elvated or banked track

I got my banked track or super elevated track in place on my show layout. No problem going from straight track right into banked track. the bank track holds it a t super elevated height at interface and if you hold straight tack down tight to base it transitions to super elevated gradually along its length works for 220 or 110 straight. You can see the trains roll into curve and out of it nicely. Quite impressive. I think I would not go from a turnout right into banked track but would put in a 110mm straight between turnout and banked curve. Even at 3 feet it is quite noticeable. at the shoe I did not say anything and many picked up the roll into the curve very quickly and commented on it. The adjacent oval track was R245 mm without the bank and the inside oval track was R220 mm banked.

regards Garth

I will be picking up several packs of the Rokuhan super-elevated track on my trip to Japan next month. I like all of Rokuhan's track offerings. And... it is a good value.

And these purchases of super elevated track are being made because using thin piece of plastic under the outside edge is to difficult? Nice to have if you are speeding, but is this the most important innovation in Z track we've all been looking for? Jim

No... not the most important. But, I think Rokuhans' expanding of sectional track pieces beyond everything that has been available on the market up until now is commendable, considering what little new innovations are out there for our small (in many ways) scale. While I know many of the more experienced and skilled modellers dislike sectional track... for a lot of folks, it's the easiest way to go.

Hi Jim like Alex said I also don't think it is the most important innovation, until you discover you are not good at laying good working track work in Z. If you are not a mechanical type. then calculating how much to shim and how to cut ti to get it constant in the curve then this is a no brainer. using a 110 mm straight as the lead in to the elevated track gives a smooth transition. You just have to be sure at the transition the first section of curved track is firmly down in place as it will hold the adjacent end of the straight at the elevated height and if the other end of the straight is down firmly at the end and left to float between these tow points you gee a smooth transition and I can make after the track was set and used a thin solution of (50/50with water and flowed it in with an eye dropper white glue to fill the gap. this sealed the edge and I was able to scenic right up to the roadbed edge no problem. I suppose it could be down with foam tack also but have not tried that.

The Rokuhan double slip is a great addition to the line, much better in operation than the Maerklin one. so far no unwanted rerouting with the two I have installed. I have protected the manual operators on all the turnouts with a piece of square styrene stock tat forms a fence from he roadbed edge out and around the manual operator and back the to the roadbed and fastened to a piece of 005 styrene sheet under the complete turnout, so far this has kept unwanted wicking of scenic material into the internals of the turnouts.

For those who are not good at track laying I think this is the answer to a good running layout for many. I think the plug and play wiring also helps achieve this.

regards Garth

I think that the idea with built in banking on track with roadbed is brilliant. I haven't seen it before in any scale. I just thought it is too much banking until I saw this clip from the move of UP 4014. Check out the banking somewhere half way into the clip.

Mikael