dwiemer wrote: Having said that, I used Fastrack for it Dennis
Having said that, I used Fastrack for it
Dennis
Benedict Arnold!
I have just got done figuring that it will const me about $800 in track alone to build my layout with 027. Not that bad to me. And with changing my track to 1 mainline with a yard in fastrack would be $1170.00 But I made a limit for myself not to spend more than $1000 on track. But what I am wondering is what would Lionel Corporation's engineers and what Cowin would have thought if they saw fastrack. Who knows, they might have loved it, or may have hated it. But I dont think they had a problem with 027! 027, here I come!
"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen
wow...i dont know how big your layout is gonna be or how many pieces youll be needing....
but i bought in three seperte auctions 300 pieces of used but excellant condition track...i have a 16x 6 layout in progress..and i only spent 75 shipped for track...including 10 remote switches...i dont mind used..as long as its in good shape...
just a thought.....new is great but cheap is better, atleast for me anyways....
Lionel should have redesigned super "O" (since the tooling for it was destroyed in the 80s) before coming out with FasTrack. But still, I want to know why FasTrack is so expensive! With a $4 retail price on a 10in. straight is ridiculous. If lionel really meant it for the starter-intermediate market, it would seem that they would have a lower price than tubular, since most people dont want to spend hundreds of dollars of track, and more hundreds on accessories, engines, ect. The price is just ridiculous.
Grayson - an uncommon name.
How much track I'm getting:
30- 027 straight sections, 24- 027 radius cured sections, 24- 042 radius curves, 16- 054 radius curves, 32- extra long 027 straight sections, 3- 027 manual switches, 4- 027 remote switches, 5- 042 remote switches, 3- 027 uncoupling track, 4- 027 operating track. Total:$800
Grayson
Grayson,,, I noticed your plan called for 027 switches and 027 radius curves...As long as you are in the planning stages, you may want to do yourself a huge favor and increase the smallest radius to at least 031 radius curves and switches.....allot of locomotives and passenger cars need a 031 minimum radius for proper operation...
You might want to check your "wish list" as far as future rolling stock purchases go, and make sure that your layout is built to handle them without problems..
Keep us posted on the progress,,,BDT
Does anybody have any opinions on using sand or dirt as ballast? Advantages, disadvantages? I just dont want to spend alot of money on model railroad ballest.
Yea, I know.
magicman710 wrote: Does anybody have any opinions on using sand or dirt as ballast? Advantages, disadvantages? I just dont want to spend alot of money on model railroad ballest.
Sand or dirt? aye yi yi!
I just put up a couple of posts on another forum on this subject - take them for what they are worth:
Considering your track and track workmanship is probably the most notable and unchangeable part of your layout, I took the route that if I am going to do all this work, I'm going to make it as good as I can. Ater poking around these forums, I opted to used Dennis Brennan's Ballast.
Considering the fact that I took the less conventional route of using tubular track -- (the most venerable and time-proven of all track systems, by the way) -- I wanted a really nice ballasting and ground cover effort around the track to kind of tone down the tubular.
Also considering this is my first layout, short of the green grass paper layouts I made with my Dad in the 50's and 60's, I wanted something better than the sprinkled kitty litter look that typifies first layouts.
Here's the result:
For me to get what I consider pretty good results the first time out of the box, I would say I made a good choice on the product. I just can't see cutting corners on an aspect of your layout that is going to jump right out at you everytime you run your trains.
To use a really good ballast product, you might spend an extra $100 or so than you would be using cheap materials which yield a half-fast finished product. For the cost of a common post war loco or a few freight cars, you can have trackwork that will be a highlgiht of your layout.
Thanks Frank, I think I'll take your advice and do it right. Another question, do you recommend O gauge track or 027? Well, I started this forum about whether to use fastrack or tubular, and know I have officially made up my mind to go with tubular. But, like i said earlier in a post, please keep this forum alive by arguing to each other about track systems!
Nice Layout you have!,
Actually BDT, I planned all of this out before you made the post about 031 curves. The mainlines will have 042 on the inner main, and 054 on the outer main. Of the five switches that will be in the yard, 3 will be 042 including the the one which spurs of the inner mainline. The other 3 will be 027, which means I can bring larger than 031 min. radius in my yard and around the layout. The main point is that i orginally did plan on having the 042 and 054 track curves and switches. But thank you for pointing it out, BDT
Grayson,,,I was over on the Lionel website and checked to see if the 31 inch radius curve sections and switches were offered in the Lionel 027 tubular track line....NO cigar.....Lionel has 31 inch radius in tubular O gauge,, for allot bigger price!! Lionel 027 track switches can only be gotten in 27 and 42 inch radius.... bummer..Other companies may offer the 31 inch radius, but I understand that your preference is to keep your layout 100% Lionel..That is a wise choice, everything will line up and match, including the control levers...
It looks like you have your bases well covered,,,,BDT
Ok, I've painted ONE train pink - for my daughter. But I've never suffered the heartbreak of psoriasis.
Jim
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
Hmmm...Fellas we need to set some thing straight here... IF you build your layout properly and do not use 1/4 inch plywood on an open frame work your FasTrack will be no louder than Tubular. Honestly, the hype on the loudness of FasTrack is quite sickening. Don't torque your FasTrack roadbed to 150 foot lbs and you will be fine too... Also so many people put cork roadbed under the Tubular track and then balast. With FasTrack you don't need to balast so the cost IMHO is about the same and with FasTrack you save the balasting time! In the current issue of the other magazine they have an article on how to reduce the 'FasTrack noise' and it is a cost effective way to do that.FasTrack has MANY advantages over tubular:1. NO removing of track pins to make your curves go the other way2. Your track ends don't flare resulting in poor track connections3. You can disassemble and reassemble FasTrack thousands of times and it STILL holds strong4. Lower profile switch lanterns so you don't have to worry about rolling stock derailing - heck you don't even need to use the switch lanterns with FasTrack - try THAT with tubular! Sorry Frank... I know you love tubular and there isn't anything wrong with that... just drives me nuts when people go over the deep end on FasTrack. It isn't the best track system, but we weren't permitted to post about others so I can't go into them here!
Bob Nelson
Frank53,
You are on to something, but you forgot to mention that fastrack was a joint venture between Nelson Rockerfeller, the Buildebergers, the Trilateralist Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, The Illuminati, the Knights Templar, The Masons, the Skulls, the Bohemian Grove cult, the director of Area 51, and the CIA. The true reasons for its existence may NEVER be known
A new study has found that prolonged FasTrack use is the leading cost of E.D.
Frank53 wrote:A new study has found that prolonged FasTrack use is the leading cost of E.D.
Really?!!! That explains it!
Your 2343s seem to be the cure! Insert diving board sound here.
I appreciate your scientific report on Fastrac, however you forgot to mention that some pre war steam locomotives won't go thru the Fastrac switches because their wheel flanges are too large. Another reason for NOT using Fastrac besides costing almost twice as much as new tubular track, also Fastrac is limited to certain lengths of track thereby limiting creativity with a layout.
I refuse to use Fastrac because it limits my budget and creativity!!! Long live tubular track!!!
By the way I did not know that Fastrac could give you any diseases other than dried up wallet or over limit credit card!!! Guys mentioned about Cooties and Psoriasis, what about long term exposure to Fastrac??
Lee F.
Grayson, I have been to Bull Street station a few times. As you said, no O Gauge beyond track. I did purchase a few items like scale rulers and modeller's speed square, but that is all. My wife and I love going to Savannah, so perhaps we can catch up with you at the Roundhouse Museum or something. As Bob Nelson explained, you can use K-Line or Marx for curves/etc. and you can open up your plan a bit. One technique is to also mix radius curves. Have a 042, 034,042 to make a curve, you can change it around and have a nice layout that will handle most engines made.
Frank 53, I am still going to have a O27 layout built under the main layout that will incorporate my post war accessories. This will mostly be designed by my son, though I will do the work. I am trying to bring him up in the Lionel Tradition.
As to what would JLC say about Fastrack, if it sells, do it! While he did do some great innovations, JLC was a businessman who, not only wanted to out sell the competition, he wanted to bury them. One of his sales pitches was to put top of the line Lionel shown next to bottom line of the competition and do a "comparison". Fastrack has come into it's own. I think that those who have it and use it, like it, faults and all. Tubular has it's fans too. It also has flaws. I have had the cut fingers from putting tubular together. Also had the problems with diagnosing loose pins, shorts from center rail insulation wear.
TCA#09-63805
lionelsoni wrote:K-Line made O27-profile track in O42, O54, and O72. Marx made it in O34. These are completely compatible with Lionel track.
They are also a great deal cheaper than the O gauge equivalents. K-line made 042 switches, as well.
Frank53 wrote: A new study has found that prolonged FasTrack use is the leading cost of E.D.
Frank, I didn't know that Bob Dole has a Fastrack Layout.
dwiemer wrote: As to what would JLC say about Fastrack . . .
As to what would JLC say about Fastrack . . .
I am not one to make reverent references to JLC. While I am a die hard Post War Lionel fan, I am of the opinion that JLC is no one I would care to do business with. While I enjoy the products of the company the fellow put his name on, I think the company on the whole has a well-documented checkered past at best and not one in which anyone associated with it should take a great deal of pride.
And that is only my opinion . . .
In my experience I'd say the switches are the big advantage to FT. They work flawlessly 99% of the time and off of track power to boot. The one flaw I've experienced (and one I have discussed before) is that the coupling shoes on some PW rolling stock tend to hang up on the switches, forcing derailment or coupler failure.
A tube of Lionel lubricant and I'm back up and running...
Does anybody know a price estimate for scenery on a 10x20 ft. layout? It will be 2 feet wide in all places except the yard(wich I will not count). So 40 ft of 2 foot wide board with 2 tracks, anybody know a estimate price of ballast and ground foam, and trees?
Grayson, anyone who would give a answer would only be guessing (unless they had it professionally done). There are many methods to doing scenery and most will include adding "finds" to it. Some will use natural twigs that they add ground foam to. You can use either plaster cloth over chicken wire, or extruded foam insulation, or any number of methods for making mountains/changes in elevation. My method is using extruded foam. I will paint a earth tone color for the base, then add ground foam to the still wet paint. For trees, I have a big mix of store bought "Life Like", and evergreens from around Christmas. I also have some clippings from when I trimmed some hedges. Many methods and most look good. Time to experiment.
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