Lionel Fastrack & Acessories

[LS1Heli]

Hello,
First time posting here! I recently took my Lionel O gauge track down and purchased some of the new Lionel Fastrack. I am very impressed with the way it looks on the layout, the way the trains run on it (there is a difference) and ease of assembly.

I operate all eras of Lionel but I have all postwar accessories. Is there anyway to adapt Lionel 3356 Cattle Car or 3472 Milk car to the new Fastrack? I know that they offer O gauge transition pieces but I think that looks horrible.

Anyone try this or know of a way to make these two work?

Thanks,
John

[Big_Boy_4005]

[#welcome] to the forum. The milk car is the easier one to deal with. You'll need to do a little carving on the fastrack remote section to make it fit into the platform base.

The cattle car is going to be a bigger problem, because the pen has the control rails for the car built into the base. You are going to need to get very creative to find a solution, because you may also have height issue. As ugly as it may look, the simple solution is to transition to tubular in front of the pen.

[Anonymous]

You might be able to do something like this using the FasTrack O guage transition sections and filling in with FasTrack roadbed.

[LS1Heli]

Wow, thats a great idea. The Fastrack is so good that it (to me) is worth it to just stick these two old timers back in the box. The simple solution seems (which I was afraid of)had to be the transition pieces. Thats probably why they make them

It's funny that Lionel in 2005 Vol. 1 catalog shows the Super O Hudson freight on Fastrack with a 3662 Milk car and 3356 Horse coral hooked up to fastrack but yet they do not tell you that it won't work. Boy that stinks.

Are you guys running Fastrack as well? Just as happy with it as I am? I didn't think track could make such a difference...and it's quieter![:)]

[Anonymous]

Fast Track 5 rail operating track shipped this month. Uncoupler's been out for a while as has the "insulated" track section. Only piece I haven't seen in the stores is the block isolation piece 6-12060.

[LS1Heli]

chuckn: 5 rail operating track for what? The cattle car? Please bare with me as I am new to this fastrack stuff. So I guess if this is for a 3656 I can just shave the bottom with a dremel to make it work/fit?

[Anonymous]

The Lionel catalog has been showing the 5-rail FasTrack "operating track" for a year, and I've yet to see one for sale ANYWHERE(used for things like the milk car). I use the transition track with the old 5-rail O unit. Even if it were available, it looks too wide to fit into the milk platform "slot". In any event, I love FasTrack. Joe

[Big_Boy_4005]

The 5 rail will take care of the milk car. Sorry, I thought it was already available. That's the one that will need a little trimming, or you could create one like Houdy's photo.

The Cattle car may be able to be done the same way, but when done with normal track the car and pen are activated simultaneously.

[Anonymous]

Five Rail track just came out (aka last 2 weeks). You would need to cut into the ballast to accomodate some of the older accessories.

[Anonymous]

I made that operating track almost a year ago, It is somewhat hiden behind a log loader now so it doesn't stick out too bad.
My local shop still doesn't have 5 rail sections yet and I will probably just stick with my version.
So far I have only needed to buy the transition peices, as I have made my own insulated and acc activation setions from regular sections.

[Roger Bielen]

I don't know if it'll work with Fastrack but I made my own operating track with Gargraves. I set two pieces of brass matching the rail height approx. a 1/4" from the center rail and spaced to suit for the shoes, solder on wires and connect them to the push button, works great. Note: taper the end so that the shoes don't hang up.