What's the most reliable N scale track?
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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.
If you're wanting in for a Yuletide train, you could do worse.
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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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Kato "easytrack"?
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:
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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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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Fixed. LOL for some reason I get that mixed up. :laugh:
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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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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.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.
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.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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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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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.
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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