Which 3-Rail O Gauge Track System is Right For You!?

Are you in the market for some 3 rail O gauge track for your Lionel or MTH trains, but not sure what track to get? Let’s check out some offerings of what’s easily available! Today we check out the following track systems-

Menards tubular
Lionel Fastrack
MTH Realtrax
Atlas O

[tomspencer]

Hello everyone. Just jumped in to say. I used MTH realtrax for my outside layout, on my 18 x 16 deck. On Cape Cod Mass for over 12 years. It's was the original style solid nickel silver rails. Day in and day out. 24/7 winter spring summer, and fall just before they put out their statement about not using it outside because the plastic was not UV protected. Well that never bothered the track. except for some fading of the road bed color, which you could not tell until you held it next to a new piece. Had a double main line. Sidings work area. Oh yes and a passing siding. Finally took it up after about 14 years. Bone marrow cancer settled in for a bit. It was kind of a rare mutation and quite a bugger to fight. but after two years I am still here my immune system is still below normal and will be for a while longer. I also managed to blow 3 disc in the back. One really crumbled second one is going in third one is bulged . L 4-5-6, but this is not about me. I loved MTH real trax. Never A problem with signal loss from DCS or TMCC. Little to no voltage drop anywhere on the whole layout. Never had a command engine weather MTH or Lionel lose signal. Yes the deck has been reworked. Still have that old MTH real trax. Doctor says as long as I take it slow, the layout can go back up. Maybe bigger this time. Have a whole new round of grandchildren. And a whole new group of neighbor hood kids to deal with. Some times the grown kids stop by to talk to me with the fun they had letting them play with the trains. Some stop by with their new borns to ask about it. And leave their cell phone numbers, and ask I call when it's back up so they can bring their young ones by to play. A few have asked me to help plane a garden o gauge layout. Oh buy the way the attic central is back up and running. 14X30. 2 mainlines. MTH DCS.Lionel TMCC, and legacy. Thanks to some outstanding customer service by 3 wonderful customer service folks. Cancer be dammed full speed ahead. Time to blow the dust of these locos, and steamers. Sorry for such a big input. Love your videos, and keep up the good work. If I can get my old layout back up and running. What's your excuse. Love to all my train brothers and sisters. ❤

[jakekreutzer]

Lionel switched from Tubular to FasTrack in the 2003 volume 1 catalog. I had a starter set from that catalog and that’s how I got started. Also the very first run had black center rails (which I have) before they switched to all silver. Wish they had kept the black center rail. Loved the look.

Despite this, most of my track is from 03-04 and has developed a bunch of electrical issues and resistance, and yes, rust! Granted it’s 20 years old, but it should last much longer.

I began rebuilding my layout in 2020 and I am now using Gargraves and it is much, much better for both power and rust. Voltage barely drops over distance and DCS/TMCC signals are way better! Gargraves is pricey, but so far so good. I got the Tinplated track with real wooden ties. The magnetraction works on that. They also make a stainless steel with plastic ties but I haven’t used that.

[blazer]

I use Lionel Fastrack for my 8’ by 24’. For me no power issues and likes are the command control switches along with the sensor track system. The command control switches are great for controlling block signals.

[gordonheft]

Extremely helpful video. I'm brand new to O gauge and had no idea what to get. But when you showed the Lionel Fastrack, that sealed the deal for me. Have since purchased some, and I think it is fantastic. Thanks for explaining the pros and cons of each type of track.

[ltcapricel]

You missed perhaps the most important pro to the Atlas track - the durability. Unlike most other O-gauge track systems, the Atlas track uses *solid* rails, like LGB (though theirs is brass, and Atlas is nickel silver) making it the track of choice for temporary floor level layouts, such as during the holidays, where if the track accidentally gets stepped on (by an adult, at least) you're not gonna be heading to the hobby shop (or worse, online) to try to find a new piece of track, which you most likely will be doing with the more typical hollow sheet metal track such as the tubular track or fastrak/realtrax.

[willieorpurt]

Dude, I just happened across your video from watching other train stuff. I'm any older gentleman that has not set up or ran my HO set/sets in years. Probably like 45 years. Waiting till I get my big garage built for my car hobby. I'm a car guy. Then wanting to set up my kid trains in the upstairs part. But I have been watching train videos because you know how YouTube works on suggesting videos on things you have looked/watched on there.
Now I mentioned I have HO scale, but have always wondered about O scale which I have always known as or called it the Lionel style track. It was always confusing to me. So to get to my point here on what I want to say is. You done a vey good job here on explaining the O scale track and your opinion on the pros and cons of those tracks. And I'm glad to see that they over the years have started to make the O scale track look more realistic. Because I was always used to seeing the (Lionel style) track that I never liked as a kid. Because it didn't look realistic. Great video! because this now older kid needed it explained!
Thx!

[tomrogers]

Excellent review of O gauge track systems, Zach. Fair and personal at the same time. It's always good to have informed personal experience in the mix. I've always been a fan of Real Trax since the first time I used it. When I started out it was easily available at the train store near me, before Lionel introduced their roadbed attached track. Unfortunately, that store dumped all O gauge product when MTH announced its closure, and now my only option would be mail order. Since I moved away from that area, I've not been able to set up a permanent layout because of injury, age and other limitations, accept for a dining room table Christmas scene occasionally. Fyi, although I'm not sure about how easy it is to acquire, I think a good alternative to Atlas track is track produced by Ross Custom Switches. It's pricy compared to others, but for realism and price, it's more economical than Atlas. Thanks for your always welcome insights and comments, Zach. Keep 'em comin'!

[josephlynch]

Zach, I have found that old Lionel tubular track marked with NY. I'm currently working on putting ties under it. My trains are pre and postwar (old school). With two loops of 31 and one 27 on a 10 x 6 table I'm satisfied. Nice video.

[cooper]

I’ve been going to Tony’s store since I could walk it’s cool to see someone else knows him!

[ralphmiller]

I'm a 3-rail modeler and I hand lay my rails on bass wood ties. I use code 148 steel (for magne-traction) and Nickel silver rails while the middle rail is a blackened code 100 rail. I spike the rails down and can create easements going into curves. My scale fleet looks very good on scale rails and yes, everything postwar, MPC era and modern locos and rolling stock run better on it than on these other track systems. Only the Lionel re-issue of their prewar B6 switcher has drive wheel flanges which are too big and bump into the ties. A little machine grinding can take care of this. I create my own turn outs as well. It is so fun to do but WOW, ya gotta be patient.

[Newts_Trains]

Good video, but what about the noise factor? Atlas track is by far the quietest. Lionel Fastrack is probably the noisiest.

[Trumanwuzdabomb]

I have this to say about the MTH track. The first couple of times you use it, it works fine, but after a few years the copper connections on the bottom get twisted and the track does not carry the current.. I have to jump it because the connections are just lousy. My recommendation is go with the fast track.

[HighKlassEazy]

Love the laugh/chuckle.
Very helpful, Thank You!

[whitmorestrains]

I have all Menards track. I love how easy it is to cut down custom length tracks. There is actually a ton of flex in all the joints. I can move the curve inward and outward to align it, and you actually have to work at it to keep the straights laser straight. I purchased rubber ties on eBay that look pretty good. My biggest con is switches. I want new switches, and only thing available is Ross custom switches in 072 curves. I run drops every 12ft or so which has worked out well. For the money and availability, I have no complaints.

[fredashay]

Thanks for the video! While my main layout is HO, I do have some O trains that I set up on my living room floor from time to time. I use Lionel FasTrack for that for its durability.

[jakeclark]

Hope all is good in the train world! Look forward to the next video. Strohs car gets my vote!

[lehl_railfan]

my biggest issue with Fasttrack is after a while, when you keep putting it together and disassembling the pins get lost. This can cause dead spots and cause engines to stop in their tracks. Which you kind of mention in the video.

[awesome]

I love my Fastrack layout but the noise gets irritating after a while

[PedrotheOscalecollector]

I used lionel fast track it's work really well used to used mth realtrax and I got tired of it because it would break and not stayed connected it's was time consuming and I switched to lionel fastrack and I like atlas o scale track and lionel tuberlare track I love it

[ronaldsnell]

Helps to know this information. Thanks