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Most people consider that it is not possible to make Fastrack fitters, but it can be done, and quite easily at that.
This is how I do it, and I hope this gives another perspective to Lionel's great FasTrack system, especially to those who may be considering going with Fastrack.

A custom length fitter section can be made when needed, using any standard full length section, straight or curved. This is done by making two cuts in the section, discarding the center piece, and re-connecting the ends. This avoids disturbing the FasTrack end pins and connector tabs.
Say you need a fitter 8.75 inches long. You would take a 10” long piece and cut out 1.25”.

The standard FasTrack fitters sometimes will not allow a loop closing gap of much less than one inch. I usually consider a custom fitter anytime I need two or more standard fitters in a section, or whenever standard fitters just won’t do it, or when a special trip to the LHS is just not timely.

First examine the underside and mark the cut locations carefully so as to miss rail jumpers, tabs, braces, and the ties on top.


I start cutting by placing the piece upside down in a miter box and cutting the roadbed through with a hacksaw. This keeps the cuts square.


I then finish the cuts through the rails from the top side with a Dremel wheel fitted on a flex shaft. This is best done in short spurts on each rail alternately, so as to avoid overheating and melting the plastic roadbed.


After cutting, use a file and dress the two cut ends to square them off and remove all burrs etc.


Complete the re-assembly using O gauge tubular track pins in the mating rail ends to align the rails and provide electrical continuity, just as with tubular track. You will first need to drill out the plastic filler nubs in the tops of the rail ends using a 7/64” bit in your Dremel. (The nubs are located directly above each tie.)


Then insert the pins into one section until they butt up to the next plastic filler nub. This should leave about half the pin length protruding. You should find that the pins are a nice tight fit and no further crimping is required.

Does this look familiar???

Then firmly push the other track end onto the pins and snug up the roadbed sections. Though not necessary, plastic cement can be used optionally to glue the two roadbed pieces together, thus making the custom fitter a permanent piece.


Other considerations for custom fitters:
It is best to make no cuts closer than about 1-1/4” to either section end, so as not to disturb the end connectors or the screw holes used for fastening the track down. This means that the minimum practical custom fitter length is about 2.5”, though with a little finagling it could be made shorter.

Say you needed a fitter ¾” long to fit between two standard length sections. Since this is too short to make out of a full length section, you would be better off to replace one adjacent 10” section with a half section, and make a custom fitter 5.75” long.
A custom fitter can of course consist of a straight section mated to a curved piece if required. If you need an odd portion of a curve (something other than a half or a quarter curve) then a custom cut curve will fill the bill.

If you want to exactly match the FasTrack tie spacing, the removed section needs to be multiples of .4167”; or 3 ties every 1-1/4”. This corresponds to a scale tie spacing of 20”. If this can’t be met, then there will be a slight but virtually unnoticeable hiccup in the tie spacing. Try to make the section cuts so as to miss the ties in any case.

Finally, if the fitter can be positioned where you need a block break or an insulated outside rail break, simply leave out the appropriate pin when re-assembling the two cut sections. Remove the outside rail jumper underneath if appropriate. How handy is that!

Rod
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Great work!

I do have one comment though as everyone's sizes needed will be different.

If you cut where there is no brace for several inches you may want to support the underside.

IN the example shown it's fine. If you had to cut at the 6 and 3/4 mark you may want to add a brace to avoid caving.

Two stacks of pennies should work.
Rod I saw you were useing a hand file to square the ends

I have Gargraves track but this idea will work with your track too

I found when cutting my track I never could quite get it square and getting it cut 90 degrees verticaly almost impossible

So this is what I came up with I mark the track where I want it and cut it a little long with the Dremel . Then I take it over to my sander .It's a belt sander that has a 6" sanding disc on the side with a table that's 90 degrees to the disc

I use a 80 Grit pad and a little pressure and the end looks like it came from the factory

Best
David
Excellent How-To, Rod! Many people are afraid to cut a section of FasTrack.

I've only had to make three custom sized pieces, so far. For mine, I removed the rails first, then cut the roadbed, then put the two pieces together and used Zap-a-Gap to hold them. I then cut the rails to there needed length. To square the rails, I do what DPC does with a sander.
I like that you used O track pins for yours...it makes that a multi-purpose piece.

Again, great job with this.
Thanks for the additional ideas from everyone; these are all great tips that should improve the process.

Of the several fitters that I have done, the results have been worthwhile. Though I must admit my first attempt was a little shakey!
Though FasTrack offers several standard fitter sizes that will get you close, the cost mounts quickly at $4.79 each MSRP. I found it much more cost effective to make one custom fitter, plus the trains ride smoother.

Currently RR-Track 4.02 does not have provision for making FasTrack fitters. I am going to email Russ Becker and ask him if he will add that capability.
I use RR-Track to measure the distance between the two open track ends, then make a fitter exactly that length. Works great.

Rod
Rod, please contact RR Track and ask them for a custom length piece. I contacted them some months ago and they said no one had asked for a custom length piece in 7 years. So, all you others out there ask RR Track for a custom length piece too.

I made a miter box specifically for FasTrack and used a 15 degree diagonal. I cut the center out of the shortened piece so I have equal ends. I glued it back together with pvc pipe cement.

Okay, my first post on this forum. I have lurked here for several years and learned a lot. I have 2 2023s from when I was a kid, hence the name, else, it would have been Another_Eddie_G, Mustang Eddie (the car), Fast Eddie, etc. Ed G.
Yes, Thank you Rod, for taking the time to post your findings and how-to.

While I am not a huge Fastrack fan, I do see a value in this system that could be used in the future. One of the reason I have not taken to Fastrack was the lack of or lack of how-to make custom pieces.

Rod, the other concern for me was the noise issue. Have you any comments on how to address that area or do you not find the Fastrack a tad bit too noisy?

Thanks again,

Charlie
As to the noise issue. Beyond all the usual methods with any layout (homesite or some such benchtop -- I use acoustic celing tile myself, not using screws that go down into the solid benchtop wood, etc), the particular noise issues with Fastrack (unique to the plastic roadbed resonating and multiplying train noise) are addressed by filling the underside of each piece with Great Stuff expanding insulating foam. Simple to do: turn the piece over, bead small strips of Great Stuff along the track underside about 1 inch apart, and let it expand overnight. It generally puffs up, if you do it right, to cover the whole underside of the track and to a height of about 1 to 1.5 inches. The next day, when hardened, slidce it off, flush, with a breadknife. Someome posted a tutorial with pictures on this forum, oh, well more than a year ago. Oh, and remember if you are attaching leads, etc., to do this before, etc.

I then glue my track down with thin beads of Liquid Nail along both edges, and nothing else. Eliminates a lot of noise. I've got about 400 feet of it done this way. I posted maybe nine months ago on the measured effect that this and other measures had in quietening the noise (what you don't want) as opposed to the sound (that you do want).
Ed;
Welcome to the forum; glad you decided to come out of the closet so to speak!
Nice postwar units the 2023's. I have the same pair from when I was a kid and they are always a smooth runner. Since I have gone all command a couple of years ago I don't use them anymore unfortunately.

About the noise issue; my FasTrack layout is kind of small and I placed the track on a type of indoor/outdoor marine type of carpet called Perfection, available at HD.
It is a closed loop product with a rubber backing, about 3/16" high. I just layed the track on it with no fastening at all. It stays put and noise is not an issue.
This concept works great for a temporary layout or one that will be changed frequently.

Keep the comments coming; this is great!

Rod
quote:
About the noise issue; my FasTrack layout is kind of small and I placed the track on a type of indoor/outdoor marine type of carpet called Perfection, available at HD.
It is a closed loop product with a rubber backing, about 3/16" high. I just layed the track on it with no fastening at all. It stays put and noise is not an issue.

That (marine deck carpet) is what I use on the all-tinplate layout here in my home office, and have been recommending for some time. Good stuff; easy to work with (cuts with an ordinary scissors or utility knife); and grips the track to hold it in place.
quote:
I cut the center out of the shortened piece so I have equal ends.
@ed2023:

Sorry, I'm not following this statement.

Does this say: To produce the shortened piece, I removed the needed length centered on the mid-point of the full track (e.g. at 5" on a 10" section).

What is the advantage of having the resultant joint half-way from the ends?

--Joe
Joe;
I see Ed has not answered yet, but I interpret what he said the same way as you did. I think his joint is always in the middle of the cut down piece.
Personally I don't see an advantage to this, but I am sure it works for Ed, and that is all that matters.
I select my cuts so as to miss all obstructions underneath as best I can, and also to fall between the ties if at all possible.
Just my way of doing it.

Rod
Great Job Rod! This will help out a lot of us who haven't figured out a good way to cut Fastrack and have it look good! Thanks! To All: As for Noise Reduction, with Fastrack or other molded plastic trackbed brands, I use the soft charcoal black foam insulation like what you use to seal around air conditioners in a window. Mine is 1/2 inch thick and I overlap it 1/2 inch out both sides of the Fastrack. I glue the bottom outside edges of the Fastrack to the top of the foam with Foam Glue and the bottom of the foam to plywood with Foam Glue. I Only use screws at the End-of-track bumpers to anchor them, no other screws hold the track at all and I use all O-36 switches and curves Fastrack, no problems with track coming apart and I would say at least a third reduction in track noise! I have been very happy with the noise reduction but my wife is even happier, my layout is in the living room and she can now watch TV with trains running 6-10 ft away without turning up the TV, I used to chase her right out of the room before!
Sincerely, Gary P
quote:
Thanks all for the positive comments!
I am still waiting for a response back from Russ at RR-Track about adding custom cut fitters for the Fastrack library; no answer as yet.
Anyone else who would like to see this feature added should also email RR-Track.

Today I got an answer back from Russ Becker:

"FasTrack is not designed by Lionel for this purpose. Until this feature is included by Lionel in their FasTrack specifications, we have no plans to add this capability. Based on past experience it will create many more support issues than it will solve.
-Russ Becker"

So I guess we can forget about that capability for a while. I don't see Lionel authorizing FasTrack fitters anytime soon. They make too much money selling us a bunch of little fitters at $4.79 a crack; when one custom fitter would do the job.

Just thought I would let everyone know.

Rod
quote:
Originally posted by Rod Stewart:
quote:
Thanks all for the positive comments!
I am still waiting for a response back from Russ at RR-Track about adding custom cut fitters for the Fastrack library; no answer as yet.
Anyone else who would like to see this feature added should also email RR-Track.

Today I got an answer back from Russ Becker:

"FasTrack is not designed by Lionel for this purpose. Until this feature is included by Lionel in their FasTrack specifications, we have no plans to add this capability. Based on past experience it will create many more support issues than it will solve.
-Russ Becker"

So I guess we can forget about that capability for a while. I don't see Lionel authorizing FasTrack fitters anytime soon. They make too much money selling us a bunch of little fitters at $4.79 a crack; when one custom fitter would do the job.

Just thought I would let everyone know.

Rod


What support issues is Russ talking about? From his comment it sounds like he is waiting for Lionel to "bless" the idea in some way and "make it a standard" but a "custom cut" piece is never going to be a standard. I think he knows this. It sounds to me like what he is saying is that he doesn't want to add this feature to his software because he expects there to be a lot of questions back to him on how to use the feature and that the added work isn't worth the money he would get for it. But he also makes it sound (at least to me) that he is trying to shift the blame to Lionel ("...Until this feature is included by Lionel...") as if adding the software feature is completely out of his hands. Roll Eyes



I hope this helps.
quote:
But he also makes it sound (at least to me) that he is trying to shift the blame to Lionel ("...Until this feature is included by Lionel...") as if adding the software feature is completely out of his hands.

Eric; That's exactly what I thought.

He is trying to make it sound like Lionel needs to bless it first, which is garbage. He just does not want to do it for some reason.
I have been an RR-Track customer and user since 1995; and it just sucks when a company has a customer service attitude like this.

When I first started using RR-track in 1995 I sent Russ a 3 page fax (yes, fax) with suggestions and ideas for improvement. I recall he responded very quickly and positively. Several of my suggestions wound up being incorporated in the next revision. Alas, that was many years ago. Things change I guess.

Rod
I'm glad I'm not the only one who read it that way. It is too bad because RR-Track has a great deal of potential but it hasn't been upgraded in years in spite of the ads (also going on for years) touting their "new version".

For what its worth, when I first started using RR-Track about 6 years ago, they still had pretty good customer service. I was trying to find a combination of libraries for my RealTrax and HO Kato track as well as a mix of Lionel and other track and accessories. Russ was pretty patient will all my questions and did resolve all my issues. Recently, this wasn't the case. Because my license was lost and I had switched computers all I got back was the suggestion that I repurchase everything. I won't do that but I did end up buying the minimal package that I could still get to use FasTrack libraries with. I'm considering extending xTrack to do what I want.
Wow, I was surprised to see this thread alive again after so long.

Lou, I know what you mean. The first one you do will have a "gulp" factor, because I guess we worry about mucking it up and winding up with a junk section of track. But after you have done 2 or 3 you won't even blink an eye.
The incentive is you are investing $4.79 to save several times that amount depending on the fitter sections you are eliminating.

Another cool thing I just discovered is that when you modify the track plan, or build a new layout entirely, chances are good you will be able to make a needed fitter by using different ends of two previously made fitters. In other words, any fitter half can be used with any other fitter half, to make the fitter length needed. Who cares if you wind up with a couple of odd pieces left over?

Certainly adds a whole new perspective to FasTrack.

I see by another thread that RR-Track version 5.0 is available. It would have been nice if Mr. Becker would have included the ability to cut custom length FasTrack fitters, just like for other track systems. Anyone know if this has been added?

The best,
Rod

HELP !  Would someone recommend a Service that is capable of Custom Cutting a Lionel Fastrack "Fitter" Section. I will gladly pay for such service, I just am not capable of doing it myself, and am holding up my Layout Installation being in need of a Custom Fitter Section of Fastrack. I appreciate, in advance, any information of who could/would perform such a service as soon as possible. I live in Kansas City, MO, and certainly will pay Shipping both ways for this task. THANK YOU ! !

It's not difficult to do and hopefully you will find someone to do it for you.  I trimmed and shaped a lot of pieces in my time but I'm not into doing pieces for others.  One point to keep in mind that is not generally discussed is that it makes a noticeable difference in smoothness to make the cut and paste line at an angle, so that when re-assembled, the cut line/joints of the railss are at different locations side to side, so that the wheels of the same axle don't hit joints on both sides at exactly the same time.  Trains pass over the joint much more smoothly and quietly that way.

Originally Posted by Lee Willis:

It's not difficult to do and hopefully you will find someone to do it for you.  I trimmed and shaped a lot of pieces in my time but I'm not into doing pieces for others.  One point to keep in mind that is not generally discussed is that it makes a noticeable difference in smoothness to make the cut and paste line at an angle, so that when re-assembled, the cut line/joints of the railss are at different locations side to side, so that the wheels of the same axle don't hit joints on both sides at exactly the same time.  Trains pass over the joint much more smoothly and quietly that way.

What is needed is a purpose made mitre box to do the job.

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