Fastrack vs tin plate tubular

I see that you are a very new member.  Why do you use two types of track?  Anyway, congrats on piecing it together.

TEX

Steve

I posted a topic on the forum about making FasTrack fitters last year. I have made several using this technique quite successfully.

Search for FasTrack Fitters and it will come up.

Rod

I know I got the idea from someone, and it looked like a good way to go.  Maybe it was your post?  Here's your post, looks like a very similar procedure.

How To make Custom FasTrack Fitters

Yes that's it John; thanks for doing the link.

Rod

It's a very worthwhile thread, worthy of a rerun link.   It would be nice if there was a "tips and techniques" forum where these types of tutorials could all be posted.  Even a pinned thread with links and brief descriptions of stuff like this would be great.

I followed the link to Rod's surgical technique and like it so much I'm gong to redo what i did. It is nice to know that there are others out there who are defying the engineers at Lionel. Tex Special asks why I'm using  two types of track...because I am relatively new to the hobby, and back in 1952 when I got my first Lionel set, we used tubular track. Back in those days, anyone with a hacksaw and a good eye could  do anything with track layouts. After helping a friend with his  layout in which he used MTH RealTrak, I got the bug to                get bavck into trains, but  I decided to do my initial layout with the older stuf.   I was later gifted with two new Lionel sets from my daughter...a Polar Express and a Harry Potter. The "Potter"will not  run on my old 031 curves, so I used  the Lionel FasTrack on a layout extension and then using a transition piece,  I  can run "Potter" out on my main line that has 072 curves. In effect, I now have a hybred layout.

It sounds like he is using what he has available because the nearest LHS is 180 miles away.

Welcome, Proctormallet.  I hope you find this a great place to get your questions answered.

Regards,

Eric S.

Saline, MI

I use two kinds of track, too, for a purpose, on one of my "all 36 inch curve" loops.

I stick with Fastrack out in the open where you can see it, but there are two places where I go  under and inside a "mountain" for a reversing loop.  There, I use 0-27 because its has an 11 inch tighter diameter and turns the train around in the space I've got available.  This permitted me to squeeze in a loop where one would not have fit otherwise.  I use Lionel Fastrack to O transition pieces through rather than make my own, although I have cut and fit many custom pieces of Fastrack over the years.

Since I run only Beeps and small stuff on my "all 36" loop" the constraint that I actually have to use o-27 locos is no big deal.  Even many 0-31 rated locos will make in through - I think they slow down a lot in there, but you can't see that so it works out quite well.

PM,

   These gentlemen are giving you very good advise, follow Rods engineering and you will have no problems, I use FasTrack and old 072 Lionel switches thru out my 5 level layout and it ran like glass.  I did some custom track fitting using Rods engineering technique for a complex short trun in the rear of my layout on the bottom level, it was tricky stuff to get everything just perfect.  Rods engineering is sound and I never had a problem running once I started using it.  Welcome to the forum!

PCRR/Dave 

Dave, your Pine Creek RR looks like great fun. Any chance you can share a track diagram?

All the best,

Paul

That is one busy layout, that's for sure!

Just keep Gomez Addams away from it!