Seems like the right place to post these questions Bob.

Track: I prefer Peco N code 55 - buy it from the UK if you can as prices can be exhorbitant in NZ. You could go for Atlas N code 55 - it seems finer but I have heard the points aren't as robust as Peco ones. Postage from the US is the killer ! At least if you buy from the UK you save 20% on not having to pay VAT. Stockists worth checking are Gaugemaster, ehattons & Anticsonline.

Hi Bob, someone just sold several packs of 10 pces of Peco code 55 for $55 +$5 frt, on trademe. i see other various amounts for sale from time to time on Trademe ,from home based businesses.

as far as rail code for NZ120. i am using a combination of Atlas code 55 and various brands of code 80. would be nice to have all code 55 , but budget won't stretch that far. Also  my Picton yard will be mostly covered in looking at photos, so couldn't see the point of using code 55 in it .             Motorised  Dandruff has been handlaying track using code 55??? and has also tried code 40. he has discussed what the code should be for NZ120. hopefully someone can answer that ?

that would be me then

http://motoriseddandruff.blogspot.co.nz/2012/01/running-in-place.html

In summary, code 55 is about 100 pound and code 40 is 75 pound. having made track in both, code 55 is far easier to work with, but code 40 looks so much better.

Thanks for the replies guys. Much appreciated. Just looking at getting some quotes for some wagon patterns made via a 3D printer locally so that i can vacuum form them.

Trackwise, I've got some Code 100 (HO) rail that  I'm thinking about handlaying in out of sight places. I know it's out of scale but nobody seems to be interested in buying it on trademe, so I thought I'd put it to use. I purchased it orignally to make HO points when I was mucking about with Sn3.5.

Something else you may want to consider, depending on your budget and picky-ness: The Atlas code 55 sleepers and sleeper spacing are much finer than on the Peco code 55, consequently the Peco sleepers are 'somewhat' closer to spec for NZ track. At least that is my understanding. Some time spent measuring the mainline sleepers at Templeton seems to support that conclusion.

As for purchasing sites, I secured a reasonble quantity of Peco flex-track and points from the US, several years ago before Capitalism started getting speed wobbles. I purchased most of it from http://www.featherrivertrains.com/ and a little from http://www.fiferhobby.com/ I think. The postage didn't seem bad at the time compared with purchasing form the UK, but that will have no doubt changed since.

Hmm, a quick price comparison between UK and US suppliers reveals a wide and margin favouring the UK these days (without taking shipping into consideration). $50 NZ less for a 30 pack of code55 flextrack than the US suppliers. There I go being wrong again, third time this century. Getting to be a concern that. 

FWIW: You could of course purchase from Peco directly - cutting out the 'middle man and getting exactly what you want and probably at a lower cost. I've ordered items from Peco over many years and they have always been very helpful. They also accept all the usual methods of payment - including cash (in British Pounds (GBP)  of course).

Their address:

PECO Technical Advice Bureau

Peco Ltd

Beer

SEETON

Devon EX12 3NA

England

Email: info@pecobeer.co.uk

An enquiry letter detailing what you would like to purchase and asking about the options available to accomplish this can do no harm,  and yes, I have had lengths of N-scale track (Code 80) sent out to me from them, so it is possible. Depending on quantity and item, it normally takes about two weeks for an order to arrive.  Hope that this helps.

Komata

"TVR - serving the Northern Taranaki . . . "

Thank you everyone who answered my post. looking seriously at Peco for my track requirements.