton of Tyco stuff laying around.
I used Tomy because of the variety of sizes available.

Took many hours of puttying and sanding to get it to my liking tho.

Mike


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## ScottD961 (Jan 31, 2008)

I would have to say Tomy. Alot of it I have bought here and it was mostly new , never used. I have had no trouble with it at all. I will say though the original t jet track was fantabulos. I never minded the lock and joiner part of it at all.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

Technically, MaxTrax and WizzTrackz are sectional plastic tracks and both of these are very smooth and have good electrical and magnetic characteristics. Either of these large format, plastic, modular track systems is superior to anything you'll ever get in the toy track or small format set track category. So yeah, they got it right but had to break out of the traditional mold to get it right. The only thing lacking with these designs is even more variety of sections and lower price points. From a total cost of ownership and plug & play perspective however, the Max and Wizz tracks are both right on target and competitive with anything out there. 

I've owned original Aurora Model Motoring, AFX Snap Track, modern Tyco/Mattel, and Tomy AFX track and raced on just about everything including continuous railed Tomy and wood + welding wire customs. Without a doubt, in the small format set track category I would choose Tomy over all of the others. It's far from perfect but it has served me much better than all of the others in its category.


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## Jim Norton (Jun 29, 2007)

*Believe it or no.....AFX*

In HO I will have to say the original AFX. Despite the broken tap issue the track joined well, had minimum joint and was smooth. Also, lots of great trackpieces. I wish Tomy would do the Daytona bank curve with the molded on wall.

Jim Norton
Huntsville, Alabama


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

There's an idea. Take some of the classic AFX peices, and fit it with a Tomy joint!


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

Ask me again if and when GAR comes out.


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## raypunzel (Jul 24, 2005)

*GAR anyone?*

I'll bite...inquiring minds would like to know what a GAR is?


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

GAR is the sectional track being developed by Brad Bowman, he of routed track fame. Some people, Lenny especially, get cross that I dare to mention a system that has been a long time coming and infer that I know what is happening.

Brad is a good mate, and I am prepared to wait.


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Montoya1 said:


> GAR is the sectional track being developed by Brad Bowman, he of routed track fame. Some people, Lenny especially, get cross that I dare to mention a system that has been a long time coming and infer that I know what is happening.
> 
> Brad is a good mate, and I am prepared to wait.



Whats Dan got to do with the Gar System?


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

Nothing.


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Montoya1 said:


> Nothing.


I must be missing something here then. 

Dave


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

Check your PMs.

I don't want to derail this thread. I am happy to wait for Brad, and if others explore other options in their belief GAR will not happen, that is up to them.

To answer the 'skate's question I would have to say Carrera 1/24th scale track is the best sectional stuff in terms of smoothness.


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Montoya1 said:


> Check your PMs.
> 
> I don't want to derail this thread. I am happy to wait for Brad, and if others explore other options in their belief GAR will not happen, that is up to them.
> 
> To answer the 'skate's question I would have to say Carrera 1/24th scale track is the best sectional stuff in terms of smoothness.


I imagine Brad is suffering the same problem GJ is, costs vs sales.. I don't imagine GAR will be viable till oil speculaters stop their nonsense or the goverments crack down. So I fully understand why Brad is waiting be darned if I would lay out 20-30 grand to get a warehouse full of track! only to have prices drop back down to nothing and lose my shirt.. I personally wouldn't even try to make a new track these days I think Grundge pointed it out and painted a pretty good picture in another thread on how frusterating it would be.. Just steal Joe's track 


Dave


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

*Atlas HO?*

NODDAZ and SLOTROD65 have said that Atlas HO track (also used by Lionel, I believe) was very smooth, except for the crossings. MFINGER1 has also had experience with Atlas track. 

I'd be interested to hear a full evaluation from them or anyone with Atlas experience -- both the good and bad points of the system.

Does anyone know where there is a list of all the track pieces that were in the Atlas line?

-- D


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

coach61 said:


> I imagine Brad is suffering the same problem GJ is, costs vs sales.. I don't imagine GAR will be viable till oil speculaters stop their nonsense or the goverments crack down. So I fully understand why Brad is waiting be darned if I would lay out 20-30 grand to get a warehouse full of track! only to have prices drop back down to nothing and lose my shirt..
> Dave


The problem is a little more fundamental than that, although the oil price does not help of course. I am prepared to play the long game....


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*The last train to "GAR-kston"*

cue scene: Linus freezing his kahonaes off waiting on the Great Pumpkin.

"The great Pumpkin will come....you just wait! He'll show you! I just know he will!

Arrrrrrrgh!


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*I have to admit...*

I have to admit I like my Carrera track (since all scales were included in this...) If HO fit together this nice and was this smoooooth.....:woohoo:

In HO mass produced track I feel Atlas/Lionel is superior to MM.
The brass connectors for hooking the track together are a great idea..
Tomy has better connections over MM, Tyco/Mattel/LL ect...
Tomy has a greater selection of track than anyone else.
If Tomy could work out the bumps where the track joined together it would be great... The fact that I have to work out the bumps (trimming tabs) makes it only ok... :lol:
Also countersunk screw holes would be nice....

But I have to wonder what would happen if Walthers spent some capital on their LL track what could come of it. (Not that they will. I had high hopes for LL slot line when Walthers bought it... Of course I also tried to interest LL in Tjets once upon a time and THAT went nowhere...)

Scott


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I guess there just isn't any "smoothe" sectional track, hence the term. Have you ever driven down *i20* through Shreveport? You would swear you were riding on LifeLike track. All the sections of concrete have shifted and it's *rough as heck* from one section to the other. So, HEY, sectional track may just be adding a touch of realism, _the kind we don't want_. Hmmm... *Maybe* we are going about this all wrong. Instead of coming up with smoother track, let's install shocks and suspensions on our chassis! From the look of some of the handywork I've seen on this site, I'll bet someone can do it.

Drive a Hopper

Rich

www.myspace.com/northtexasslotcars


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Montoya1 said:


> The problem is a little more fundamental than that, although the oil price does not help of course. I am prepared to play the long game....



Almost 3 years since a page update for GAR. not looking too good I wouldn't be holding my breath.. unless of course you like doing that kind of thing.. lol


Dave


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

coach61 said:


> So I fully understand why Brad is waiting be darned if I would lay out 20-30 grand to get a warehouse full of track!


 $20k-$30k isn't even a starting point to produce a line of track. I know; I've been there. You would be talking about AT LEAST 15k per piece, probably more for a high quality product. If you wanted 10 different pieces to start, you're talking $150k-$200k in ordere to get up and running. And that was before oil prices went crazy.




coach61 said:


> Just steal Joe's track
> Dave


 Hey!!!!

Joe


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

coach61 said:


> Almost 3 years since a page update for GAR. not looking too good I wouldn't be holding my breath.. unless of course you like doing that kind of thing.. lol
> 
> 
> Dave


If you mean the page I think you mean, that is not Brad but a chap who jumped the gun big-time.

As I said, I am in the know and i'll wait.


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## BKracer (Sep 25, 2005)

Senor Hall that's "cajones"(hee hee hee!)life like made the perfect 12" banking with a less pronounced, karrusell like pitch ....too darn bad it did not join together well!!!


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

YEah, those 12" radius LL banks are SWEET. A built in shoulder and fence, and not too steep. Too bad the inside banks are banked a different degree, or I would have built my Four lane bank track with LifeLike. Hey, maybe Joe could make an inside bank track to match! OR, a 15" radius Tomy bank. I'd by some, as long as they weren't 15K a piece.

Rich

See my 4lane bank track @ www.myspace.com/northtexasslotcars


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