Copper tape with standard pickups?
So guys,
does the height of the rails make the difference on how well the standard pickups work as compared to tape track? I'd REALLY rather route only one slot, not three per lane to provide for rail or rebar wire, what a pain...
One would think that a smooth pickup on smooth copper tape would be awesome due to more surface contact/patch area.
If I may ask for some feedback from anyone who has run Tjets, Magnatraction or GJets on copper taped track. I'm looking for your experiences like, too much arcing, intermittent stop and go, cornering troubles, etc. I remember reading somewhere that one of the biggest troubles is in the corners, for some reason.
I'd rather not change to slide guides as I have too many cars that I'd like to rotate from my Tomy track to a copper track, if one is built, determined by your feedback. I suppose I could build a small 4x8 two or three laner and give it a try, maybe even smaller so as not to spend too much and find it fails.
I like the thought of keeping with 1/16 inch slots rather than the prefered 1/8th inch suggested by slide guide, not to mention less friction with the standard guides.
Of the articles I've read concerning wooden tracks for HO, I have not read any further reviews/reports of how those tracks are after completion. It would be very beneficial to get a write-up of the finished product to help those like myself determine if it is worth the effort to pursue wood for the sake of design creativity.
So, if you've driven on a tape track with standard pickups, please let me know your thoughts and experiences.
Brian