By now, it is possible you have a home for your new world. You might have picked a space, decided on how you will construct a base (benchwork) and are ready to get to work. Maybe you're still in a thinking stage.
Whatever phase you might be in, you can't run trains without track.
If you are dealing with a larger scale, say S, O or even G, your track choices are relatively limited. Most track for those scales comes in sections of predetermined lengths. Some is on molded plastic roadbed, some is not.
When dealing with HO, N or Z scales, though, you have some options.
Some companies offer sectional track that is attached to its own roadbed. That is to say the track mounted to molded plastic made to look as though the rails are sitting atop mounded gravel - also known as ballast - just like the real deal. Railroad ties are also part of the molded plastic roadbed. This track is easy to set up, rearrange and is pretty stable when running trains.
Next in line would be sectional track that does not include its own roadbed. Such track can be mounted to the surface of your layout using several methods. It can be placed directly on the surface of the wood or other material you have used for your layout base. Doing so can mean a somewhat noisy operating session, but it works.
Most model railroaders employ roadbed made of cork or a foam-like material. Either of these provides a good base for track while helping to dampen noise as your trains traverse your world.
Before going much further, it might be a good idea to talk for a second about flextrack. This track comes in relatively long sections- usually about 3 feet in length. The sections, as the name might imply, are quite flexible and can be used for long, straight runs or sweeping curves. Flextrack has many uses as it can be easily cut to fill gaps, flexed to form curves and used in single, long sections to help you create a mainline run with relatively few track joints.
The use of flextrack might be determined by what kind of layout you are planning. I don't recommend it for a switching layout - one serving many industries and using many turnouts. That is best left to the sectional track options. It is also important to remember that when using flextrack, one must use care not to create curves that are too tight or to twist the track, as either will surely cause your trains to jump the track.
If you are a beginner and want something that is relatively simple to assemble, look into the sectional track that is already mounted to its own roadbed - made by Atlas, LifeLike, Bachmann and Kato.
Next week, I'll discuss turnouts. Not sure what that is? Well, let's just say that unless trains want to run into each other on a given track, they are more than necessary.
Have a question? Leave me a comment and I'll see if I can come up with an answer.