New Track Options from BrickTracks

Brickworld Chicago, being one of if not the largest gathering of AFOL train builders in the world, is often a time of incredible conversation about the hobby as well as announcements regarding new models and products.

This year saw new innovations and a wonderful announcement from BrickTracks, which is today’s topic.

Short Straight Track Pack

This is comes as a very welcome breath of fresh air since ME Models stopped producing track. As a community, we’ve largely been stuck to straight track in 16-stud multiples. Unless you’re alright with cutting up track here and there, there hasn’t been anything smaller than that for those of us who need it.

Wait no more. Scott Hoffemeyer of BrickTracks is now offering a solution. Enter the Short Straight track pack, available from BrickTracks for $19.95 USD.

Scott really knocked it out of the park with this. Not only does it come with 8-stud sections, but also 4-stud sections AND 1.6 (yes, you read that properly) sections. Compared to a standard 16-stud track section, we now have 1/2, 1/4, and 1/10 sections. 4x 8-stud, 8x 4-stud, and 8x 1.6-stud sections are included in each box.

Left to right: 4-stud, 8-stud, and 1.6-stud sections

The quality we’ve come to expect from BrickTracks is present on these new track pieces. The injection molding is fantastic and produces an excellent color match for Lego’s dark bluish gray.

BrickTracks’ product bracketing a LEGO straight section.

Track sections click nicely together and have great clutch power underneath for those that ballast their track.

The 1.6 stud is certainly the most interesting of the three, and I had to do a double take when Scott told me about it a few months ago. But, as always Scott knows what he’s doing. The 1.6 stud section is valuable in two applications: yard ladders and S-curves. Using the BrickTracks R104 switch, a 1.6 piece is needed between every switch following the first on the ladder, and a few are needed for each spur line.

1.6 sections are also useful in creating S-curves using R72 and R88 curves that adhere to the 16-stud standard.

BrickTracks R104 Switches Announced

We’ve heard this song before, and a lot of us have pledged support on Kickstarter for Scott’s switches. Even thought the fundraising campaign fell through, Scott hasn’t let us hanging. As announced at Brickworld this year, we can expect to purchase R104 Switch kits from BrickTracks sometime around this coming November.

Each kit will include a left or right turnout, a switch stand, 1/2 (8-stud) straight track, standard R104 curve, and two unique specialty curves (for parallel and perpendicular tracks).

One left-hand switch kit – everything you need!

Demonstrating the use of the 1/2 straight track and special R104 siding curve.

Demonstrating the use of the special R104 turnout curve.

An example of how the new short tracks can be combined with the upcoming R104 switches to make a functional rail yard.

This is of course extremely exciting. The last big piece of the injection-molded third-party track puzzle will soon be filled. It’s certainly a great time to be a LEGO train builder.