How to Choose the Right Track for Your Layout

Track is the foundation of every reliable model railroad. Choose well and your trains will glide smoothly for the next decade. Choose poorly and you will spend years cursing derailments, dirty rail, and uneven joints. This guide walks through every decision you need to make: scale compatibility, sectional vs flex, rail codes, top brands, turnouts, curve radius, and how track connects to your wiring.

Match Track to Your Scale

The first rule is simple: track must match the scale of your trains.

• HO scale (1:87) trains run on HO scale track, which has a gauge of 16.5 mm between the rails. Available in Code 100, 83, 75, and 70.
• N scale (1:160) trains run on N scale track, gauge 9 mm. Available in Code 80 and Code 55.
• O scale (1:48) runs on O scale track, gauge 32 mm.
• G scale (1:22.5) uses Gauge 1 track at 45 mm.

If you are unsure which scale you are working in, look at the box your locomotive came in or measure the distance between the rails of your existing track. Browse our HO track and turnouts or N track and turnouts collections to see what fits.

Sectional Track vs Flex Track

This is the biggest decision after scale.

Sectional track is pre-formed pieces — straights, curves, turnouts — that snap or click together. The advantages:

• Easy to assemble; no soldering or careful planning required
• Perfect for temporary, portable, or "around the Christmas tree" layouts
• Beginner-friendly; you can build a working oval in 30 minutes
• Systems like Kato Unitrack and Bachmann EZ Track include molded-in roadbed, so your layout looks finished without ballasting

The disadvantages: curves are fixed radii, your track plan is constrained by what pieces exist, and the geometry can look slightly "toy-like" compared to flex.

Flex track comes in three-foot (HO) or longer (other scales) lengths that you bend by hand to any curve or transition.

• More realistic curves and easements (gradual transitions from straight to curve)
• Total layout flexibility — your design is not constrained by sectional geometry
• Fewer rail joints means fewer electrical and alignment problems

The disadvantages: requires planning, a sharp rail cutter, soldering for reliable joints on longer runs, and more skill to install cleanly.

Our recommendation: start with a sectional track set to learn the basics, then graduate to flex track for your permanent layout. Many seasoned modellers use both — sectional for yards and crossovers where standard geometry helps, flex everywhere else.

Understand Rail Codes

"Code" refers to the height of the rail in thousandths of an inch.

In HO scale:

• Code 100 — the original standard. Tallest, most forgiving rail. Compatible with every wheel flange ever made, including older brass locomotives and toy-train heritage models. The trade-off: it looks slightly oversized next to scale ties.
• Code 83 — the modern standard. Closer to prototype proportions, fully NMRA-compatible with modern wheelsets. Most new layouts in HO are built on code 83.
• Code 75 — popular with British prototype modellers (Peco does code 75 extensively).
• Code 70 / 55 — finescale rail for highly detailed layouts. Older equipment with deep flanges will not work without truck swaps.

In N scale:

• Code 80 — the workhorse, used by Atlas, Kato, Peco, and most brands.
• Code 55 — finescale option, mainly Atlas and Peco. Modern N equipment works fine on it; older equipment with deep flanges will not.

For most modellers: in HO, use Code 83. In N, use Code 80. Mix only if you understand the wheel-flange compatibility implications.

The Top Track Brands, Honestly Compared

We carry track from every major brand. Here is the no-marketing-speak summary:

• Atlas — North American standard. Excellent value, wide range, well-engineered. Code 83 and Code 100 in HO, Code 80 and Code 55 in N. Easy to find at any North American hobby shop. Sectional and flex.
• Peco — British engineering, available in both UK and North American profiles (Peco Streamline). Considered the gold standard for turnouts. Code 75 and Code 83 in HO, Code 80 and Code 55 in N. Slightly pricier but exceptional quality.
• Kato Unitrack — Japanese sectional system with molded grey roadbed. The most reliable click-together track in the hobby. Snaps positively, runs smoothly, looks finished out of the box. Especially popular in N scale, but HO Unitrack is gaining ground.
• Bachmann EZ Track — sectional with black or grey roadbed. Friendly for beginners; the gold-rail and silver-rail variants tell you immediately what era it represents. Common in HO train sets.
• Walthers (formerly Shinohara) — finescale code 83 and code 70 track and turnouts. Beautiful, but more sensitive to good wheelsets.
• Micro Engineering — Code 70 and Code 55 flex track and turnouts. The most realistic-looking track in the hobby, especially for narrow-gauge and weathered layouts.
• Tracksetta — not a track brand but a turnout-laying template tool. Useful for getting consistent curves with flex track.

Our full track and turnouts collection carries products from all of these brands.

Choosing Turnouts

A turnout (also called a switch) is what lets trains diverge from one track to another. They are specified by "number" — #4, #6, #8 — which describes how gradual the diverging route is.

• #4 turnouts — tightest, used in yards and industrial spurs. Suitable for slow-speed switching.
• #6 turnouts — middle ground. Acceptable for branch lines and mainline use at moderate speeds. The most popular choice for general use.
• #8 turnouts — long, gradual diverging route. Best for mainline use at scale speeds. Visually realistic but takes more space.

DCC-friendly turnouts are wired so they do not create a short circuit when a wheel crosses the frog. If you run DCC (and you probably will), make sure your turnouts are labeled DCC-friendly. Modern Atlas, Peco Insulfrog, Kato, and Walthers turnouts all work well with DCC.

For switching machines, browse our DCC electronics collection for Tortoise, Atlas, and other turnout motors.

Minimum Curve Radius by Scale

Use radii that allow your locomotives to navigate without binding:

Long six-axle diesels and full-length passenger cars need the larger end of these ranges. Tight curves are fine for short freight equipment but will cause derailments and pickup problems with anything longer than a 40-foot boxcar in HO.

Roadbed and Subroadbed

Track does not sit directly on plywood. Underneath, you typically use:

• Foam roadbed (Woodland Scenics Track-Bed) — the modern standard. Quiet, easy to install, comes in HO and N profiles. Browse our ballast and roadbed collection.
• Cork roadbed — the classic choice. Slightly stiffer than foam, takes well to nails or glue.
• Homasote — used as a subroadbed sheet under cork. Holds spikes well, slightly absorbs sound.

After laying track, you apply ballast — small stones that simulate the rock bed real railroads use. We carry Woodland Scenics ballast in fine (N), medium (HO), and coarse (O) grades.

Wiring and Power Distribution

For DC layouts, simple feeder wires from a power pack to two or three points around your loop are usually enough.

For DCC, plan to add feeders every 6 feet to ensure clean power across all rails. Soldered joints between rails are best on permanent layouts; on temporary ones, rail joiners alone work as long as they fit snugly.

If you have multiple sections (a yard, a mainline, an industrial track) you may want to wire them as independent power districts protected by circuit breakers — this prevents a short circuit in one area from killing power to the whole layout.

Browse our wiring and connectors collection for bus wires, feeders, and connectors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to ballast my track right away? No. Many modellers run unballasted track for years while building scenery elsewhere. But ballasting locks the track down and dramatically improves the look.

Can I mix Atlas and Peco track on the same layout? Yes, with a small filing operation at the joint. Their rail heights match closely in Code 83 / Code 75. Use code-matching rail joiners.

Why does my locomotive stall on the turnout? Most commonly: dirty wheels, dirty rail, or a wheel briefly losing contact across an insulated frog. DCC-friendly turnouts with metal frogs and powered through routing solve this.

What's the easiest track for an absolute beginner? Kato Unitrack. It clicks together positively, has built-in roadbed, and is essentially impossible to install wrong.

Should I solder all my rail joints? On a permanent layout, yes — at least every second joint. On a portable or temporary layout, rail joiners alone are fine.

Next Steps

Once your track is laid and your trains are running reliably:

• Add scenery — read our guide on bringing your layout to life with scenery and details.
• Just getting started? Read our complete beginner's guide to model railroading.

Need help choosing track for a specific layout plan? Contact us — send us a sketch of what you are building and we will recommend a track package.