FasTrack 90 degree crossover

[Anonymous]

How is the best way to use the FasTrack 90 degree crossover piece?  It measures 6''x6'' so I expected to find a 4" straight that I could use to match it up with a standard 10" straight.  However straights only come in 4 1/2", 5", 10", and 30" to my knowledge.

Does Lionel or anyone else offer any freeware software to design FasTrack layouts on our PCs?  I'm looking to design a layout in a "L"-shaped space around 8' wide by 6' deep intersected by up to 12' long (included the previous 6' depth) by 4' deep.  I have 2-90 degree crossovers, 2 inner loops kits (4 turnouts total), and lots of standard curves and 10" straights. 

[lionelsoni]

Traditionally, 90-degree crossings (not crossovers) have been designed to work in figure-eight layouts.  In a simple layout of this kind, the tangents (straight tracks) are exactly the same length as the curve diameter.  For example, in O27, where the actual curve diameter is 25 inches, the crossing is 7.322 inches each way, which, when added to two 8.839-inch straight sections, comes to 25 inches.

For 36-inch-diameter Fastrack, the tangent is 36 inches.  So the layout can be built with a 6-by-6 crossing and two 15-inch straight tracks, which can be made from 5- and 10-inch sections.  However, the same crossing will not work for 48-inch Fastrack, since there seems to be no way to put together a 21-inch straight track.

[Anonymous]

Traditionally, 90-degree crossings (not crossovers) have been designed to work in figure-eight layouts.  [cut]  For 36-inch-diameter Fastrack, the tangent is 36 inches.  So the layout can be built with a 6-by-6 crossing and two 15-inch straight tracks, which can be made from 5- and 10-inch sections.  However, the same crossing will not work for 48-inch Fastrack, since there seems to be no way to put together a 21-inch straight track.

Sounds good.  I'm thinking of doing essentually a double loop using the 90 crossover to make a small inner loop as you describe above (36 rad curves to 15" straights) on the inside corner of "L" and the outer loop outlining the rest of the "L"-shaped layout.  The Lionel catalog calls this piece itself a crossover, perhaps once used in a layout it becomes a crossing?

[lionelsoni]

I'm afraid it's always a crossing.  Lionel has actually used both names on their packaging:

http://cgi.ebay.com/027-Lionel-Trains-6-5023-and-6-5020-NEW-Crossovers_W0QQitemZ190079772555QQihZ009QQcategoryZ4148QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I put this into the same category as their initially calling the NW2 an SW2, and putting the red light on the top of color-light signals.

[crip]

TO MAKE A 21 INCH STRAIGHT USE

1) 5 INCH

2)4 1/2 INCH

4) 1 3/4 INCH

[lionelsoni]

Very good, Mark.  I didn't know about the 1 3/4-inch pieces, which the original post did not mention.

[Anonymous]

TO MAKE A 21 INCH STRAIGHT USE

1) 5 INCH

2)4 1/2 INCH

4) 1 3/4 INCH

Your right it works, however 21" straight for almost $24 is a bit steep considering 20" (2 x 10") only $7.90 MSRP.

I'm very surprised Lionel doesn't have some sort of either online FasTrack designer or a simple freeware software release.  I'm all ready to spend money on more FasTrack to make a more complex layout, but without knowing exactly what I need I'm more likely to stick to a simpler design with the pieces I already own.