Fastrack replacement pins

No they are not, and you did what was necessary to make it work. As with others of us, some sections of track are sacrificed for pins. All the pins are the same. So find inexpensive sections of track and go that route. Why Lionel don't have replacement pins for the track is beyond me.

dkdkrd posted:

Fastrack pins?  Blades? 

 

What am I missing in the need for separate pins/blades??  Is this about replacing a broken blade?  

 

Yes...

This is the first time I have had one break, but imagine it won't be the last.

Jayhawk500 posted:

 Why Lionel don't have replacement pins for the track is beyond me.

So we buy more track...

dkdkrd posted:

Fastrack pins?  Blades?

This is curious to me.

It seems like the factory construction of a piece of Fastrack has the blades locked in with a tang integral to the blade that engages the plastic roadbed piece.

And the design of the each track piece ensures continuity with its adjacent piece. 

What am I missing in the need for separate pins/blades??  Is this about replacing a broken blade? 

This could be my December 23, 2018 hobby learning moment.

KD

You are correct. This is about replacing a pin (blade), Generally the center one. If you watch the Lionel instructional series on the Fast Track, they do mention putting a VERY slight bend in the blade to increase continuity. There are two series of pins, (they can be identified by the way the pin looks, dull vs. shinyish) but I believe the first series the (older) pins are more brittle than current series and have a tendency to snap off when trying to adjust (bend) them. The rail needs to be lifted to remove the pin, once the broken pin is removed, the new pin is engaged with the hole in the plastic roadbed and the rail is put back in place. Its simple to do...just no pins available. So you end up sacrificing a section of track to fix another. A $14 30" section of track is worth repairing with a $2.50 section of track. The *Bay will sometimes have the pins. You just have to look periodically.

I've had multiple pins snap off. It is frustrating at best sometimes.

You can use regular o gauge pins. 

Drill out the plastic at the top of the rail, put in a plain old pin and solder it to the rail.  

You’ll probably have to make a mating “socket” track for it, but it saves you from having to toss a perfectly good piece of track. 

A standard Lionel O gauge pin is just a few thousandths too large to fit. Take a standard pin and file a small flat on the opposing sides. You can also run a drill up into the end of the track; I do that when I make custom lengths and need to connect two cut ends.

HEADS UP - I just bought 20 30 inch Fastrack sections and the pins break off on about half of them. Then you cant get the sections to go in all the way. You have to pull the rails off and remove the broken pins.No connectivity problem as I installed a feeder on every section. They are cast pot metal and will not bend.I used pins from a Fastrak grave yard I have accumulated.Not a deal breaker it is a good product. Nick

since the plastic base snaps the sections in place you could just solder the sections together. I have a bunch of blades that I took out to make insulated blocks. I was saving them anyway but now they seem more valuable than before.

Another reason as to why Lionel wants you to buy more product. Those fastrack pins were readily available last year as they had plenty in stock.
Our club ordered both types of pins along with other parts we needed to have as we break them at times from using fastrack at shows.
Glad I ordered them back then.
Shame on Lionel for not stocking basic parts like track pins!

@Ted Bertiger posted:

Another reason as to why Lionel wants you to buy more product. Those fastrack pins were readily available last year as they had plenty in stock.
Our club ordered both types of pins along with other parts we needed to have as we break them at times from using fastrack at shows.
Glad I ordered them back then.
Shame on Lionel for not stocking basic parts like track pins!

This thread is almost 6 years old.  Lionel shows both outside and center rail pins available for $.95.

Center Rail Pins

Outside Rail Pins

@MartyE posted:

This thread is almost 6 years old.  Lionel shows both outside & center rail pins available for $.95. Center Rail Pins Outside Rail Pins

Five years, two months if we are counting.  lol.   (Either way, I'm glad the pins are available.)