Hello,
I'm new to the hobby, and have finally decided that now is the time to continue on the family tradition of model railroading. With my son (now 5 yrs) the tradition is 5 generations strong; but that's not what I need help with. ;-) We just received our Lionel Polar Express starter set and love it!! I'm in the process of planning a permanent display. I have to keep my display smaller due to the fact that I know I will be moving every few years, so I'm looking at 4x8 displays.
I've found a particular layout on a website, but I can't figure out an item inventory for the track.. The description says that its an O layout, I'm assuming that this means O-31. I used a track builder computer program but I can't get it right. If anyone can help me figure out the pieces it would be much appreciated.
Here is the layout, and the link to the page that I found it on.
http://www.thortrains.net/cheap027g.html
I think you can just count up the sections of track in the picture. Looks like there are two half sections of track, all the rest are full sections. Oh, and that is O-31 tubular. If you search a little you can probably find some used. And you can probably find some O22 postwar switches. Very reliable fast acting switches that will last you a lifetime. Last time I bought some they were about $50 for a pair(right and left hand) for a complete pair with controls.
Looks like a fun layout. Add some accessories and scenery, and you'll have a nice layout.
I came up with 12 full straights
2 half straights
15 curves
2 pair switches
ATSJer, welcome to the forum. If your limited to a 4 X 8 layout the one you show will probably be a bit large for that footprint using the Fastrack that came with the Polar Express. I'm guessing that Thor is using O27 which may make it width wise but I don't know length wise. The Fastrack with the set has O36 curves which means center rail the center rail on a circle is 36" diameter, the straights are 10" long with shorter sizes available. If I remember correctly the set came with a 40" X 60" oval of track, outside dimensions, which means you can add a 5" sraight on the width and a few straights for lenght. Switchs can be inserted to add tack to the inside of the loop.
I believe there is a Fastrack group with a website and when someone familiar with them sees your post they will probably relay the info.
Enjoy your trains.
The reverse loops are great but may be a tad over 4x8
Frank53 wrote:I'm pretty confident the layout shown is tubular O-31, as opposed to O-27. If you have a polar express set, you've already got some FasTrack, although four FasTrack switches is probably going to cost about eighteen thousand dollars - or at least it seems that way. You can probably buy most of that tubular for less than the a couple of FasTrack switches, although if you're just gettingn started, you will probably enjoy teh ease of use of FasTrack more.
I'm a Fastrack user and REALLY like it. Although the cost is steep, if you shop around it is not quite as steep as everyone makes it out to be. However, It is not good for small spaces. At 36 inches across(at the center rail) it has a wide radius. If that layout is 4x8 with O-31, it would easily be 6x10 with Fastrack. I am continuallly amazed at what you can do with Realtrax (o-31) and especially traditional O-27 in such small places. It you like your layout plan, pick up some tubular somewhere.
And
That layout was meant for O31 on a 4-by-8-foot board. It was designed for trolley cars; so you may find it a bit too curvy for trains. Since O31 and O27 have the same proportions, it could be built in O27 as well, but slightly smaller.
The track sections will not fit exactly as shown. For an exact fit, track would have to be cut in a number of places (not that that is so hard to do). If you are into geometry at all, you may be able to figure it out for yourself with just a few facts about the way the track is made:
For O31, the straights are exactly 10 inches long. The radius of the curves (to the center rail) is 10 times the square-root of 2, or 14.142 inches. There are 8 curved sections in a circle. The ties are 2 1/4 inches long.
For O27, the radius is 12.5 inches. The length of the straights is this radius divided by the square-root of 2, or 8.839 inches. There are 8 curved sections in a circle. The ties are 2 inches long.
If you're sure this is the layout you want and need help with the math, let me know.
Bob Nelson
Roger Bielen wrote: ATSJer, welcome to the forum. If your limited to a 4 X 8 layout the one you show will probably be a bit large for that footprint using the Fastrack that came with the Polar Express. Enjoy your trains.
ATSJer, welcome to the forum. If your limited to a 4 X 8 layout the one you show will probably be a bit large for that footprint using the Fastrack that came with the Polar Express. Enjoy your trains.
Thanks for the welcome! I'm not planning to continue with the Fastrack rail, it's nice but I just can't get over the fact that it costs twice as much as the tubular. And, since this is my first display I want to get as much track on as possible without breaking the bank.
I really want to thank you all for your help on this. I realized pretty quickly that the Fastrack wasn't going to work on this and that if I did use Fastrack that it was going to be too big and almost twice as much $$$. I will be going with the O-31 tubular rail as that seems to be the most economical solution that allows for flexibility, and reliability. The O-27 would be cheaper but only by about 50 cents per piece at my LHS, that's not that big of a difference. However, spending $1.99 for a piece of O-31 tubular verses $3+ for a piece of Fastrack tends to add up. Throw in a couple of switches in Fastrack and all the sudden I've more than doubled the cost of my track; not a very appealing situation for a NOOB. Plus if tubular was good enough for my grandfather, and my father, I'd say its good enough for me too. I priced the set using O-31 on Charles Ro.com and it looks like its going to run about $110+ or -- which is doable for me.
I may end up using the Fastrack for the Christmas display under the tree, it shouldn't cost too much extra to add in a few pieces and have a nice active display with the Fastrack, that way I still use the track that I have now.
ATSJer wrote:However, spending $1.99 for a piece of O-31 tubular verses $3+ for a piece of Fastrack tends to add up. Throw in a couple of switches in Fastrack and all the sudden I've more than doubled the cost of my track; not a very appealing situation for a NOOB.
However, spending $1.99 for a piece of O-31 tubular verses $3+ for a piece of Fastrack tends to add up. Throw in a couple of switches in Fastrack and all the sudden I've more than doubled the cost of my track; not a very appealing situation for a NOOB.
Hey, use the track that's right for you, your purposes and your sense of aesthetic. As I said, Fastrack ain't that bad, I paid $2.10 per piece of fastrack and $45 per turnout. It IS more expensiv, but you don't have to pay list.
Regardless, Use what you like best or what fits your need. In this case it sounds like O-31 tubular. ENJOY!
ATSJer wrote: Plus if tubular was good enough for my grandfather, and my father, I'd say its good enough for me too.
Plus if tubular was good enough for my grandfather, and my father, I'd say its good enough for me too.
I sense a traditionalist in our midst - it's all good.
lionelsoni wrote:Are you aware of O34? It was made by Marx and is not too hard to find at train shows and on Ebay. It is O27 profile, but with a 15.75-inch radius instead of 12.5. It's a way to run larger stuff than you could on O27, but still get the smaller rails (albeit still unrealistically large). Marx made very nice turnouts in both O27 and O34, too. Although my layout is generally O27, I have one (outer) loop that I have kept at O34 just for visitors.
I haven't seen the O34 yet, mostly I see the O27, O31, and the Fastrack (O36 right?); then of course the bigger stuff. I'll have to check ebay for some of that because my LHS doesn't carry it, at least not in the quantities that they carry the other stuff. O34 would be nice, more gradual turn but how much more space is that going to eat up; keeping in mind that I have to plan my display so that it will be easily moved and set up in various locations over the next 20 years-ish. I know, sooner or later I'll have to graduate to a multi-piece display, but I'm not ready for that yet. Thanks for all this help ya'll this is great!
Frank53 wrote:I sense a traditionalist in our midst - it's all good.
Either that or I'm just cheap and willing to settle.
ATSJer wrote: Frank53 wrote:I sense a traditionalist in our midst - it's all good. Either that or I'm just cheap and willing to settle.
even if that's the case - go with traditionalist - it's sounds more noble.
Just got some O34 with a Marx set on e-bay. I'm using it on a 3 x 6 layout. Can have a loop of O27 and a loop of O34 on this small layout. The two go together well with just enough spacing on the curves for train clearance. Surprised that Lionel never made O34. It just makes sense that that would be the next larger diameter.
Frank53 wrote:even if that's the case - go with traditionalist - it's sounds more noble.
LOL Thanks for the tip. too funny.
pbjwilson wrote: Just got some O34 with a Marx set on e-bay. I'm using it on a 3 x 6 layout. Can have a loop of O27 and a loop of O34 on this small layout. The two go together well with just enough spacing on the curves for train clearance. Surprised that Lionel never made O34. It just makes sense that that would be the next larger diameter.
I just went through ebay and also did a Froogle search for "O34 track" neither one had a single hit; is this O34 track known by a different nominclature?
You probably won't find O34 in a store unless they sell used stuff. It hasn't been made for many years.
On Ebay, most of the folks selling it don't know what it is. You have to look at the pictures. Both the curves and the straights have 5 black ties; but otherwise it looks just like old O27, with the rectangular ties. The straights are about 11 1/8 inches long.
In this auction, they at least knew it was Marx:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Marx-O-scale-wide-radius-remote-Switch-track_W0QQitemZ300076853111QQihZ020QQcategoryZ19147QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
lionelsoni wrote: You probably won't find O34 in a store unless they sell used stuff. It hasn't been made for many years.On Ebay, most of the folks selling it don't know what it is. You have to look at the pictures. Both the curves and the straights have 5 black ties; but otherwise it looks just like old O27, with the rectangular ties. The straights are about 11 1/8 inches long.In this auction, they at least knew it was Marx:http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Marx-O-scale-wide-radius-remote-Switch-track_W0QQitemZ300076853111QQihZ020QQcategoryZ19147QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Thanks for that help, being a Noob I still have a lot to learn, and if something's not labeled for me then I'm probably going to miss it. Thanks guys, great help!
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