Fast Tracks for N Scale

[Pruitt]

reasearchhound

Pruitt - what process and product did you use to paint your FastTrack turnouts? The look great.

Dan

Dan, it was a very precise (not!) and involved (not!) process:

Step 1 - Put wax paper over the backdrop
Step 2 - Wrap the ground throw with blue painter's tape 
Step 3 - Shake the can of Rustoleum thoroughly
Step 4 - Spray it all over the track from a couple different directions
Step 5 - Clean the rail tops using a single edge razor blade, then a brite boy.

The most difficult part was installing ties under the rail joiners, but that's not really part of the painting process.

Thanks for the compliment, by the way.

[UPRR Geneva Subdivision]

I built the entire UPRR Geneva Subdivision with code 55 Fastracks turnouts, #8s and #10s.  They take a while to build but are worth the extra time.  I ended up with 135 total turnouts on the layout.  The turnouts are far superior to any ready made turnout for the combination of prototypical looks and realiable operation.  I am now building an HO layout with Fastracks turnouts.  

Highly recommended.

 

Daryl Kruse

[sschnabl]

I've built about 70 N scale turnouts using ME c55 rail.  I then use ME c55 flex track for my trackwork.  I think Fast Tracks uses ME as their default rail, but you could have a jig made up with Atlas rail if you wanted, it would just take a bit longer since it would need to be custom made.  The jigs are awesome (I have a #6 and a #8).  Once I got the hang of it, I used their paper templates to make wyes and curved turnouts.  The track work is very smooth I really like the looks of it, and it's not even painted yet!  Since I work in N scale, the Opti-Visor has also been a good investment.  Learning to build your own turnouts has also lead me to be much better at trouble shooting, as know I know what the critical parts of a turnout are, and how they affect performance.

 

Scott

[reasearchhound]

Pruitt - what process and product did you use to paint your FastTrack turnouts? The look great.

Dan

[Pruitt]

SeeYou190

Can Fast Track turnouts blend in easily with Atlas Track, or are you committing to hand-laying everything?

-Kevin

In HO, I build Fast Tracks code 83 #6 turnouts and they mate easily with Atlas code 83 flextrack. For example (straight route is code 83. Diverging route is Peco code 70) ...

Before painting the track:

After painting:

[selector]

This is a Fast Track Code 100 #6 double-slip in an Atlas Code 100 yard:

A Fast Tracks #8 Code 100 in my Code 100 Atlas main:

 

[SeeYou190]

BuckeyeDon

Do you build the straight track or use off the shelf flex track with the Fast Track turnouts?

This is an interesting question.

Can Fast Track turnouts blend in easily with Atlas Track, or are you committing to hand-laying everything?

-Kevin

[selector]

Do yourself a huge favour and go to their website: Fast Tracks - Helping the World Build Better Railroads (handlaidtrack.com)

Watch their videos and your questions will be answered at source.

FWIW, I built several of their Code 100 #8 standard turnouts and two of their #6 double-slips.  They're considerably better than the commercial ones, especially at the frog. If you have good eyes and hands, you shouldn't have any trouble with N scale products.  

There is a learning curve, but by the second or third turnout you're away to the races.

BTW, after building several turnouts, I knew instinctively that I could build others of a custom nature....and I have.  It's a great system.

[BuckeyeDon]

Hello Everyone, Has anyone built N Scale turnouts and track with the Fast Tracks templates?  How good are they compared to the commercial off the shelf track & turnouts?  Do you build the straight track or use off the shelf flex track with the Fast Track turnouts?  Any thoughts or insite would be helpful!  Thanks.