Sat 12-8-18 9:05 p.m.
There are basically four kinds of HO track: 1) brass Atlas sectional track (available at hobby stores), 2) sectional track which comes with train sets (for example, AHM, Bachmann, Life-Like, Tyco), 3) track with a solid plastic roadbed, and 4) various types of 3 ft long flex track.
I personally have always used the Atlas and other types of sectional track with open spaces between the railroad ties. This type of track is generally designed to be attached to a substrate (for example, a plywood train board).
Your track with the plastic base is good for setting up an oval under the Christmas tree, but it is not as common as the sectional track with open space between the ties.
Keep in mind that boxes of sectional track can be had at model train shows for next to nothing (pennies on the dollar). Track does not market well on ebay. Track is generally considered chaff by most dealers. The money is in new / used locomotives and cars.
There is something you should be aware of when it comes to Christmas trees and trains. Trains have a nasty habit of picking up foreign material (Christmas tinsel, thread, yarn fibers, carpet fibers, cat / dog fur, dust, fuzz, etc.) String-like materials like find their way into locomotives and cars where it gets wound around the axles. This can retard the movement of the model trains and even cause locomotive motors to burn up. The motors are trying to overcome the resistance of the fibers which cause binding of the axles, train wheels, etc.
From a foreign object damage perspective, the sectional track with a plastic base helps to keep debris out of locomotives and cars. However, the plastic base-type track my be difficult to find and purchase. Give some thought to using sectional track with open space between the ties. However, put something down undeneath the track (plywood, accoustical ceiling tile panels, a sheet of plastic, platic film, etc. If the substrate is relatively stiff, the track will not flex up and down when the train travels over it. Thin plastic sheet is convenient for short duration setups during Christmas.
One final note about Christmas. Alway unplug your transformer / power pack before going to bed at night. The transformers generate heat, and you do not want your house to burn down around Christmas time.
Regards,
ag01
