The world of O-gauge, 3-rail track comes in three main choices: tubular, roadbed, and realistic. The next challenge is selecting the right brand from the many manufacturers — some still in business, others long gone — that will fit your wants and desires.
Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc.
Address: 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205
Website: shop.atlasrr.com
Email: csdept@atlasrr.com
Phone: 908-687-0880
A strong player in the track world, it shouldn’t be a surprise for Atlas to have its own products in O gauge, 3 rail. The company produces roadbed tracks in its Industrial Rail line of nickel silver rail, albeit a modest selection with only O-36 curves currently available and basic accessory features to go along with its 10” straight tracks (including an adapter to Lionel’s FasTrack, No. 1001096). The realistic track under the 3RL line is where Atlas truly shines with its nickel silver T-rail and scaled ties. You’ll find a plethora of this line, including straights, a wide range of curves, as well as a variety of switches and diamond crossings.
Industrial Rail
Type: Sectional roadbed with T-shaped, tinplate rail
Available components: straights, Lionel adapter piece
Curve radius: O-36
3RL
Type: Sectional with nickel silver rail and scale brown ties
Available components: Straights, uncoupling track, flex track, turnouts, crossings (22.5, 45, 60, and 90 degrees), smaller fitter pieces
Curve radii: O-27, O-36, O-45, O-54, O-63, O-72, O-81, O-90, O-99, O-108
Bachmann Industries
Address: 1400 East Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124
Website: shop.bachmanntrains.com
Under the Williams by Bachmann brand, the company has brought its popular E-Z Track system into the O-gauge world. The detailed gray roadbed and tin-plated rails are currently being produced as 10” straights and O-36 curves in four packs or bulks of 24 only. The roadbed comes with E-Z track snap-fit assembly, making exchangeability with other brands tricky. However, a transition piece connecting to tubular track is available (No. 00283)
Type: Sectional roadbed with tinplate rails
Available components: Straights, curves, and tubular transition piece
Curve radii: 0-36
GarGraves Trackage Corporation
Address: 8967 Ridge. Rd., North Rose, NY 14516
Website: gargraves.com
Email: gargraves@gargraves.com
Phone: 315-483-6577
From its humble beginnings in the 1940s with its revolutionary flex track, GarGraves is celebrated today as one of the go-tos for those looking to scale their railroad empire in the 3-rail world. Though still producing realistic flex track, the company has also branched into sectional brands of straights, curves, and switches. GarGraves has two product lines: “Regular” with all three rails, nicknamed bright rails, made of tinplate or stainless; while “Phantom” uses a black oxide process on cold rolled steel for the center rail, creating the illusion of a more realistic 2-rail track.
Phantom line
Type: Flexible and sectional tinplated or stainless steel outer rails with black oxide process on cold rolled steel for the center rail, and black or gray plastic ties
Available components: Straights, curves, fitter pieces, transition pieces, turnouts, 90 degree crossovers, bumpers, dual gauge pieces
Curve radii: O-32 O-42, O-54, O-63, O-72, O-80, O-89, O-96, O-106, O-113, O-120, O-128, O-138
Regular line
Type: Stainless steel with black or gray plastic ties
Available components: Straights, fitter pieces, transition pieces, turnouts
Curve radii: O-32 O-42, O-54, O-63, O-72, O-80, O-89, O-96, O-106, O-113, O-120, O-128, O-138
K-Line
K-Line is not in business. You can still find used tubular and realistic tracks from the company — Super-K and SuperSnap with the “Shadow” third rail — in the secondhand market and online stores such as Trainz.com. Chatting with those in the hobby, K-Line track is often referred to as “oldies but still goldies.”
Lionel Trains, LLC
Address: 6301 Performance Dr., Concord, NC 28027
Website: lionel.com
Phone: 586-949-4100
Once the king of tubular track, Lionel has long since switched course. The long-lasting company of electric toy trains is now considered top dog in roadbed track with its ever-growing FasTrack. From sets and packs, to individual items with unique features, Lionel isn’t afraid to pull out all the stops in this product line. As for tubular tracks, Lionel no longer sells them new today. However, an abundance of use is still available across the traditional and digital markets.
Type: Roadbed with steel rails
Available components: Straights, curved, turnouts, crossovers (45 and 90 degrees), lighted sections
Curve radii: O-31, O-36, O-48, O-72, O-84, O-96
Menards
Website: menards.com/trains
While Lionel has been out of the tubular track game for some time, Menards has since picked up the mantle. The home improvement chain offers a growing range with curves as tight as O-31. There are also tubular tracks that’ll serve as adaptors to FasTrack.
Type: Tubular sectional
Available components: straights, tubular to FasTrack transition pieces, bumpers, crossover (90 degree), grade crossing, fitter pieces
Curve radii: O-31, O-36, O-42, O-54, O-72, O-96
MTH Electric Trains
Address: 7393 Washington Blvd., Suite 101, Elkridge, MD 21075
Website: mthtrains.com
Phone: 410-381-2580
For years, MTH has had its hat in the ring when it came to roadbed and realistic tracks for its RealTrax and ScalTrax, respectively. Founder Mike Wolf’s initial retirement in May 2021 led to the downsizing of the company. MTH continues to produce the RealTrax line.
RealTrax
Type: Nickel silver rail with attached roadbed
Available components: Straights, turnouts, crossovers (45 and 90 degrees), operating track, RealTrax to tubular adapter, grade crossing, fitter pieces, bumper, elevated trestles
Curve radii: O-31, O-42, O-54, O-72
Ross Custom Switches
Address: 45 Church St., Norwich, CT 06360
Website: rossswitches.com
Email: steve@rossswitches.com
Phone: 800-331-1395
As the name implies, the name of the game for Ross is switches, which can be made available through the company’s RossPlate tubular track and the realistic Premiere and Super lines. Ross has also branched out to offer curves and straight tracks in those lines. As an added bonus, they also offer RossBed roadbeds, turntables, transfer tables, and bridges.
RossPlate Tubular
Type: Tinplated steel tubular rail spiked to real wooden ties
Available components: Sectional straights, switches, transitional pieces
Curve radii: O-72
Premier and Super lines
Type: Tinplated steel rail spiked to real wooden ties
Available components: Straights, curves, switches, double crossovers (45 degrees), bridges, turntables, and transfer tables
Curve radii: O-31, O-36, O-42, O-50, O-52, O-54, O-56, O-60, O-64, O-72, O-80, O-84, O-88, O-92, O-96
