Hi Everyone,
I am returning to the hobby after about ten years and I now have an area where I can do a 4x8 layout. My focus is the MPC era since that is the time I grew up and my collection started. However, I have no track and was hoping the memebers here could advise me on whether to stick to tubular rail or go the fast-track route. Please le tme know if there are other options available.
Thanks!
For a 4x8 layout I would go with tube track. FasTrack is nice, but noisy, and Lionel's unfortunate choices of curves to manufacture make it kind of impractical for anything smaller than 5x9 or 10.
Anyway, track is personal. I dig the retroness of tube track, so that's what I'm using on my 4x10. There's other choices, too. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Pete
"You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." - Edward Abbey -
I agree with Texas Pete, go with tubular track for the 4x8 layout. Expense wise it will be at least 50 to 70% less than Lionel's Fastrack.
Bill T.
I have O-31 tubular track on my layout. I have post war locos and rolling stock. I don't like the look of the fast-track, too plastic, and the rail does not have the profile of railroad rail, it's just an upside down U shape. I have been cutting wood ties to place between the metal ties. when ballast is added it looks pretty good. The October 2006 issue of CTT had a review guide of several different track types.
Steve
I've got a 4x10x6 using O31 which provides great flexibility especially with the L shaped layout. O 31 can be cut to odd lengths if necessary which I found very convenient. Good luck
Welcome!
I also grew up in the MPC era! I use O31 or O27 tubular and MTH RealTrax most of the time. Not a big fan of the overly chromed and boxy look of the Fasttrack rails. If you don't mind using elbow grease, large lots of postwar and MPC era tubular track can be found at rock bottom prices on Ebay.
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Don't forget about Gargraves track! Wooden ties, tinplate or stainless steel rails, flex track is available, and made in the USA in a small town in NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1984: http://dandhcoloniemain.blogspot.com/
You are right Pete......the tightest FasTrack radius I think is 036 which limits one to two concentric mainlines on a 4' X 8' board.
BUT.......the FasTrack snaps together and stays together (no need for track clips or squeeze adjustment routines for temporary table or floor layouts). Since I have been using it I have not had power drop-offs and the resulting need for additional power feeder lines (more wiring and lockons) to maintain a nice even and slow pace. The 036 works better anyway with some of the larger postwar (alleged) 027 steam engines that struggle somewhat negotiating a tighter curve, or the scale/near scale cars that look stupid when doing so. I think FasTrack provides a good compromise.
While it is pricey versus tubular, FasTrack has built in ballast (looks funky to some more purist than I), and also has more realistic looking ties versus tubular. My wife who has absolutely no interest in trains likes the appearance better for the Christmas layout......but I have conveniently neglected to tell her what it costs.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
RockIsland52 You are right Pete......the tightest FasTrack radius I think is 036 which limits one to two concentric mainlines on a 4' X 8' board.
Thanks Pete. I think since this is my first foray back into setting up the trains in a long time I think going tubular is the way to go for now.
I just did a quick check on eBay, and there are over 340 auctions going on for O gauge tubular track.
Rich
Alton Junction
You may be right on that, gunrunner. I was basing my comment on an under-the-tree Christmas layout set on a pre-cut 8 foot long by 4 feet wide piece of stock plywood I bought. Each curve segment (2 curve pieces) on the four corners is separated from the next by one 10" straight piece of track. I figured that eliminating that 10" piece of straight track between curve segments on the inner loop would be enough for clearance and safe running. Maybe my plywood board isn't a true 4' X 8'........maybe a tad wider? I'll have to go check.
A 36-inch diameter plus a 10-inch tangent is 46 inches to the center rails. That leaves 2 inches of the 4-foot width of the board for the roadbed, which actually needs about 4 inches.
Bob Nelson
Well, in measuring an actual oval of Fastrack, I came up with my figures. I didn't try to figure out a way to make it fit, since I don't think it's going to. :)
Bob and gunrunner.......I pulled out my box with the 036 Fastrack for our Christmas layout and it looks like I was using half straights on the 4' short section on the plywood board between the curves, not full 10" straights. So I think you are right......an inside loop without these short straights would be too tight a squeeze to run two trains simultaneously on a standard 4' X 8' plywood board considering the train overhang on the corners. Yes, the board is exactly 48" wide.
I'm going to actually lay each setup out on the floor and measure. Worst case, if it is too tight, I use 10" straights as posted earlier on the outer loop and buy a wider board by the required additional width. My wife won't notice another couple of inches of board intruding into "her" living room.......or will she.
I have a 8 x 11 layout and I chose Fastrack. I think it is a push between tubular and Fastrack as far as looks go...some like one, some like the other. Besides with any 3 rail track, realism is a matter of degree. That said, some questions to ask yourself:
1) What kind of motive power and rolling stock are you wanting to run? A 17" engine is going to look peculiar going around either an O-31 tubular curve or O-36 curve.
2) Are you wanting the layout to be permanent or do you see yourself changing it? Tubular allows you to create your own ballasting which can help with it's appearance if you don't like the appearance of the Fastrack. Tubular track without extra ties and/or ballasting is going to lend itself more to a "toy" train appearance rather than a "model" railroad (just an opinion, I know)
3) Fastrack does stay together nicely, BUT there is virtually no give in the fit; you can fudge a little with tubular track.
I personally have been happy with the Fastrack. HOWEVER, I agree with an earlier post that Gargraves would be an option worth looking into. It is nice in its appearance, and you gotta love the "Made in the USA".
Finally, and I very much like running O gauge, but with 4 x 8 you may want to consider S gauge. There is still a lot of track, motive units, and rolling stock available. Just a thought.
Good luck and enjoy!!
I have tried using Fastrak in the past few years and find it highly over-rated!! And I have sold off all the Fastrak I had!!
I set up a 3 ft. by 9 ft. layout and tried to modify the 036 curves with quarter curves to make a modified dog-leg design and found out that I had to add special fitter pieces, that cost the same as a full ten inch section of straight track, to make the design work. Fastrak is not forgiving in layout design and is extremely expensive to buy new. Also had to power up the layout in two places as my passenger train lost power, slowed down, about half-way through the track layout, after adding an extra power to the track the passenger train worked better. I had the Fastrak set-up on the carpet, so I don't know about the noise factor, if there is one when being used on plywood. P.S. I have not tried the Fastrak switches as they were too costly, over $110.00 a pair, at my local hobby shop.
Maybe I am stuck on tubular track, however I don't see the benefits of using Fastrak on a layout. At least you can cut tubular track to fit your layout without denting your wallet.
I agree with others who say that Gagraves is a better track system than other track systems and Fastrak. I replaced my Lionel switches with Gargraves about 11 years ago when Lionel was selling the # 6-23010 O gauge switches, as Lionel claims they knew of NO problem with these switches.
Lee F.
If i were in your place, I would use the tubular track with cork roadbed, some Scenic Express Ballast and 3-R plastics supplamental ties. I would use gun bluing on the middle rail to help "hide" it. Also, I would mix some india ink with isopropal alcohol, about a 50/50 mix, and apply it to the ballast to give it the look of dirt and oil dropped on it. That also helps "hide" the third rail too. Make sure and get some fitter sections and some insulated accessory sections. Insulated accessory sections are MUCH more reliable than those contactors that come with the accessories. Look through track planning books for a good plan for the main layout.There are several of them on the market from both Kalmbach and Cartens. If you have the space, I stongly suggest you build a staging yard apart from the main 4X8 layout. You can store complete trains w/o lifting them on and off the layout.
George
You'll need at least another 6" of board, then you could use a single 10" straight section and just make it with about an inch outside the rails.
John, I make it about 2 inches, assuming a 4-inch roadbed. A simple circle needs 36 inches plus that 4-inch roadbed, or 40 inches. Add 10 for the straight section and you've got 50 inches, or 2 inches more than the width of the plywood.
Here's a way to cut the plywood to get those 2 inches: Make a diagonal cut, as straight as possible, from one corner to the opposite corner. Slide the resulting triangles along that diagonal until you get the width you want. Fasten the triangles together with a few 1x boards or steel mending plates underneath. Then cut the protruding triangles off at the corners. You lose 2 inches of length for each inch of width you gain. I would go for 3 inches, just to pull the roadbed back from the very edge of the table, and give up 6 inches in length.
Or just buy another piece of plywood. ;) You can buy 2x4 pieces at most lumber stores, that would solve the problem and still keep the 8 foot intact.
I just went through the same dilema and I went with Reatrax and regret it. The tubular track is much more sturdy and I think will probably last longer. CTT also has great track plans for 8 X 4 layouts. I still have tubular track that is 70 years old and it still looks and works great and you can pick up switches much cheaper too especially since the asking price for Lionel Fast Track remote controlled switches cost any where from 65.00-100.00 depending on the type you want 031, 042, etc.
Kevin
Can't stop working on the railroad!
I have been away from trains for 20 years and looking to get back. Looking at a 4X10 table but not sure the max curves that would work i.e 042. Any recommendations on table size i.e 4X10, 5X9. limited for space.
Thanks, Joe
I'd be tempted to go for 5x9, you can get a couple of mainlines in there comfortably. You might do some trial layouts on the max sizes you have to see what will fit.
Look into sectional Gargraves track, which comes as small as O31.
Thanks for the layout and track information. I guess it is a matter of choice. I have a lot of Lionel track O track with 031 and 042 curves but looking for something that runs quieter. Not sure how well 042 would fit on a 4X10.
Actually looking at purchasing the "Mianne" company (4X10) sectional track tables.
Joe
Cover your plywood with a sheet of Homosote or Celotex and paint it light brown, earth tone color. That will help with sound reduction, and it makes it easy to screw down the track. The 042 track should leave 2-1/2 to 3 inches between the edge of the plywood to the track.
jd5504 Thanks for the layout and track information. I guess it is a matter of choice. I have a lot of Lionel track O track with 031 and 042 curves but looking for something that runs quieter. Not sure how well 042 would fit on a 4X10.
jd5504 - I use O-42 on 4 foot wide benchwork, and it looks great. Adding buildings, trees, and other scenic elements have helped to create interest at this end of my layout.
You can just add an extension on to your 4 X 8 layout, I extended mine to 5.5 X 8 and I am using 042 curves. This worked out perfectly and the trains do not run on the edge. If you are concerned with a seem showing on your ground cover just use a peice of masking tape to cover it and then lay your ground cover. If you haven't laid you ground cover that's even better but you still need the tape if you are covering it with a foam board as they only come in 4 X 8 sheets.
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