Some HELP please

[LIONSAM]

Hi I've just started creating a layout with Lionel Penssylvania Flyer set (OVAL 40X60). The table I have is 106 X 51. I am eager to start expanding the fastrack net and get some other trains. Just a week ago I got two Southern Pacific Daylight Passenger cars, they move and look grate but the CW 40 I have is not following my expectations I guess. If I want to have rail sounds, bells etc do I have to purchase a sound tender or is it something alternative to get those sounds. Please give me some advice what to do...

[8ntruck]

You have found a good place to get your questions answered.  Lots of knowlageable, helpful people here.

Your CW40 is a small power supply that will not operate much more than what came in your Penn. Flyer set.  To operate more, you will need a bigger power supply.  The CW80 is the next step up in size currently offered by Lionel.  It has about twice the wattage as the CW40, are not too expensive , and are listed frequently on e-bay.  If you are not afraid of older Lionel equipment, the postwar era #1033 transformer and its close cousin the #1044 transformer are good units that are easily found and not too expensive and have about the same wattage rating as a CW80.

If you have plans to expand into a large layout sometime in the future, larger transformers such as the Lionel KW, ZW and the MTH 4000 will allow lots of 'grow' room, but they are more expensive.

Bells, whistles, rail sounds, etc. are usually built into the locomotive or tender, so purchasing a tender with sound will be the easiest way to add that feature.  There have been several pieces of rolling stock offered over the years that feature station announcements, crowd noises, etc.  There are also several postwar track side accessories with a whistle, to add that feature to a layout that has only locomotives without whistles operating on it.

Good luck, have fun, and feel free to post any other questions that you may have.

[LIONSAM]

Thanks a lot . What about extending the fastrack net? I really don't want to stay with the 40X60 oval. The only bad thing is that I don't have room enough. The largest table I can use is 51 X 106. What might be a possible layout plan? I'm a little confused with the different meaurements 072 048 069 etc of the curved tracks and whats the best for such a small layout, with the use of the REMOTE CONTROL UNCOUPLER TRACK , with the need or not to have Right/ Left Hand Fastrack Remote/Manual Switch.

[lionelsoni]

For Fastrack, Oxx means the that the diameter of a circle of track is xx inches, measured to the center rail.  (This is different from the convention used with tubular track, which is measured to the ends of the ties.)

[Andrew Falconer]

With a 51" table the maximum FasTrack radius possible will be O-48 or a 48" Diameter half-circle at each end. That will be close to the edge.

Andrew

[lionelsoni]

I think it might be a little over the edge, if the Fastrack roadbed is wider than 3 inches, as I think it might be.

[8ntruck]

Note the proxcemity of the track to the edge of the table in my avatir.  That is a 60" Fastrack oval on a 5' by 9' ping-pong table.  I had to add a 4" extension on the other side of the table to support the other stright in the oval.

Yes - I have a speed limit set in the Legacy control for this train to keep it on the track.

I think that Fastrack curves are dimensioned to the center rail, so the overall width of a oval would be the size of the curve plus the width of the Fastrack base.