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Fastrack swtiches and power routing.

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Fastrack swtiches and power routing.
Posted by arkady on Sunday, January 24, 2010 5:19 PM
I'm in the process of accumulating Fastrack for what will eventually be a permanent layout. Do Lionel Fastrack manual switches do power routing?
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Posted by dwiemer on Sunday, January 24, 2010 5:33 PM

If you mean, do they have the non-derailing feature?  In a way, yes.  They move mechanically and I have been told that they are smooth and handle the points move very smoothly.  Personally, I have all operating turnouts and so they work with power pickup in the rail to make them turn.  I have heard a number of folks on the Fastrack group mention using the manual turnouts on reversing loops though.

Dennis

TCA#09-63805

 

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Posted by challenger3980 on Sunday, January 24, 2010 5:49 PM

I do not believe that Fastrack switches offer power routing, AFAIK both legs of the switch are powered at all times. That was a nice feature of the postwar American Flyer switches, they were even selectable between power routing and all legs powered. It would be nice if Lionel were to make Fastrack, and other switches power routing, it sure could save a LOT of wiring in some situations.

Doug

May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails

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Posted by arkady on Sunday, January 24, 2010 9:00 PM
challenger3980

I do not believe that Fastrack switches offer power routing, AFAIK both legs of the switch are powered at all times. That was a nice feature of the postwar American Flyer switches, they were even selectable between power routing and all legs powered. It would be nice if Lionel were to make Fastrack, and other switches power routing, it sure could save a LOT of wiring in some situations.

Doug

You're so right; that's why I was hoping they were power-routed. Well, if that's the way it is, that's the way it is. Has anyone out there tried their hand at modifying them to do power-routing? Is it even possible? I suspect it'd be a fairly complex job.

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Posted by ADCX Rob on Sunday, January 24, 2010 9:50 PM

Although they are non-derailing, the FasTrack switches lack the power routing feature of the Lionel 1022 switches.  The 1022's are not non-derailing, though.

Rob

Rob

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