lionel fastrack

[Anonymous]

I've got the fast track and I love it. I added a gravel to the sides for a more realistic look. it seem to help deaden some of the sound the plastic makes. I used water/glue mix to attache the gravel to the sides of the fastrack and on down to the board. With the rails it looks realistic to me.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Chuckn. Good to know, even if there is a third rail......LOL

[Anonymous]

"Does anyone know if the ties are to scale???"


The ties are the appropriate width and are spaced correctly, they scale out to 8'9" long which is also within normal mainline size.

[Anonymous]

I really like the looks of Lionel Fastrack. Does anyone know if the ties are to scale???

[Anonymous]

I love it on my small 5x8 layout! I think it will draw more new people into 3-rail than any other product made. However, I think Lionel is "missing the boat" by not showing photos of it in actual layouts in their catalogs. Joe

[brianel027]

Clyde Coil ain't gonna like this, but oh dang. The one real way to kill much of the noise on FasTrack is to switch all (or at least every other wheel set) on your rolling stock to the MPC-era plastic wheel sets.

Some have tried all sorts of ideas, but the plastic wheel sets are effective and the easiest thing to do that actually works in taking down the noise level. Not that anyone would really want to do this, but it does work.

[Jumijo]

FasTrack is great. If only it was available in O31 and O27. I have plenty of it, and love it, but 2 loops won't fit on a 4 foot wide table, so I bought O27 tubular. As for the noise, it doesn't bother me.

Jim

[EIS2]

I just replaced all of the track on my entire layout with FasTrack. I really like it. The switches are excellant. I have had no derailments passing through switches at any speed. The only downside I have found is it is a little hard to separate the track once it is latched together. I haven't even had to screw the track down. The pieces will not come apart, even with fast train traffic. Lionel has a definite winner in FasTrack.

EIS

[Anonymous]

Dennis,
When recently planning my new layout the initial issue was product availability in my area. I had 3 choises...Atlas, Fastrack and old Lionel tube type. Even though I already had some tube type I chose the Atlas for it's realistic look, figuring someday I'd own some scale engines and rolling stock. This choise will also allow me to make trackside scenery realistic. It's biggest advantage became clear when it came to track laying. With an around the room shelf layout like mine it was important that straight sections of track be of exact length to fit room dimensions. My double mainline loops parrallel the walls and it was important that they were equal distances from the walls to fit on the 8" wide shelf. It was super convenient to custom cut Atlas track in exact lengths, eliminating the need to run back to the train store for those often needed and more often forgotten factory made short lengths. Yeah, I guess I could have done some preliminary computerized track plan to know exactly what to buy in the first place. As it turned out I only made 2 separate track purchases to finish phase one and of that I don't have enough left over track to make a 2 car siding. If your planned layout doesn't require strict roadbed dimensions, flexible track sections and custom track lengths then just about any track will do. Atlas gave me the flexibility in design that I needed at about the same cost as Fastrack.

Bruce Webster

[spankybird]

Beside the noise issue, it is 3 to 4 times the cost of tube track. Other than that, it's great.

[Anonymous]

Nice looking stuff, sturdy, connects well, but NOISY!!! Make sure you have carpet or some other sound dampener underneath it. Otherwise you'll wake up the neighbors.

[dwiemer]

I am under the age old story of not getting the "big room" yet for the layout and will be constructing a layout smaller than planned. I would like to use Lionel Fastrack. I would like to hear any issues I will have to confront while I am drawing up the new plan. I would also like to hear any suggestions for the layout. Thanks, Dennis