Fastrack 031 curve

This seems like a pretty common item, but July 2012?  Have these curves been hard to get?

They shore have!  Until now they haven't existed.  O36 was smallest FasTrack diameter.  If Lionel starts making O31 switches too that will be a game changer for me.

Pete

This must be a new item because Fastrack comes in 36 radius and this is going to be 31 radius as the "O" gauge tubular track

Wow O31,  that would be perfect for my son's thomas layout I will be building him soon.  I was going to have to stick with O27 track but if I could do it in Fastrack it would be much better.

This is great!  Must be a new item for the upcoming catalog.  A general google search brings up several sites that are ready for it.

Balto is right.  FasTrack has never been offered in O31 curves.  The minimum to this point has always been O36.  The O36 works well enough for me as a minimum diameter, but I'm sure there are many layouts out there that would welcome--and even need--tighter curves.

Those needing 031 similar to Fastrack could always use MTH's RealTrax.

It comes in O-31 including switches. There is always some on the auction site from sets. I won't say it's better that Fastrack because each has it's good points.

I like the Realtrax Rail shape MUCH better. And I like it's slightly darker roadbed as well.

Fastrack seems to have less trouble with bad connections tho.

There was a bad run of Realtrax, Get new or get the Solid rail old stuff, the stuff in the middle had more issues.

You have to know how to assemble RealTrax properly, it's not obvious, and not well publicised.

Game changer is right, Pete.  If LIONEL™ makes O31 Fastrack, Ima gonna have to quit giving away the track that comes in RTR sets and use it myself!

I would love 31 and 42.  I know you all might think 42 is a waste.  But some of us are stuck to a single sheet of ply wood for the largest layout we can build and 42 would fit on a single sheet and 48 won't.  But 31 is great for us little layout guys!

For me, the biggest deal breaker with RealTrax is that Magnetration does not work

with it.

I use 036 Fastrack on my primary layout route, but I have a secondary loop using 031 that I would gladly switch to Fastrack 031 once I can get it.

Ken

It will be great for those of us that set up quick table top displays at club meets. It will give us an extra loop in the tight spaces.

Steve

With 0-31 fastrack, you should be able to get 1 standard length straight track and the curves in a 4 ft width. Perfect for those limited to small 4 x 8 layout. Always thought that was one limitation with the 0-36 curve. With 40 inches on the outside and one 10 inch straight, it wont fit on a 4 x 8 board.

O-31 Fastrack, who'd have thunk it.   I'm a bit surprised to see them come out with that, they've been pushing the larger stuff so hard.

Do you suppose that O-27 Fastrack is next?

I use a 5" section in your example to solve the issue of fitting it in a 4' space.

No, but with a half-section it will.  That's what I've done on my layout.

Yep, I agree with some of the other comments.  I suppose I'm glad to see this development but always was a surprise to me that Lionel didn't start the Fastrack line with 0-31, THEN go larger later.

As a tinplater who uses classic tubular track,  really doesn't impact me.

Allan and gunrunnerjohn - To clarify my example, its when trying to add an outer passing siding like the 12031 Outer Passing Loop kit that Lionel sells, its 49.5 inches width rules out a 4 ft wide sheet of plywood.

Okay, Ed, I see where you're coming from.  You're absolutely correct if the intent is to add a switch on the short dimension of a 4x8.

Well, that's very true, I didn't think of it that way.

It will be interesting if that part of the line expands to include switches.

This is welcome news for the small layouts but I wish they would also make some larger stuff. The 084 sections are too short, why not double them? And larger diameters such as 096 would also be useful.

Great news now I can replace the 2 curve sections of my inner loop that  I have of Realtrax with these to make it all uniform. I know it worked as is but having 2 types of track always bothered me....How about a true #4 and #6 switch? That would really be nice! James

So will it be FasTrack “O31” as measured the same way that FasTrack “O36” is measured or will it be the same diameter as the old tubular O31?

Why does that matter?  A circle of FasTrack O36 measures 36” center-rail-to-center-rail.  To be consistent with O36 a circle of FasTrack O31 would have a center-to-center distance of 31”.  But a circle of tubular O track only measures 28¾” center-to-center because 31” is the “outside diameter” from the outside edge of a tie to the outside edge of the tie on the other side of the circle.  If Lionel wants to sell FasTrack to operators to convert their existing “O31” tubular layouts, then they will have to have the same geometry as tubular O.    

Also I wonder if it will be possible to nest a FasTrack O31 curve inside an O36 curve?

If they use a true center-to-center diameter of 31”, the roadbed on the outer edge of the O31 curve would "sit on" the inner edge of the O36 roadbed.  Plus the center-rail-to-center-rail spacing on the nested curves would only be 2½“ which is too close for mostly all O gauge equipment.  If they use the tubular O geometry there would be a clearance of 1/8” between the roadbeds.  The center-to-center spacing would be 3 5/8”, adequate for much O gauge rolling stock, but not all.

Hopefully Lionel has considered these issues!

Bill

Very interesting indeed. I hope that this is true.

This is a smart marketing move for Lionel. O-Gauge railroaders can now refit an existing O-31 tubular track layout with Fastrack. This is like the recording companies re-issuing best-selling LP albums on CD. How many of us have spent a lot of money purchasing CDs of our favorite vinyl records? In other words, we bought the same music twice! Lionel has opened up a whole new market segment.

Bill

And maybe made my raft of O-31 track more valuable!

It is true. The stock # shown is different for the 031 curves ans the rest of the Fastrack curves. Doesn't fit in the sequence.

If they do make an 031 switch, I would like to see them make it with a detachable half curve section to allow closer track spacing where needed.

Well, the O36 switch has a detachable section, so there's hope that they'd do the same thing for O31.   I agree, a nice use of these would be in a yard where the closer spacing would be a benefit.

I'm not trying to be a stick-in-the-mud but, has anyone verified that Lionel is really making O31 FasTrack and that the shipping update is not a mis-print?  It isn't that I don't see a market but that part of the whole "FasTrack Philosophy" was that the various curves would all be 12 inches different so that concentric circles would be 6 inches from center rail to center rail.  Also, wouldn't they have put it in their catalog and begun marketing it if they planned on making it?  This is the first I've heard of O31 FasTrack.

There would have to be multiple misprints. While always a possibility, I don't think that is the case. The description says Fastrack 031 curve, and the stock number given does not match any current Fastrack stock numbers. In fact, going in sequence, the stock number given is a much newer number.

Well, there are several folks from Lionel that frequent the forum, surely they'd know if this is or isn't going to be produced, right?

Asked a local dealer about this, the item is already listed on his distributor order forms.

RRTrack softare website has an updated Fastrack library(4.60) that includes the new Fastrack O31 track.

Though it's not a sure thing, one assumes that they were in touch with Lionel for the dimensions.

From a quick check it seems that the curve path is a bit different from all others.

I saw a center-rail to center-rail measure of 29.75" (about 1" wider than tubular O-gauge).

Also, according to the "shadow" displayed to indicate the plastic roadbed an O31 Fastrack circle placed inside an O36 Fastrack circle would overlap 3/8"; and have a distance between adjacent center-rails of 3 1/8".

  --Joe

Joe:

Thanks for that long-awaited answer to that question in my posting of March 17^th above. That’s not much of a difference but it is different which means that retrofitting an existing tubular O31 layout may or may not work depending on the existing track configuration and placement of accessories, etc.  I wonder why they didn’t make it exactly the same center-rail diameter.  At the very least you can expect to have to move some buildings, accessories or scenery that may end up being in the path of the built-in roadbed on the slightly wider radius curves.

Next question for Lionel: will they continue to put O36 in all sets or will they use O31 in any sets which include traditional-sized locomotives that will negotiate O31 curves? 

Bill

I have been playing with the 031 curves in RR-Track. I have posted two possible layouts in the track planning section of the forum. Both are 4x8 layouts. I have designed a few more that I have not posted. The curves are slighly larger than traditional 031.

I'd love to see 0-27 Fastrack.   Then I could run the K-Line Plymouth Switchers on a really small layout, but I can also be happy with a 0-31 layout.   Killian

VETERANS HOME - NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

POW/MIA YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

ya we need  fasttrack 027, 42, 54,and 31 with switches just think of the small to mid rail size layout's you could make.

Um...  unless I am missing something, you only need 8 O36 FasTrack pieces for a circle.

If you really O27, just use tubular track, tons of it available at cheap prices.

If you want 027 with a roadbed, pick up some old Marx roadbed 027 track, remove the track, paint the roadbed gray to match Fastrack. Put the track pieces back in and your all set.

Steve