I am putting together Lionel fast track and having difficulty putting the track together. I keep breaking pins or I can’t get the track to snap together. What am I doing wrong?
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Try this:
Place the first piece flat on a table top or the floor. Bring the second piece in at a 45 degree angle to the tabletop (or floor) and engage the pins as far as you can with the first piece, then rotate it down to being flat with the tabletop or floor and push in at the same time.
Mike
I will give it a try. Thank you
Whenever I'm assembling a bunch of it, I usually wear gloves. That way I can tightly grip the 2 pieces of track from above and exert more force while pushing them together without the roadbed edges digging into my fingers. In my experience, one needs to be careful when dong this... once the pins are partially engaged, push the joints straight together, keeping the 2 inside mating edges parallel with each other. Otherwise breaking pins is more likely. Side note, I've had some older track where the pins became very brittle due to zinc pest.
Replacement (center and outside) FasTrack pins are available from Lionel and others.
The tabs underneath the roadbed need to be straightened and the rail needs to be carefully pulled part-way out of the roadbed to replace pins. I suggest straightening all tab pairs on each rail that needs a pin replacement, so as not to bend (and kink) the rail as it's lifted. After replacing the pin and easing the rail completely back into the roadbed groove, lay the track piece upside down on a hard surface. Keeping downward pressure on the roadbed (near each tab) while bending each pair of tabs back down, helps ensure that the rails stay fully seated in the roadbed.
Thank you. I have already removed broken pins and have ordered replacement pins for both middle and outside rails. Never thought of the gloves. Will try that also.
On stubborn sections I have used a pair of regular pliers and little by little pulled the track together, right at the lock under the track. They squeeze together.
Also, Dont bend any rail pins to get a better contact with the rail, You'll break them. Just use a small needle nose pliers and barely squeeze the rail just enough to get a good friction fit. If you cant get the pin in the rail you squeezed too much and you need to pry it back open until you can get it in.
Thank you to all. Suggestions worked out great. Laid out two runs, working on the freight rail. Layout 11’x8’. Again THANK YOU.
