Fastrack Is Wonderful !!!!!!!!

[SchemerBob]

I just got my first FasTrack pieces 5 days ago, and I'm already hooked! I've already ordered more track so I can make a bigger set-up, and put away my O27 tubular track.

Houdy,

IMMENSELY WONDERFUL LAYOUT!!
[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

You want to get rid of your tubular track? If so, send it down my way to Texas.

[Brutus]

Wow - great layout! Can you post a picture of a track plan or something? I was trying to figure out - is the lower area connected to the upper area? Can you run tracks up to the upper layer and back down? It looks like there are actually 3 levels of track? Or is that my imagination? It also looks like the whole thing is basically a valley with a track going around it?

[Jumijo]

Great layout, Houdy. You have some talent in the scenery aspect, my man!

Jim

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jim Fortner

Wow - great layout! Can you post a picture of a track plan or something? I was trying to figure out - is the lower area connected to the upper area? Can you run tracks up to the upper layer and back down? It looks like there are actually 3 levels of track? Or is that my imagination? It also looks like the whole thing is basically a valley with a track going around it?

Jim, the track plan was lost with the last hard drive crash. It is basically a flat 8'x14' table. The outer most (upper and lower) loop is a folded dog bone (just two reverse loops) with the middle of it connected to the main table. Half of it is visible on the mountain and the other half goes down into the mountain and then disappears under the table. The next loop is a big oval around the table with a passing that also connects the yard. The inner most loops has another reverse loop, so a train entering it can get out without backing up. The design saved on switches and the room they take up, three trains can run continuously, all loops are connected and trains can enter or leave any of them with without backing up.
The mountain is built like table with a ¼” plywood top with ½” foam on it, and then formed with newspaper and plaster cloth. Most of the back side of it is open so I can roll the table away from the wall and clean the track inside the tunnel.

[Jumijo]

Houdy,

What do you think of the FasTrack switches? I hear nothing but good things about them.

Great dirt roads. Care to explain your technique for making those?

Jim

[Anonymous]

Regarding the FasTrack switches; I have nothing to compare them to since this is my first layout and I started with FasTrack. but I have had no problems with them. All of my 3 engines running DCS can creep them through the switches as slow as 2 SMPH and as fast as 60. The non derail feature is great and works everytime.
The dirt roads were real easy, I painted the whole foam board a light brown 'dirt" color to start, then covered an area with a combination of WS ground foam (mosty green), then just place some masking tape on the area to be a road and roll a die cast car over it with some pressure on it to make a small depression in the foam. Peel the tape off to expose the original dirt color with no ground foam on it. And it's a dirt road.

[Anonymous]

Really nice layout, Houdy. Losts of lines to run them trains.

I've started out with FasTrack and it seems to work very well too.

I like the photo of Billy Bobs Beer & Tackle with the guy in the background fishing. [8D]

[dwiemer]

Nice Job,
I was wondering if anyone knows of any "How To" books with Fastrack information? I remember seeing a book advertised for auction at "The Train Station". Anyway, the wife told me to build a detached garage with second floor for the trains!!! YaHooo!!.
Thanks,
Dennis

[Brutus]

Here's a question I have about Fastrack switches - maybe somebody already answered this in another thread or something?

Okay - they have switches with 36", 48", 60", 72" - but they only have quarter curves and half curves in 36? I noticed that the 72" comes with some short pieces of track - are those 72" curve partial sections or what? Are the extra curve pieces not needed for the wider diameter curves because more curve pieces are needed to make a half circle????

[Anonymous]

I only have used the 36's and 72's so I can share what I know about those.

The 36's come with a 1/4 curve to make up a full 36 curve if needed, and the straight section is 10", so it can replace or fit into either a full 10" straight section or with the 1/4 curve take the place of a full 36 curve.

There are three small filler peices that come with the 72's, two of them have one side of the road bed cut away and are needed to mate the switch to a regular peice of track. Notice the left side of the switch in the pic below has road bed on the switch itself. The other small filler with no road bed on either side is used if you butt two of the switces together. All of the filler peices center rails are insulated and come with a wire jumper that can be removed to make an insulated section, I nice touch IMO.
The 72's are 22 1/2 degree so I guess that is a full O72 section [?]

[Anonymous]

Houdy,

Great layout! I'm kind of where you were last year. I've bought the Santa Fe El Capitan starter set for the Christmas layout and I want to relocate it to a permanent layout after the holidays. Did you use any layout software?

Thanks,
Mike

[Anonymous]

For my first try I didn't use any software just some rough scribbles on paper. I built a layout then started the scenery almost immediately, after running the trains for a few months, and getting a few bigger engines and passenger cars it was apparent that the original plan had many flaws and was a little boring.
I downloaded the free Atlas software; although it isn’t designed specifically for FasTrack it was good enough to get a rough idea of a track plan.
Especially for those of us who have never built a layout before, I suggest coming up with a rough idea and then throw some track together and run the trains for a while giving you time to think about tweaking or changing it. The biggest mistake I made on the first layout was jumping into the scenery so fast.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your advice Houdy! One more question: Did the modifying "limitations" of the Fastrack affect your layout planning, with the Atlas software?
I have a nice area in my basement for a 9' X 5 1/2' layout, hopefully I'll be able to get a nice set up going there.

Take care,
Mike

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mlordi

Thanks for your advice Houdy! One more question: Did the modifying "limitations" of the Fastrack affect your layout planning, with the Atlas software?
I have a nice area in my basement for a 9' X 5 1/2' layout, hopefully I'll be able to get a nice set up going there.

Take care,
Mike

Not really there are enough small peices of FS available to make it pretty "flexible" . I can't remember what type of track I used in the software but it had the same DIA curves as FasTrack, and I used the software more to get the overall picture to print out, I then assembled the track as close as possible to the printed plan. I really didn't need to cut any special size track.
I think there is a track planning program out that now includes FasTrack, maybe someone here can jump in and let you know more about it.

[dwiemer]

RR Trax, vs 4.0 has the fastrack data loaded. I am using it to design mine, but it does take some getting used to. I would still go with a rough sketch to start and then go to the program. After you get used to using it, the program may be the place to start. I have a friend at The Train Station who uses this every day. Good Luck, Dennis

[Jumijo]

I was at a hobby shop this weekend and was told that Lionel is going to discontinue the small 1-3/4" sections of FasTrack. I've also been told that there are no more lighted Thomes terminal sections. The new Thomas sets do not need the lighted terminal section to work properly.

Jim

[Brutus]

Wow - I think I'll buy some just in case! I think they come in 4 packs....

[Jumijo]

You can buy those 1-3/4" tracks separately as well. I bought a bunch myself. As for the Thomas set, what do you think was changed - the loco or the CW-80?

Jim

[Brutus]

Dunno - I don't collect the Thomas sets. I'm not sure what they have changed.

[Anonymous]

Let me toss in my 2 cents worth. I love Fastrack. I run Ives trains and found they run better on Fastrack then on "normal" tub track. I give it two thumbs up!![:D][:D][:D]

[dwiemer]

With regard to Lionel discontinuing the small fastrack pieces, I spoke with a friend who is a owner of "The Train Station", he was told that the small pieces are not discontinued, just on backorder till February. I ordered a few pieces just because. I think Fastrack is here to stay and perhaps more products added to the line.

[Jumijo]

I hope it's here to stay. It's a nice track system in every respect. Glad to hear that the small pieces will not be discontinued.

Jim