AF FasTrack manual switches - Update

Looking forward to your run thru report.

Gross.  Gag me with a spoon… 

There is no mistaking these for Hi-rail – toy train all the way.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Ben,

Unless it really, really bothers you, if they work and function well, then just "dress 'em" up a little with some weathering, etc. and move on. In a few days you won't even notice anymore (sorta' like the 3rd rail in 0 gauge). Just my thoughts.

Jeff

How about this?

What's that thing in the frog? It looks like a small section of rail that pivots in harmony (if that is the right word) with the points.

Off hand I would say the rest of the track looks like Kato.

That's a pivoting frog point, exactly the same thing SHS used on their second generation turnouts.

Rusty

Any track that has attached plastic roadbed will not look as realistic as a ballasted track. The plastic roadbed is too uniform in color and texture although it is the easiest way to get the ballasted effect. 

Tom, you keep expecting Lionel to be something it's not, or will ever be.

So the turnout's got a big, shiny frog.  Big whoop.  The ballast is also pretty bland, the rail's not weathered and it's still an R20 diverging route.  It is what it is and will probably sell well, particularly to those for whom the Lionel/Flyer branding is important.

It's pretty clear that the AF product line is going to be mostly targeted to the Flyer enthusiast for the foreseeable future.  It's pretty clear Lionel marches to it's own drumbeat, to expect them to be like anyone else is unrealistic.

Rusty

Ben,

I do agree with your comment " If Lionel would relist the crossover with flashing lights and gates it would really put me over the edge to FasTrack."  I too think this was a critical mistake by Lionel as an RR Crossing is a key part of a track system.  Once that is available and a differnet radius turnout is available I will consider this a viable track system.

Comparing the Fastrack turnout pictures posted above to an original SHS turnout I see the following differences. The SHS molded roadbed is more realistically colored and the rails are blackened/weathered. The only difference in the frog assembly is the blackening of the SHS frog assembly, otherwise they appear identical. These are closed frog turnouts and the movable part of the frog provides that feature. The FasTrack turnout has guide rails opposite the frog that are not on the SHS turnout. This feature should eliminate the occasional derailing when backing through the turnout. 

Now, all MTH has to do (among other things...) is get their turnouts out.

One thing about the FasTrack turnout, I wonder if the Polar Express cars or the older 70' heavyweights will hit the switchstand when on the diverging route.

I did an experiment a while back with AM's Budd cars and they hit the SHS switch stand if there is an R20 curve immediately entering and exiting the diverging route.  Got pictures, but they're on my home computer.  Can post later.

Rusty

Interesting. I mocked up a 20"R SHS turnout plus 20"R curves on the entry and exit of the diverging route. My Budd cars have the original high rail wheels. The car barely cleared the switch stand, maybe a 1/16 to 1/32". I usually only use the 24" and 29" curves so I never noticed that. If the car were part of a train with other cars behind it I could see it might make contact. 

The track is AM 148 flex.  This is the Crescent City S Gaugers modular layout.

Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:

It is not a pivoting frog. 

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Here's the pictures of the AM Budd car hitting the SHS switchstand lantern in full frontal R20...

If I'm not mistaken, the Flyer heavyweights are a bit longer than the AM Budd cars, so there's a chance they'll hit the FasTrack switchstand if it's the same distance away as the SHS one. 

Hopefully, Lionel checked that out, too.

Rusty

Well, I hadda call it sumpthin' and "pivoting frog point," not "pivoting frog" was the term I used in my S Scale mechanical ignorance. 

And I just noticed in the 2005 SHS catalog, they called it a "movable point frog."  I guess because it has a pivot point, that's the term I used.

Hand grenades and horseshoes...

Rusty

No, perhaps my mistake.  I was under the impression both of you were referring to the CCSG turnout’s frog.

SHS is indeed a pivoting frog in combo with what looks like standard closure rails.  And I agree, it might be a better description to call it a pivoting insert or pivoting frog point.

Tom

Rusty, thank you for posting the picture. I found some additional 20" radius SHS track and tested again with more cars. If I just push one through it does not hit the lantern. When I couple two together and pull them through with the coupler it hits the lantern and pushes it to the side a noticeable amount. 

You mentioned the Gilbert cars. The AM cars measure 13.5" and a 952 is 11 3/4". HOWEVER, the distance between the truck mounting/pivot points is 9 1/8" on the AM cars and is 9 1/4" on the Gilbert 952. Sure enough, when I tested two coupled together the black battery box just barely rubbed the lantern.

Ben's tests show Lionel got this detail right. For info, on an SHS turnout I measure 1 1/8" from inside of rail head to the lantern and 13/16" from the inside of the rail head to the outer edge of the ballast molding. 

Granted the passenger cars look better on wider curves, but it's good to know that the Flyonel heavyweights will clear the switch stand. 

I think SHS's turnout came out before either the Budd cars or the Flyonel heavies and they may not have anticipated folks may want to run longer cars on R20.

Rusty

Thats as close as it gets....