Converting Atlas O Track Plan to Lionel Fastrack

[Mike_Martino]

I am a long time subscriber to CTT who recently purchased "Small & Midsize Track Plans for O Gauge Trains." I am interested in converting the track plan on pages 38-39 ("Trains, bridges and a beach") from Atlas O to Lionel Fastrack using minimum radius O-48 curves. Would this conversion be doable? Are there enough Lionel components available to match the Atlas components listed in the plan? Lastly, how much would the layout dimensions change? Thank you for your help.

[KentJJ]

Thanks for picking up a copy of the recent CTT track planning SIP, MIke! Great to see you're exploring one of my favorite plans developed by former CTT Editor Neil Besougloff. When it comes to converting a plan for another brand of track, you've really got to be careful that the sections are comparable. Curves of even a few inches (O-45 vs O-48) difference can force a plan past the edges of the layout table footprint, so my best advice is to sweat the details -- meaning, use track planning software, paper track templates, or precise sketches to figure out the dimensions of your new plan before investing in the track system. Another avenue is to consult with a professional layout designer -- see their ads in the pages of CTT.

To help you clarify some of the points you need to consider when converting a track plan, also be sure to read the following online CTT feature — 

http://ctt.trains.com/en/Operating/How%20To/2013/02/Adapting%20a%20track%20plan.aspx

Kent

Classic Toy Trains Magazine