I have a little extra money and was thinking about starting to buy some more track so I can expand my RR some. I am looking at the Aristo Brass flex US ties. I want Brass becasue thats what a already have. Im having a hard time finding the flex track, ridge road does not have them on their web site. Anyother goods sites I can buy them from. How does it come -just rails or do they come with the ties?? do I really need a rail bender. Can it be done without one? My current layout uses sect track. Thanks
In the past Aristo has run their track sale in the early Spring. You get 20% off, with a small cost of shipping and processing. Buy 4 of something, send receipt in to Aristo with $25.00 get another box free. Check the dates of when this is happening. It would be ashame to buy a bunch of trackin December and be able to save 20% in Janaury. I’d check their website for their “Special” of the month.
I’ll second what Ric said.
There really isn’t any such thing as Flex Track in this scale.
You can buy just the rail sticks and ties separately, but I’d also comparison shop the 4.5 and 5 foot straights. Usually they are cheaper. The only draw back is that you have to take them apart (4 screws in every 1 ft tie strip). You will probably need a bender if you plan on anything other than very shallow curves. Also, tie strips need to be clipped to conform with curves - I cut them in stacks on the band saw - every other connector on each side to end up with kind of a spring-like configuration.
The reason Aristo started making 4.5 foot straight is that they are cheaper to ship UPS. 5 Footers are classified as oversize and have a surcharge. If you are doing a local pickup, 5 footers are probably cheaper.
I’ll disagree on the flex track. I used the AMS Code 250 flex track. It bends rather nicely without cutting tie strips, and there are no screws to mess with.
Shawn
I make my own flex track with Aristo sections. Radius is also all sectional on ladder bed. Buy the European ties though (trust me). Remove the screws underneath and solder them together in 3/4.5’ sections . Making about a 13.5’ piece of flex track. Use clamps to connect the sections. Works well for me.
Bruce Chandler said:Ditto on the AMS code 332 (or whatever it is). Its very nice to work with though the copper content is the lowest possible to still call it brass. It may not be that great for track power applications.
I'll disagree on the flex track. I used the AMS Code 250 flex track. It bends rather nicely without cutting tie strips, and there are no screws to mess with.
-Brian
AMS might not work since I am using track power (unless no one has any problems with the power) how would it look with the Aristo brass track? As of now my brass aristo works great with electric. I dont have to clean track very much. I want to try and keep the track the same as what I already have: brass with US ties. I want to avoid buying a rail bender. For the price of a rail bender I can get a lot more track. Im wondering if I am better off just buying sectional track since I have no real obstacles to deal with. The area of expension is wide open. At the moment I have about enough money for a switch and one box of 12 of track - 4.5 ft brass. It is going to be a slow expansion process. Doing a little at a time or as money lets me.
I wish I could afford to buy 4 boxes get one free. The killer is getting money for more then one box at the moment.
Bruce Chandler said:Thanks for pointing that out. I should have said in Code 332, but then Brian wold have corrected me on that :D
I'll disagree on the flex track. I used the AMS Code 250 flex track. It bends rather nicely without cutting tie strips, and there are no screws to mess with.
Hahaha. No more cabooses for YOU! 
“The killer is getting money for more then one box at the moment.”
I have always purchased it on boxes, but I’m not certain that the same offer isn’t available on single pieces, it would just cost more in freight. I’d check with Aristo.
Same problem as the last two years for me though. Buy 4 tubes of rail at $250 each ( plus shipping) as all my regular not so local places either do not stock it or are sold out by Jan 1. To get teh 5th tube free seems ridiculous. I was paying a little over $100 for the same tube two years ago and the metal prices DID NOT double and they’vve dropped that much since then. No track for me for now, not until they drop prices back to where they were.
Thanks Aristo!
Chas
W. Chas. Ronolder IV said:
Same problem as the last two years for me though. Buy 4 tubes of rail at $250 each ( plus shipping) as all my regular not so local places either do not stock it or are sold out by Jan 1. To get teh 5th tube free seems ridiculous. I was paying a little over $100 for the same tube two years ago and the metal prices DID NOT double and they'vve dropped that much since then. No track for me for now, not until they drop prices back to where they were.Thanks Aristo!
Chas
I hear ya. The only reason Im getting track is a got a little extra cash (nice retro check) Most of it is going to bills but the boss gave me permission to use some of the money for track. I got one swich and a box of 4.5 ft track. Now I just hope I can find a way to bend the rail without buying a rail bender.
Well with the state of the economy right now you would think track prices would have dropped !
Last time I spoke to Lewis, he was heading to China to see what he could do about that, among other things. He did hold the track price down for years as his material costs increased. Prices often drop more slowly than they increase for a number of reasons.
I think the price will moderate eventually. I just heard on the radio yesterday that companies that were recycling paper and PTE plastic by selling to China have seen prices drop from over $200/Ton in July to near zero today. In the case of paper, the price is now - $12/Ton. We are paying the Chinese to take it away. Scarp metal will probably fall too and when it does the price of all metals will follow.
I wonder if Lewis signed a new long-term fixed price deal as a hedge against rising material cost like the one that supposedly expired and caused the huge jump in price? If he did, we might be stuck paying the higher price long after metal prices fall.
Lucky for me I still have two full boxes of 5 footers in the attic, bought at the very old price 
It’s enough to finish Phase II and III. At the rate I’m going the economy with have made a full swing by the time I need more track.
Last, I heard, Lewis had a 6-month contract on track production, and once that contract was over, then he would negociate a lower price to reflect the market values… Time will tell what’s going to happen…