A Sign of the Times?

Not so much quality control as a standard for high rail flanges. Lionel plays it pretty fast and loose with flange profiles. It's time they adopt MTH's and AM"s high rail flange. We don't need the huge AF flanges, and haven't for awhile. 

Fair enough, but without standards, the trains won't run, the models won't sell, and what then?

 

I don't see this happening in other scales; sure, you do have some issues,but the other scales have enough support to weather a "bad" release here and there. I just don't see S having that luxury,and it's concerning.

 

If it wasn't for the secondary market, I'm afraid I wouldn't be in the scale...

 

Mark in Oregon

Please explain.

One of the reasons I run scale.
Standards seem a little more clear.

My American Flyer trains have been in storage for about 47 years. O gauge trains were for me an accident and a gift at the same time! Accident being that my reintroduction to toy trains could have been to the original American Flyer set, yet my father had mistaken them for O gauge trains and consequently didn't get them down from the attic.

 

When my Dad had reintroduced (the gift part) me to trains in 2005 at Christmas he initially started me with an O gauge starter set and encouraged me to buy fastrac and a ping pong table. Then in 2006 he had the American Flyer set shipped from his home where they had been in storage.

 

Can you imagine my joy at seeing them again and sadness that the American Flyer trains weren't the right gauge? It was almost too much to bear!

 

Anyway, after all those years, I have the fresh O gauge bug started it's been hard to stop! Eventually, I will once more find the room to run them both.

 

My only question is do they make S gauge fastrac?

 

Mike Maurice

Mike Maurice the answer to your question is yes. Pretty much the topic of last weekend's posts here.

 

Chipset; the old large American Flyer flanges will not go through the Fastrac  crossing. Yet the American Models and the MTH/SHS highrail wheels will. As will the latest 6 axle diesels from Lionel. We need one standard hi-rail flange profile.

Yes. 

 

And MTH is producing the old S Helper Service S-Trax.

 

S-Trax (SHS) on the left, FasTrack on the right.

 

 

Rusty

OK, here's a quick example of flange depth on the Flyer Y3:

 

Pilot and trailing truck wheels: 0.081"

 

Drivers: 0.070"

 

Tender wheels: 0.085"

 

And, just for grins, the SD70: 0.068"

 

Now, I'm no mechanical engineer and it may be hand grenades and horseshoes, but there seems to be a lack of consistency here.

 

It'll take a better man than I am to check tire width, flange profile and all the other picky measurements on these and other flyer products that ensures a flanged wheel will roll down a track reliably.

 

Rusty

 

The New York Times

To indicate some sort of fairness and because they were easy to grab and check, a couple more flange depths:

 

SHS Hirail wheel: 0.062"

 

AM Hirail wheel: 0.068"

 

Gilbert 375 T&P GP7 wheel: 0.061"

 

Gilbert Flyer 24636 Pikemaster caboose wheel: 0.095"

 

1990's era Lionel/Flyer freight truck wheel: 0.095"

 

Rusty

 

The width between the guide rail and the running rail being too close causing the wheels to be "pinched" and ride up off the running rail is the problem with Lionel Fasttrack 90 degree crossover. I widen wheelsets regauge to clear guide rails.

Update K Line  S Gauge rolling stock pass through crossover.