Hello- I am new to O Gauge trains and am confused about the lionel fastrack. I pre-ordered the GE Evolution Hybrid, and it says it needs a min of O-42 track. I have looked into buying this track and can not figure out which one it is. I see the O-36 track. I am very new so sorry if this is a stupid question. Thank You Derek
Long engines take bigger curves. It has been recommended that your new locomotive have a minimum track curvature equal to a diameter of 42 inches, however Lionel's new track system, FASTRACK, is not made in O-42, so you need to go to a larger diameter. I believe the next larger size, O-48, at 48" diameter is manufactured in Fastrack. Your locomotive will be able to negotiate the 48" diameter curves.
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Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
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Hi Derek,
Fastrack curves are measured by the diameter of the circle the Rail makes. Fastrack is available in curve diameters of 036, 048, 060, 072 and 084.
027 PROFILE track is available in 027, 042, 054 and K Line made 027 style track with 072 curves as well.
0-Gauge tubular is available in 031, 042, 054 and 072 diameter curves.
In Fastrack, you will need at least the 048 curves, there is no 042 available in fastrack, and the 036 would be too sharp for your locomotive. Anything with a curve diameter of 042 or larger will work for your locomotive. The larger the curve diameter, the better the locomotive will look and run.
Don't worry, that was not a stupid question at all, come back and ask away if you have any more questions, there is a really good bunch here, most likely someone here will know the answer to almost any question you might ask.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
Buckeye is correct. FasTrack is manufactured in increments of 12 inches on the curve radius, and I believe it is center rail to center rail. Be careful when purchasing engines when the maximum curve on your layout is near the minimum curve the engine can negotiate. The reason for this has to do with the 'swing' of the front and rear of the engine (this is of particular concern with steam engines) as the cab and front end can have clearance problems.I have a couple steam engines that I can't run at the same time as other steam engines because their 'swing' clearance is too much for the track spacing and this causes the engines to collide with other engines and some rollingstock.
Ok wonderful. Thank you for the info. I have one more stupid question. I also just received the lionel legacy command (990?) system. Can i use this with a cw-80 transformer i got in a starter set? I also am confused tto how to hook the legacy to the fastrack? It shows one wire coming from the unit to the track. Is this just a basic 10gauge wire that i make myself? Or is it a special wire they did not tell me about when I ordered it. I live in a very rural area in northern WI and have now stores or people I know of near mr to ask for help. Thank you again Derek
DeekerCan i use this with a cw-80 transformer i got in a starter set?
Yes, but set the CW to full throttle for command use. The amount of equipment you can operate is limited to 5 amps total from the CW.
The one wire hookup is that simple - just any 20-18-16-14 gauge wire from the base "U" terminal to any(and all) outside rail connection(s) of your layout(usually the black wire on FasTrack).
As your layout grows, you will want to make sure that all outside rails are "common" - connected - to the base "U" terminal. The actual physical connections can be made at the transformer, track, or a terminal block, whatever is easiest.
Rob
Deeker .... if you really want to play it safe and run just about any size engine in the future and you're buying for the first time ... I'd recommend getting 072 curves/track . That way you'll be able to run every huge engine out there and the smallest ones too . It'll save you many heartaches later .
Thank you so much for the answers. I am so excited to get going on my track. I have one other question. I know the cw-80 is a starter transformer. What should I get to power my trains. I think I will use the cw to power my acc. Also what switches should I order to control with my legacy? Thank you again. Derek
You'll get a ton of answers here, but first let's get some more information.
1. Have chosen to stay with FasTrack?
2. Do you wish to run Conventional as well as Command Controlled trains?
If you want to run both Command and Conventionally controlled trains, then I'd lean towards either a modern Lionel ZW or MTH Z-4000. Or, you can run Lionel 180 watt PowerHouses through TPC-400's.
If you want pure Command Control (ie: TMCC or Legacy) then you can skip the handles and run some 180 watt PowerHouses right to a PowerHouse Lock-on.
Regarding track: if you want to stay with FasTrack, remember the switches have to match the bare minimum curvature requirements of your largest locomotives. In this case O-42.
Lionel is also now making "plug & play" FasTrack switches with TMCC/Legacy receivers in them.
Jon
Derek: to the Forum. As I have learned from these guys and gals, there aren't any "stupid" questions. Ask away. One more thing, go slow and enjoy the process. Keep us posted on your progress. All the best.
Deeker... just as kooljock1 suggested ... good ideas .... but you may want to run some of the conventional engines like the william's and maybe an older version engine and you will want a power supply with handles/controllers ..... in my opinion the MTH Z4000 is the Rolls Royce with fans for cooling and digital readouts .... and built in super breaker/tripping mechanism . A setup with 072 fastrack and a Z4000 and man you're good to go for years to come without having to keep rebuying and updating .... which would be alot more costly in the long run . Then your legacy or tmcc and you're there !!!!
Fastrack radius increments are 6 inches, not 12. The nominal size is the diameter to the center rails, not the radius.
In comparing track curvatures, remember that, except for Fastrack, the nominal size is the approximate diameter to the outside ends of the ties, not to the center rails. For O27-profile track, this is a difference of 2 inches. For O31-profile track, it is 2 1/4 inches. Furthermore, except for Fastrack and O27, the nominal diameter is only approximate. (I have examples of O42 curves from two different manufacturers with three different curvatures.)
A manufacturer may specify a sharpest curvature for their equipment which is the sharpest of the track that they sell, not the sharpest that the equipment can handle. For example, MTH specifies no sharper than O31, since they do not make any O27 track, although much of their stuff will in fact run on O27 with no problem.
A track curvature not mentioned is Marx O34, which is O27-profile track. It is no longer made, but not difficult to obtain. A piece supposedly limited to O42 may very well run on O34.
Bob Nelson
Welcome aboard. I agree with what Ole Timer said. If you are only interested in running conventional engines than the MTH Z4000, and O72 curve track would be your best bet. I personally like the transformer selection that MTH has to offer, and at a pretty reasonable price to. I have been in this hobby with my Dad ever since i was born and have learned a lot of interesting things along the way. A word of advise and that is that no question is a stupid question, and don't be afraid to try something, especially if you want to have or do something specific to your layout. Have fun and keep me posted on your progress!!
As far as the track is concerned go with the largest cuves that your proposed layout will accommodate.
Since you have gone with the GE Evo and the Legacy control I would suggest going with at least one initially, possibly a second later on as your fleet grows, 180W brick. If Legacy works with a TPC one of these could be added to give you remote control of any conventional engines as well as Proto 1 & 2 engines that you may add to your fleet. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable of the Legacy system can chime in on that.
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