I don't have any data on the longevity of Fastrack switches, but the 022 switches apparently will last forever. I put 50 of them in a layout about 4 years ago, and had them wired so that they would throw frequently. After many hours of use, I had to take a few of them apart for adjustment. There was no apparent wear or contact erosion. I was running them on 20 volts from a KW.
Looks like it could be done with two non-derail switches, so not having to fire either one.
running this layout for just 3 hours will throw both those switches over 2000 times. i'd give it a week, tops. you'd get a more reliable two train loop with a simple start/ stop track section, albeit you would not have alternate east-west trains.
Easily done with tubular track also, and good ol' O22 switches. Cheaper to make, not so noisy, and takes up less room.
Pete
"You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." - Edward Abbey -
Donald Miller's FasTrack plan features two O gauge trains that alternate automatically under the Christmas tree. With a little Christmas magic (and some help from Lionel), you can create a hands-off layout that's great for the holidays at home or a public display. Learn how to craft this plan in the December issue of CTT (on newsstands November 6th), and see it in action now!
Click here to watch the video.
Jennifer Posh | Editorial Assistant, Classic Toy Trains
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