jaabat wrote:Bad Layout Idea # 6: Using girly-man old-style tubular instead of FasTrack...
FasTrack is for sissys.
Blueberryhill RR wrote: jaabat wrote:Bad Layout Idea # 6: Using girly-man old-style tubular instead of FasTrack...FasTrack is for sissys.
Also I can do more with my non fastrack thats why I like gargraves track looks more real and still can cut and form to my wishes not what I have to go with expensive little pieces.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Chuck - you have captured the spirit of the issue brilliantly.
Bad Layout Idea 7: Assuming that nothing you reasonably are going to own is going to need 072 curves. I made this mistake in 1988, just before engines that needed 072 started to come out.
Bad Layout Idea 8: Skimping on benchwork. 1/4" plywood is not self supporting for O scale trains.
Bad Layout Idea 9: Running unmodified Marx engines with 2 position reverse - with no e-unit lockout - on inaccessable track. A recipe for nasty train wrecks. I've added a lockout switch to all my Marx engines.
Sissys like me? My name is Jim and I'm a FasTrack sissy.
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
jaabat wrote: phillyreading wrote: Hey Jimbo how do you custom fit your Girly track called Fastrac?Also Jimbo you might want to listen to some real man's music by Ted Nugent (Amboy Dukes)from 1968!Lee F.Ted Nugent?!!! Isn't he that animal killer dude?
phillyreading wrote: Hey Jimbo how do you custom fit your Girly track called Fastrac?Also Jimbo you might want to listen to some real man's music by Ted Nugent (Amboy Dukes)from 1968!Lee F.
Hey Jimbo how do you custom fit your Girly track called Fastrac?
Also Jimbo you might want to listen to some real man's music by Ted Nugent (Amboy Dukes)from 1968!
Lee F.
Ted Nugent?!!! Isn't he that animal killer dude?
Ted is a member of P.E.T.A. (People Eating Tastey Animals) As am I and I am sure the rest of the gang below the Mason Dixon Line.
Back to trains,
Bad Idea #whatever, always assuming that the current problem is the most complicated to fix. Not getting any power to the tracks? Before taking down that transformer, check to make sure the thing is plugged in. (Just an example) But the main thing is when diagnosing a problem, look for the obvious, then start with the basics.
Dennis
TCA#09-63805
jaabat wrote: Blueberryhill RR wrote: jaabat wrote:Bad Layout Idea # 6: Using girly-man old-style tubular instead of FasTrack...FasTrack is for sissys. Sissys like me? My name is Jim and I'm a FasTrack sissy.
Jim....I have to say this.........For a Fastrack Sissy.....You have one of the greatest looking layouts, I have ever seen. It should be in the CTT mag.
Chuck
Why thank you, Chuck. As a matter of fact, it will be this fall.
And I'll be honest with you. I truly believe Frank53's layout is going to be in CTT some day as well. His layout is looking great. And his modeling skills are first rate. You wait and see. His layout is going to be a gem.
Jim - a FasTrack sissy and proud of it
rtraincollector,
I second your thoughts on GarGraves track and will add that GarGraves track has more choices for curve sections and switch options and needs only adapter pins to go to tubular track, no track space wasted. I use mainly GarGraves switches on my layout to keep down problems, had too many problems with Lionel switches in the past 12 years, so any switch that acted up got replaced with a GarGraves switch.
For me Fastrac is too limited because of only two curve sizes and two switch sizes, needs an adapter track to go to tubular thereby wasting available track space on the layout.
phillyreading wrote: rtraincollector,I second your thoughts on GarGraves track and will add that GarGraves track has more choices for curve sections and switch options and needs only adapter pins to go to tubular track, no track space wasted. I use mainly GarGraves switches on my layout to keep down problems, had too many problems with Lionel switches in the past 12 years, so any switch that acted up got replaced with a GarGraves switch.For me Fastrac is too limited because of only two curve sizes and two switch sizes, needs an adapter track to go to tubular thereby wasting available track space on the layout.Lee F.
FasTrack is available in 36, 48, 60, 72 inch radii... that is 4 by my count and 84 and 96 are supposed to be on the way. The switches will eventually be available for everything up to 72 inches I believe...
Brent,
Didn't know that Fastrac was available in four sizes for curves as my favorate hobby store only carries two sizes in curves.
Also GarGraves track is available in curve sizes up to 118 inches, and you can make your own curve sizes by using their flex-track, can't do that with Fastrac!
phillyreading wrote:FasTrack is available in 36, 48, 60, 72 inch radii... that is 4 by my count and 84 and 96 are supposed to be on the way. The switches will eventually be available for everything up to 72 inches I believe...Brent,Didn't know that Fastrac was available in four sizes for curves as my favorate hobby store only carries two sizes in curves.Also GarGraves track is available in curve sizes up to 118 inches, and you can make your own curve sizes by using their flex-track, can't do that with Fastrac!Lee F.
Lee, Lionel puts out a catalog twice each year. Believe it or not, all the different FasTrack is shown quite clearly!
FasTrack has its detractors, but I love it. No ballasting to do, great conductivity, and the switches are smooth and reliable.
Jaabat,
For your friends flying in on friday all I can say is expect a delay at the airport!
This morning, thursday @ 9:15am 4-12-07, we had a tornado warning issued with possible hail stones. All I can say is the weather is a bit violent down here at times lately, could be global warming!
If you want to check the weather channel the postal zip code is 33465 or 33484.
Personally I would rather put up with the snow storms up north!
About the use of Fastrac or tubular track all I will add is to each his own!
Snow is a four-letter word to me, Lee.
My friends are going to Disney World. I hope the weather clears up for them. They have 2 little boys that are chomping at the bit to go!
Jim
Even the Mouse can expect some bad weather lately, hope the weather clears up for your friends! Also don't leave anything in plain site in the car or the window will be broken & the stuff removed by your Florida welcoming committee & found at a local pawn shop.
About the availability of Lionel products offered in the catalog, I have ordered some K-Line track now made by Lionel and am still waiting on the expected arrival date! Ordered it from My Rose Hobby Shop in Jupiter FL, called twice since ordering it and still no date as to when it may arrive.
These are really finicky. I had to use this switch in order to keep the distance between tracks to a minimum, as #22 switches (o31) really extended out, but trains really jostle and jump through these. In addition, cetains engines will not make it through these at all - my post war 681 and 221 being two I had in mind for this level.
Truer words ne'er spoken. I have three, which I bought when I was new to the hobby, on my layout. They are coming out as soon as I have (a) a free weekend to tear them out and replace them with FT switches, (b) a spare $150 for FT switches and another $100 for various odds and ends, and (c) the patience to do it all. 0-72s are the albatross of the Lionel world.
Re the poster talking about putting track too close together, I have learned my lesson on that, too. On one curve on my layout two lines are JUST close enough for a jolly little collision that has already sent one extruded aluminum passenger car to the repair shop with stretched truck rivits.
072 switch problem? Answer: Fastrack 072 switches.
My deep love with fastrack has led me to believe that people like zeke that use tubular, and always say tubular is better and that they hate fastrack, really like it. Like a person who likes another person will always deny it.
CSX- Chessie, Seaboard, and the X means many times more. Why cant fastrack and tubular be "many times more"? The look good together.
And Frank, wonderful post.
Grayson
"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen
aww grayson...i was wondering were you were. Haven't heard from you in awhile.....
You know i really dont like fast track for two reasons: cost and noise.
I do like the fact of that its convienant, like if i wanted to put a little track down on the carpet or take some somewere to show a friend a little layout. but thats not enough for me to run out and buy some.
Them switches are really price. if id got started with fast track then maybe i would use it but i wasnt.
And frank i like this post alot. i did one of your no nos but that was before i saw this thread.
Yea, I havent been on in a while, if you read the Friday Night Chat thread you would understand.
Zeke, as far as fastrack being more costlier, look at your 2007 catalog. I know you like to buy your trains on ebay and yard sales, but the actual current retail price of a fastrack 072 switch is $80, while a O gauge 072 tubular switch is a retail of $115.
Bad Planning idea # 6; ordering anything from a catalog from Lionel or MTH and expecting to see it before a year & a half passes. That is why I have quit ordering from any catalog!!
My current layout is on a 4x8. I recently put carpet on top of it, and I can barely here the sound of the track, and im pulling 10 cars.
ok grayson, this is sorta getting of topic here, im not gonna get into a ft vs tubular fight with ya. I am too cheap to buy fast track, hows that. I dont buy it because i cant afford it.
how about a no no being too steep of a grade going up. before i asked and knew the general rule of thumb on grade mine was like 8 or 9% not good, quickly realized my mistakes...
2986:
That decline is just less than 3% in each direction. The minimum speed you need to ascend causes you to really roll on the downslope, which has steamers coming close to doing the two wheeler.
Get that slope as gradual as you can, or use bigger radius - you will have trouble coming in at 4% on o27.
About that decline and the speed, on ebay there are those odd triangle shaped Lionel variacs for sale sometimes. Though not really an option to power a complete layout, you could use them to ease the trains going downhill. The section downhill is isolated and fed through the variator which can be set to a lower voltage.
I used those white 25 watt resistors from radioshack to power my layout with. Even 0.5 ohms gives a quite noticable speed drop.. You could also use a locomotive with cruise control on those declines, but postwar engines didn't have those I guess.
daan wrote: I used those white 25 watt resistors from radioshack to power my layout with. Even 0.5 ohms gives a quite noticable speed drop.. You could also use a locomotive with cruise control on those declines, but postwar engines didn't have those I guess.
How do you do that?
It's quite simple. The feeder rail is isolated on the top and the bottom of the incline. The resistor, variac or whatever you want to use to drop the power is between the feeder and the rails. The isolated part is the fed through the resistor instead of directly from the transformer and the voltage on the downhill section will be lower.
BUT if you go measure it with your voltmeter you won't find any difference. A resistor starts working when something uses power, so when a postwar train goes downhill the resistor will do it's job. The small triangle variators (same stuff as inside the white 25 watt resistors) have the advantage that they can be set to any value, so you don't need to buy several fixed ohm resistors to get the result you want.
A long time ago I use a 24 volts tranformer, a piece of plastic, and a lot of screws connected with resistors to power my layout. Every step "up" was one resistor less, resulting in a very primitive way of voltage regulation. The counterpart was that K-line engines with those small dc can motors in their trucks where not regulatable at all. They didn't consume any noticable power and then the resistors don't work..
Now I'm using a nice electronic Z750 from MTH, which is a lot more comfortable to use..(powered by a Märklin transformer)
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