Bye bye Fastrack! Planning to go to Atlas 3-rail

Congrats on your transition!  Atlas-O is one of the best looking and performing track systems.  My layouts have all been FasTrack in the last 20 years, I love the integrated roadbed and hate ballasting.   But I am anticipating trying something different in the upcoming years, and it appears I will go with Atlas-O.  Good Luck!

Fastrack does have O-84, O-96 wider diameter turnouts.  Atlas-O is only slightly wider with O99, and then clearly wider with O-108.  

I think that the numbered turnouts and flextrack are two huge advantages that Atlas-O (and others) have over FasTrack.

I have a twenty-year-old 12'-by-8' layout and a six-year-old 10'-by-5' layout with Atlas O track and switches. In my opinion, the looks and solid nickel-silver rail are better than anything else. Just my opinion of course but I would use Atlas O again if I were to build another layout.

MELGAR

Smart move......use the best....

I already had a lot of MTH Real Trax from my carpet layout days. I constructed my train table and threw down the Real Trax. It worked fine, but I wasn't thrilled with the geometry. I'm now building with Atlas track. The Atlas track looks good and I like the solid nickel-silver rail.

My layout is Atlas. Edit/Add 5/15/20:  Custom Pieces can be cut/fabricated. 

[Queue Sinister Background Music] Give yourself to the scale side of the force. It is your destiny.

OK, I've messed with you enough Geno. Good choice. Operation will be quieter so you won't have track noise competing with sound systems. Get a Dremel tool and fiber-reinforced cutting wheels because Atlas track is some tough stuff. There are a couple of tricks for laying flex that work pretty well. The fun part, though, will be when you decide to ballast all of that track. If you can get some chick starter grit that's made from crushed granite you can save a few bucks on ballast material. Tractor supply sells it.

When I took down my Harpers Ferry layout last fall I sold almost all of the Realtrax to a guy @York.  I've designed a couple of large layouts (South Fork and Bobby Cox) using Atlas O mainly for the wide choice of curves and switches.   Also the tie spacing and solid rail looks very prototypical once ballasted.   My new layouts mainline will feature curves no less than O-63 (my MTH Premier Allegheny, NW Class A and 2-8-8-2 Mallet articulated steam engines all successfully navigate O-54).  I also like that I can solder power feeders directly to the rail joiners.

An example of what can be accomplished with all Atlas solid nickel silver track, all with weathered rail & structures, check out OGR Great Layouts #8 DVD.

Search "Atlas turnouts dead spots".  Certain atlas turnouts are notorious for "dead spots" that cause trains to stall or lose sound. Remedy this before you secure your track to the benchwork.

@RickO posted:

Search "Atlas turnouts dead spots".  Certain atlas turnouts are notorious for "dead spots" that cause trains to stall or lose sound. Remedy this before you secure your track to the benchwork.

Very true. I have some of the Atlas #6924 that I will use. Unfortunately, these are out of stock almost everywhere, if not everywhere.

Great track but I'd use Ross switches. Dead spots and fragile construction soured me on Atlas switches. Ross service is topshelf too.  Just my opinion.

DZ 1000 switch controllers with the DZ 1008 latching relay can be used for Power Routing/Auto non-derail.  Works well with Ross and Gargraves switches.  Should work with Atlas switches.  Atlas has other switch motors, used for their HO offerings that have attached relays.  I do have the Atlas 6924 relays on my layout but have worked with the others, Fort Pitt Modular layout.   Note that one 6924 relay board can be used for a cross over pair of switches, even if there are two track circuits involved.  Note: Small fuses were added to protect the relay boards from dead shorts, a derail on a switch.  

If you're moving away from FasTrack, then you've made a good decision to go with Atlas.  I've used Atlas for nearly 20 years on two layouts.  The early switches had their well-documented issues - but the product in the past 10 or so years has been very, very good.

Atlas IMO is the best looking and probably the most quiet O Gauge track available.

Good luck.  

@AGHRMatt posted:

[Queue Sinister Background Music] Give yourself to the scale side of the force. It is your destiny.

OK, I've messed with you enough Geno. Good choice. Operation will be quieter so you won't have track noise competing with sound systems. Get a Dremel tool and fiber-reinforced cutting wheels because Atlas track is some tough stuff. There are a couple of tricks for laying flex that work pretty well. The fun part, though, will be when you decide to ballast all of that track. If you can get some chick starter grit that's made from crushed granite you can save a few bucks on ballast material. Tractor supply sells it.

 

Matt,

Thanks for the tips- I have some curves coming for my lower staging yard, but with this sale, I'm gonna end up needing even more Atlas for the upper level. I was almost even was tempted to use the huge pile of Code 148 2-rail I have and attempt the infamous stud rail experiment- turns out ALL of the wheel flanges on my Challenger are low enough to run on it. HEH HEH HEH...

Geno

Atlas 3 rail track is nice but $$$$$.$$.   GarGraves track is very acceptable, stainless steel available, plus offers plastic tie.  I formerly used  lot of Atlas but moved over to GG & Ross.   I like the GG options of rail style and material and tie choice,

The big concern to me is the switches offered by train importing companies.  Small selection and  batch overseas production which can lead to uncertain availability.

Track products, somewhat like bench work selection are foundational components. Can be problematic to change course once selected.

Switch or turnout selection can have a BIG determining effect on layout design.   The more interesting your track plan is the more variety of turnouts you will need has been my experience.  For dependability, availability and flexibility in track plans Ross has to be the "go-to" switch in my 3 rail work.  Made in the USA.

When working with the space constraints typical in 0 scale the one big help in layout design would be curved turnouts so you can start a diverging track anywhere.

Once you discover the benefit of curved turnouts you will see the need to use Ross switches with their wide selection of curved turnouts which can handle large steam engines.

In any event, once ballasted, you tie choice becomes less a player.

Note:  I have a bunch of new Atlas  non-derail # 6924 boards left over.

Atlas is a great choice. I have used it on my layout for years (currently in between layouts .

I could never figure out why some modelers, who have large layouts and expensive trains and accessories, decide to use FastTrac. To me, it looks plastic, cheap and it is very, very noisy. The noise detracts from all the great sounds of the trains, especially if you are running Legacy equipment.

Have fun with Atlas, you won't regret it!

Best,

JohnJR

@Tom Tee posted:

Atlas 3 rail track is nice but $$$$$.$$.   GarGraves track is very acceptable, stainless steel available, plus offers plastic tie.  I formerly used  lot of Atlas but moved over to GG & Ross.   I like the GG options of rail style and material and tie choice,

The big concern to me is the switches offered by train importing companies.  Small selection and  batch overseas production which can lead to uncertain availability.

Track products, somewhat like bench work selection are foundational components. Can be problematic to change course once selected.

Switch or turnout selection can have a BIG determining effect on layout design.   The more interesting your track plan is the more variety of turnouts you will need has been my experience.  For dependability, availability and flexibility in track plans Ross has to be the "go-to" switch in my 3 rail work.  Made in the USA.

When working with the space constraints typical in 0 scale the one big help in layout design would be curved turnouts so you can start a diverging track anywhere.

Once you discover the benefit of curved turnouts you will see the need to use Ross switches with their wide selection of curved turnouts which can handle large steam engines.

In any event, once ballasted, you tie choice becomes less a player.

Note:  I have a bunch of new Atlas  non-derail # 6924 boards left over.

No arguments of the variety of switches Ross has available- I may even run some of the curved switches to solve the "diverging track at the start of a curve" issue. I am keeping the minimum radius on my layout to 072, so my Challenger can run anywhere on the layout. I also plan to keep some 2-rail cars as is, and convert some Autoracks and flatcars to Kadees as well, so I am keeping in mind the rules about s-curves. Fortunately I learned alot about my current track plan and the limitations of Fastrack 072 switches, so the No.5 and No.7.5 switches should give me plenty of options where to place crossover tracks. I can also cut down the straights of the 072 Atlas switches, so I can make yards with 5" track centers.

I'm widening my benchwork a bit as well, so I can add another siding for long trains. Being able to set the tracks at 4.5" or 5" track centers makes better use of my narrow 24"- 30" wide modules too. Atlas looks like it will meet my needs well.

Geno

If anyone is interested, this thread is a layout design thread updating the "Ideal Layout" plan.  The first page is designing using FasTrack, and the second page is the redesign using Atlas-O, which solved a number of problems for a much much better layout design.