CARPET RUNNING DANGERS ! HOW DO YOU PREVENT THEM ?

As far as people stepping on the track and worrying that it might get damaged goes, I have used Lionel Fastrack for years and only had one piece get damaged. The only reason the track got damaged in that one incident  was because the corner of a ladder was on the track and got damaged without me knowing what was happening when it was being stood on. Even then the track was only slightly dented! Lionel track is pretty tough and withstands a lot of abuse. As far as accessories getting damaged, I try to either place them close to a wall or make sure some furniture is nearby to protect them. Wire is easily hidden under Fastrack and makes for a neat setup. The only worry I have is new people visiting and not looking where they are walking and possibly falling. In my case with the small space in the room, a carpet central was the only way to go for me and I have not regretted doing it that way.

I use FastTrack (s) during the Christmas holidays and try to run stuff under chair/tables or near the walls, besides they always say seeing the train all the time makes it boring.  (who is this "they")

Switch from carpet running to table top. 

All atlas solid track 2 and 3 rail..can be walked on as this stuff is rugged.

WRGMILW posted:

Hi GUYS & GALS 

Last year I mentioned I might set up a Carpet Central ! Many people posted pictures of their  layouts  ! 

How do you Prevent WIFE, KIDS, QUESTS, & pets from stepping on track, buildings, Engines, & freight/passenger cars ?

I forgot about ourselves as well !   

I would gain more track space if the layout was on floor instead of my 10'x6' temp table I showed in the weekend photos .   I hope to get a 12'x'9' carpet . 

Any suggestions ?

Thanks in Advance ! 

To Gunrunner john ,  How do you keep the carpet clean !  & wires tidy !  

 

Constantly remind them not to step on the track, strategically routing it, as others suggest, near walls and furniture.  Then park the trains between say, the back of a sofa and wall when not in use (the disappearing train trick) and place the buildings under, perhaps, a coffee/cocktail table.

What, me worry? 

Tubular track should be fine... I personally wouldn't use buildings, but then again, I am but a mere loop runner.

I have used Mth Realtrax for my carpet layouts and love it. They are very durable. You just need to make sure that the tabs are not bent. At night, I usually put my trains on a table so no accidents will occur. Feel free to check out my Youtube channel for some carpet layout action: www.youtube.com/trainbros89

Regards,

Greg

El Classico posted:

Tubular track should be fine...

Works for me - well for the last 45-46 years anyway.

Put rules inplace about not stepping on the trains. Establish severe consequences for those who fail to follow the rules.

That should stop it! 

Think"Tower of London"

I use less expensive trains for my Christmas Layouts. I try to park them out of the way as others have suggested. I will take reasonable care with the trains and accessories. At the end of the day, if something does get broken, I will just go buy another one and not worry about it. I'm too old and make too  much money to get hung up on replacing one piece of track.

ADCX Rob posted:

El Classico posted:

Tubular track should be fine...

Works for me - well for the last 45-46 years anyway.

Nice layout. Love the Super "O" 

My past carpet layout using MTH Real Trax

I tried a carpet central a few times. Little man, now 5, likes to help put the track together and run the trains. He and his sister will play for while running trains, then they decide that it's time to chase it.

Using FasTrack, the step-on tends to bend the connector pins upward and bend the formed rails. It's a bugger to reshape. So, I have stopped the carpet central in the entire room. Even buying used FasTrack, it's too costly to damage that way.

I don't think you can avoid it, unless you use the guidelines suggested by Alfred. Heck, even the edge of the Christmas layout under the tree was stepped on by tree lookers.

I haven't had any issues with damage of the Fastrack on carpet, but the switches are a bit more fragile.  I solve that problem by positioning them where they're less likely to get stepped on.  I run the Christmas layout on a slate floor, and other than it being pretty noisy at any speed, it works great.  The Christmas Village stuff is on the corners out of the traffic pattern.

One thing that is very useful for carpet layouts is using the binder clips to hold the Fastrack sections together.  I use the 1/2" size, they sit flush and work even on the slate floor.

I used FasTrack and didn't worry about the track getting stepped on.  I would ask them not to, but it got stepped on, played on, rolled on, vacuumed on, Hot Wheels drove along, and sat on.  My switches were old manual O36 that the stands had already be broken off of, so that was not an issue.  I put the trains up every night on a shelf.  Buildings and tunnels  would be LEGO or Duplo built by the kids, so they would put them away.  If I used a plastic building, it went up nightly with the trains.

None of the track became unusable, so pieces are worse for ware, but still work with a little TLC.  Most of it now dips in the middle, so trains can look like they are galloping along, so going slow causes the cars to move and rock around like real train cars.  Only issue is if you go too slow with really short pickup based locomotives, or one with only one roller and limited travel, they can stop mid track section.  But I only have a couple locomotives like that and only a couple track sections that bad.

audi posted:

Put rules inplace about not stepping on the trains. Establish severe consequences for those who fail to follow the rules.

That should stop it! 

Think"Tower of London"

Wow.  I can only picture this. Remind me not to go anywhere near your track

On the serious side..  I am using Atlas track on mine.  I use a wood base. Then I use the mats for snow effect.  I just replace a section so this is what I do.  All the wires are underneath. Generally I shave the section were the track will be laid. Vacuum, then after a week of running trains ( Which allows the track to settle and compress the carpet), I go back and remove any impediments. As for fuze. Generally not an issue. Once in a while it does happen, but easy fix.