The vast majority of us use LGB sectional track. The next largest group uses LGB flextrack. Generally we give little thought to any other kind and maybe for valid reasons. LGB track is extremely rugged and virtually weatherproof. It is reliable; trains stay on it. In fact the makers of most trains we run have designed their products specifically to operate on LGB track. It conducts electricity as well or better than anything else available. And finally, if for some reason we should remove or rebuild a layout, LGB track is so durable we usually may pull it up, take apart the sections, and use them again. Altogether, not a bad endorsement.

So why consider anything else? Looks. The only substantial failing of LGB track from most Americans' point of view is its European appearance and oversized rail. Of course the combination of larger-than-scale rail along with larger-than-scale flanges on the wheels of all outdoor equipment minimizes derailments. It puts the trains just above many obstructions such as twigs and pebbles. And the sheer volume of brass in the rail offers less electrical resistance, so it is unnecessary to run a lot of feeder wires throughout your railroad.

The Advantages of Handlaid Track

Then we visit a layout such as Dave Cummins' in Northridge, California, with its .197 inch high nickel silver, instead of .332 inch high brass, rail. And we see Dave's scale-width handlaid redwood ties. And we go home to our own track and want to retch. At least I wanted to, because Dave's track looks real and mine looks like it came out of a red box decorated with dozens of little 2020's. The only thing preventing me from abandoning the hobby on the spot, running away to Wynot, South Dakota, and living out the remainder of my life in shame was the realization that if I had tried to handlay my track as Dave did, I would still be trying. Oh, yes: And every seven inches my trains would probably derail.

Clearly, as beautiful as it may be, handlaid track is for the skillful and patient few among us with plenty of free time.

How To Cheat...Legally

Another alternative: If you're wealthy enough, you may buy handlaid track. Yes, engineers, a company in Florida called Old Pullman will sell you lengths of code 197 nickel silver rail they have already spiked to individual redwood ties. They will also provide matching turnouts in nice, wide radii. All you have to do is grade the roadbed, drop on the track, and spread on the ballast.

Did I neglect to mention LGB wheels fail to run through the turnouts? Old Pullman's flangeways are too narrow. They built them to "finescale" standards. So you're stuck with running Aster, Precision Scale, or some other esoteric, fabulous looking, ten-thousand-dollar-a-pop locomotives and with replacing the wheels on all your LGB and compatible rolling stock. Then your only problems are getting some of the engines to run as well as an LGB and making the loan payments to the bank.

Other Kinds of Flextrack

Okay, what else is available? In San Diego, Larry Rose built extremely good looking track with Peco code 250 nickel silver turnouts and Micro Engineering code 250 aluminum rail on Llagas Creek flexible plastic tie strips. Peco turnouts are of the sectional persuasion just as LGB, and the ties are black. They resemble British design, but they look quite good anyway. Peco also makes matching nickel silver flextrack on plastic ties. By the way, nickel silver is about twice as expensive as brass; aluminum costs less than brass.

Micro Engineering now makes its own aluminum and nickel silver flex- and sectional track in a variety of sizes using brown plastic ties; the turnouts from Llagas Creek and Micro Engineering use wood ties. Outdoors, over time, the stain in the wood will fade and the turnout ties will become lighter than the plastic ties. So you'll have to restain them.

One problem with the Larry Rose approach: Electricity. Larry runs with radio control, so he could care less. But for those of us unimpressed with the performance characteristics of radio control, or unwilling to go through the tedium of installing receivers and rewiring locomotives, the electrical conductivity of the track becomes rather significant. And the problems are twofold.

First, the aluminum alloys in some manufacturers' rail are less desirable than either brass or nickel silver for operating on track power. (The folks at Llagas Creek and Micro Engineering say, in general, aluminum is actually a better conductor than brass and the rail in their aluminum track products works just fine.) So even though the electrical conductivity of aluminum may be satisfactory, it is next to impossible to solder and it engages in electrochemical squabbles with brass and nickel silver. In two and a half words, they're incompatible.

Second, as good as nickel silver looks, especially when it oxidizes, that oxidation reportedly tends to make it less conductive outdoors than brass. Yes, I know it works better indoors. No, I have no idea why brass is supposed to work better outdoors. I promise to take graduate courses in metallurgy and, in time, publish my dissertation on these pages. For now, just trust me.

Code 250 Brass Track

Terrific. What's left? Well, your pal in the Los Angeles Garden Railway Society, Rich Garich, offers code 250 brass rail flextrack with brown plastic ties perfectly scaled to either narrow or standard gauge tie dimensions and tie spacing. That's to satisfy the guys in 1:22.5 or 1:24 scale narrow gauge and those modeling 1:32 scale standard gauge. If you run mostly Aristocraft/REA 1:29 scale, you'll have to choose whatever looks better to you. Rich also has good looking, matching turnout kits (on wood ties) in appropriate radii. They come pregauged and ready to lay but you'll have to spike them by hand. And to anticipate your next question, Rich says Llagas Creek flexible tie strip only works for Micro Engineering's aluminum rail; the base is narrower than on his code 250.

Final Note On Brass Track

If your railroad uses LGB track but you have a tight fit along the right-of-way, Roger Parker (The Parker Company) builds curved turnouts in various radii from LGB code 332 brass rail. He spikes them to individual mahogany ties. He even stains and seals them for you. All you have to do is slide the turnouts into your layout and run trains.

Ballast

If you think choosing track was fun, now we get to look at ballast. The main choices seem to be pea gravel, crushed rock, chicken grit or coarse sand, and decomposed granite. I exclude such sub-roadbeds as concrete or wood because they are structural. And let's eliminate pea gravel right away. Yes, I know some of you have used it successfully and I know it looks okay. But, compared with crushed rock, pea gravel is round. It tends to slide and spread more than crushed rock. The latter is jagged and the pieces tend to lock together and stay put. They are equally available and about the same price so why choose pea gravel?

Roofing Rock

The easiest kind of crushed rock to find is roofing rock. It comes in various sizes, each size has a number, and the bigger the number the smaller the rock. The smallest common size I have been able to find at roofing supply companies is Number 5. It is about twice as large as scale and a little smaller than most pea gravel but seems to work well with the over-scale size of LGB track. In Southern California, most roofing rock seems to be granite. I imagine in other parts of the country they use whatever is cheap and plentiful. That's usually good, because the color may blend nicely with the color of the soil in your area. Depending on your taste, you may spread on the roofing rock and leave it at that or use it as a sub base for chicken grit.

Chicken Grit

Chicken grit comes in a few sizes but the one most suitable for our purpose is Number 10 (the smallest). You may find it at feed stores specializing in farm animals. Coarse sand, from building supply companies, might be a more commonly available alternative. As in the case of roofing rock, chicken grit and sand come in sacks. Unlike roofing rock, feed stores usually try to avoid delivering chicken grit.

The stuff looks great, especially with handlaid track or closer-to-scale flextrack. One little problem: It is so small and light it tends to wash away. Even fixing it with slightly diluted yellow carpenters' glue (aliphatic resin), concrete adhesive, or powdered cement may only forestall the problem for a while. So every year or two you'll probably have to do what 1:1-scale railroads do: Reballast.

Decomposed Granite

If you like backwoods lines, unballasted track, or the appearance of neglect, decomposed granite may be just for you. It works the same as ballast but it has the appearance of dirt. It discourages (but fails to prevent) weeds from growing, spreads on easily, tends to stay out of the moving parts of turnouts, and looks great. You may glue it down as you would chicken grit, and that might be a good idea because decomposed granite is even lighter than chicken grit and it, too, may tend to wash away. One other disadvantage you might consider: It is closer to actual earth than other forms of crushed rock, so it tends to spatter a little when water falls on it. Oh, well. Nothing is perfect.

Summing Up

Everything, they say, is compromise. If your main goal in outdoor railroading is to minimize maintenance and maximize operation while sacrificing only slightly in appearance, a combination of LGB track and Number 5 (or smaller) roofing rock might be your best choice.

If you are willing to spend a few hours each year reballasting and a few minutes before each operating session making sure the right-of-way is clear of debris, smaller rail and chicken grit or coarse sand might be feasible.

If you prefer the illusion of neglect, decomposed granite may offer the ultimate in ballast and the realistic impact of code 197 rail on individual redwood ties would certainly make your friends jealous. You will probably, however, pay the price in additional maintenance and the increased probability of derailment.

Choose your own compromise. Just keep in mind the immortal words of Dave Cummins after he tore up his entire railroad, handlaid track and all, prior to a move: "I think if I had it to do all over again, I'd do it all over you." Or maybe he said something else; I really don't remember.