PhilaKnight wrote:I have a saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it" and "Sometimes change is bad" So I use good old fashion Tubular Track O and O27. I have tons of it and it is still good so I never bothered to get into the others.
Ditto the above for my layout.
Robert
http://www.robertstrains.com/
Virginian Railroad
chuck, have you considered installing byfold doors or using sheets of plastic to keep the cats out? Otherwise you need to move your layout to a cat-proof area.
Lee F.
To chuck and Deputy,
I don't let my cats get near my trains! Last time one of my cats got on the layout he swatted a caboose to the floor and moved several frieght cars. So needless to say NO more cats in train area!! The cat incident was over four years ago
I had one section of FastTrack go south apparently from something from one of our cat's (urinating or rolfing on it?) This was a Christmas layout and the damage happened on the back side of the tree (as far away/as difficult to get to as possible). Some kind of chemical "spill" started to attack the track, primarily from the inside. I only noticed the "damage" when rust/oxidation began to appear on the bottom of the formed rails. I pulled the affected section out and then disassembled it. The entire inside plating was gone and the steel severly rusting. This caused a significant drop in conductivity and that seems to have been why the trains behaved badly on that one section of O-36 curved track.
BTW, if you abuse the track joints you can get the pins to bend up/swell the rolled steel and that will also affect the track performance. This damage is obvious and requires severe abuse of the joint, aka bending the track up or down a great dela more than normal assembly/disassembly would entail. Trains will "thud" when crossing a swollen joint.
NH_Chris wrote: How about "all of the above"? The layout I'm building now (I call it "Quick and Dirty #4") is made up of what I had laying around after getting rid of most of the Realtrax from my last layout. It has an inner loop of Fastrack, passing siding and outer loop of Realtrax, a few Ross switches, and then a yard made up of Atlas track leading to Lionel and K-Line tubular track and switches. I built a few Realtrax layouts, but became disenchanted after a few flaky switches that fried themselves. I've had trouble with Fastrack similar to one earlier poster (works fine then loses conductivity at the joints), so it's on probation on this layout. In my mind's eye, I will build my next layout will Atlas track and Ross switches. My son's 4x8 layout is all O-27 tubular, but I am thinking of changing it over to K-Line Shadow Rail O-31 tubular, with plastic ties. NH Chris
How about "all of the above"? The layout I'm building now (I call it "Quick and Dirty #4") is made up of what I had laying around after getting rid of most of the Realtrax from my last layout. It has an inner loop of Fastrack, passing siding and outer loop of Realtrax, a few Ross switches, and then a yard made up of Atlas track leading to Lionel and K-Line tubular track and switches.
I built a few Realtrax layouts, but became disenchanted after a few flaky switches that fried themselves. I've had trouble with Fastrack similar to one earlier poster (works fine then loses conductivity at the joints), so it's on probation on this layout. In my mind's eye, I will build my next layout will Atlas track and Ross switches.
My son's 4x8 layout is all O-27 tubular, but I am thinking of changing it over to K-Line Shadow Rail O-31 tubular, with plastic ties.
NH Chris
This is probally the first time that I have heard of Fastrac having problems. The usual problem track is MTH Realtrax, switches going crazy most of the time.
I went with GarGraves because Lionel's switches around 12 years ago were terrible for 031 track. Thinking about replacing my two 027 switches with GarGraves switches, all my other track has GarGraves switches. For me GarGraves is a much better track to work with than Lionel Fastrac or MTH Realtrax.
I use O-27 tubular track for the O-Gauge Layout, Postwar Gilbert track for my American Flyer Layout.
With the O-27 layout, I use Lionel, Marx, K-Line, and a Japanese Brand that I can't quite think of the name of for switches. I also use O-42 for the mainlines to allow for bigger locos to be used.
So many scales, so many trains, so little time.....
Deputy wrote: ADCX Rob wrote: Compare the O36 manual switches on page 129 of the print catalog to the rest on the page - the manual switches have switch stand position indicators, the remotes have lanterns.Rob I can certainly see the switch stand indicators on the manual switches. But as I have been saying, I only see the lanterns on the 036 switch. And when you read the descriptions, the only switch that talks about the lanterns and actually displays it is the 036 switch. I have a confirmation from the OGR forum what Chuck said above. All the auto switches seem to come with the lanterns (thanks Chuck). But I sure don't see them displayed or described in the advertising.
ADCX Rob wrote: Compare the O36 manual switches on page 129 of the print catalog to the rest on the page - the manual switches have switch stand position indicators, the remotes have lanterns.Rob
Compare the O36 manual switches on page 129 of the print catalog to the rest on the page - the manual switches have switch stand position indicators, the remotes have lanterns.
Rob
I can't do much better than Chuck, as I am in complete agreement, & I'm going by the catalog pictures and description. It's very clear from page 128 of the current catalog:
"• Red and green LEDs indicate switch position on remote switches—no need to change light bulbs or worry about heat build up"
Page 128
And in the pictures, small as they are, the manual switches have switch stand position indicators, the remotes have lanterns. The printed catalog is easier to make this out than online.
All Gargraves track & 32 switches on a 25' X 15' "P" shape 3 level layout. Most all platform areas are 3 foot deep with 3' to 5' walk area in the middle.
Dennis
Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
Half layout is fasttrack in 0-72 and 0-48 along with Lionel tubular in 0-27 in 0-54 and 0-42 scheme. All good no problems.
laz57
I can certainly see the switch stand indicators on the manual switches. But as I have been saying, I only see the lanterns on the 036 switch. And when you read the descriptions, the only switch that talks about the lanterns and actually displays it is the 036 switch. I have a confirmation from the OGR forum what Chuck said above. All the auto switches seem to come with the lanterns (thanks Chuck). But I sure don't see them displayed or described in the advertising.
ADCX Rob wrote: Deputy wrote: I took that to mean the lights mounted on the actual switch levers show red or green. All the pics of the switches, other than 036, don't show lanterns on the switches themselves. "On Switches"... & heat build-up was a problem with bright bulbs on 022, 042, 711, & 721 switches w/ plastic lanterns.Also, all pics show lanterns, except the O-36 manuals. They're very small, though, & don't show up well in the pics. Rob
Deputy wrote: I took that to mean the lights mounted on the actual switch levers show red or green. All the pics of the switches, other than 036, don't show lanterns on the switches themselves.
I took that to mean the lights mounted on the actual switch levers show red or green. All the pics of the switches, other than 036, don't show lanterns on the switches themselves.
"On Switches"... & heat build-up was a problem with bright bulbs on 022, 042, 711, & 721 switches w/ plastic lanterns.
Also, all pics show lanterns, except the O-36 manuals. They're very small, though, & don't show up well in the pics.
What pics are you looking at? The ones online just show the switch assemblies.
Pic of 036 switch
Pic of 072 switch:
Deputy wrote:I took that to mean the lights mounted on the actual switch levers show red or green. All the pics of the switches, other than 036, don't show lanterns on the switches themselves.
ADCX Rob wrote: Deputy wrote: chuck wrote: Deputy wrote:If Lionel Fastrack had ALL their switches lighted instead of just the 036 switch, I'd probably use that.All of the automatic/remote FastTrack switches have lighted switch lanterns. I have an O-72 wye and it has the illuminated lantern. The only FastTrack switches that don't have illuminated lanterns are the O-36 manuals. Hmmmm...this is very odd. In the Lionel catalog (2006 and online current) the only switch advertised as having a "lighted lantern" is the 036 remote switch. I looked on Ebay and there are some 060 switches that say they include the lighted lantern. The pictures Lionel shows only have the 036 switch with the lantern showing or any mention of the lantern. If Lionel is including a lantern with every automatic switch, then they are really missing the boat in telling people about it. If all their Fastrack switches do include the lanterns at the switches, I may reconmsider what track I will use for the permanent layout. From page 128 of the current catalog:"• Red and green LEDs indicate switch position on remote switches—no need to change light bulbs or worry about heat build up"Page 128Rob
Deputy wrote: chuck wrote: Deputy wrote:If Lionel Fastrack had ALL their switches lighted instead of just the 036 switch, I'd probably use that.All of the automatic/remote FastTrack switches have lighted switch lanterns. I have an O-72 wye and it has the illuminated lantern. The only FastTrack switches that don't have illuminated lanterns are the O-36 manuals. Hmmmm...this is very odd. In the Lionel catalog (2006 and online current) the only switch advertised as having a "lighted lantern" is the 036 remote switch. I looked on Ebay and there are some 060 switches that say they include the lighted lantern. The pictures Lionel shows only have the 036 switch with the lantern showing or any mention of the lantern. If Lionel is including a lantern with every automatic switch, then they are really missing the boat in telling people about it. If all their Fastrack switches do include the lanterns at the switches, I may reconmsider what track I will use for the permanent layout.
chuck wrote: Deputy wrote:If Lionel Fastrack had ALL their switches lighted instead of just the 036 switch, I'd probably use that.All of the automatic/remote FastTrack switches have lighted switch lanterns. I have an O-72 wye and it has the illuminated lantern. The only FastTrack switches that don't have illuminated lanterns are the O-36 manuals.
Deputy wrote:If Lionel Fastrack had ALL their switches lighted instead of just the 036 switch, I'd probably use that.
All of the automatic/remote FastTrack switches have lighted switch lanterns. I have an O-72 wye and it has the illuminated lantern. The only FastTrack switches that don't have illuminated lanterns are the O-36 manuals.
Hmmmm...this is very odd. In the Lionel catalog (2006 and online current) the only switch advertised as having a "lighted lantern" is the 036 remote switch. I looked on Ebay and there are some 060 switches that say they include the lighted lantern. The pictures Lionel shows only have the 036 switch with the lantern showing or any mention of the lantern. If Lionel is including a lantern with every automatic switch, then they are really missing the boat in telling people about it. If all their Fastrack switches do include the lanterns at the switches, I may reconmsider what track I will use for the permanent layout.
From page 128 of the current catalog:
Give me steam locomotives or give me DEATH!
Berkshire Junction, bringing fourth the cry of the Iron Horse since 1900.
Marx 027 - with a couple 034 straights - on the current mini-layout (although I had to use some MPC-era Lionel straights when I eliminated some poorly planned s-curves - hopefully the spirits of Glen Dale and Girard will be forgiving).
The future big layout should be all Marx 034...
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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