Fasttrack petition?

I might be wrong, but I think Lionel see Fastrack in the mass market. So, the thing they need to do first is an 031 curve, followed by bigger than 084 curves.

Even though I currently use Fastrack and like it's reliability, it is not the most realistic looking track. The tooling costs for what you are asking for are high, and that market is well served by Ross, Atlas, Gargraves etc. I don't really think Lionel see a payback.

Sounds like 031 is on the way.

For me the ultimate addition to Fastrack would be a Legacy contol Turntable.

It must be possible to program the tracks of a roundhouse and enter say Track 2 into the Legacy remote and the turntable automatically index to Track 2. I think this would be a

cool item.

Regards

Nick

While I'm sure a Legacy Turntable would be cool, I can't see them devoting the resources to design and build such a low volume item.  I really can't see that big a market for it.

I love the idea of different switches, and the double crossover is one that I would love to see.

For a while, I had a double crossover rigged together from four switches and some other Fasttrack sections.  It looked okay and it served its function nicely.  Ultimately I took that part of the layout apart, but it was not because the double crossover was not satisfactory.  If I were Lionel I might post instructions on what parts to use and how to rig the wiring, etc., but that would be it . . . 

As much variety as possible is good but the impetus is profit not petitions. Nonetheless, I would support it.

Are you talking about something like this?

I was thinking more along the lines of the Ross model.

gunrunnerjohn,

How about this... Fastrack O36 switches

With O-72 switches, about 9.5" between centers but looks nice.

I figure about $350 if you can get some good prices!

Ed

I didn't want that much space between the tracks, which is why I came up with my configuration.  I considered the crossover between them, but it just takes up too much space.

I built what eddiem drew, with Fastrack 72" switches a 22 deg X crossing and some odd straight sections.  It worked well.  Had no problems with any locos going through it.  

If they do an O22, then I hope they do it with the extra track sections like the "bad snap awitch" of the 1990's.

I have those "bad snap switches".   I do several modifications to them to make them reasonably reliable.  I'm assuming you're talking about the 3010/3011 switches.  They're great for close quarters.

I would sign it. I have already written  threads asking for  027 and 031 curves as well as asking for manual switches in all configurations as an option, especially #4 and #6s,  so maybe some type of group effort would work. You never know until you ask.....James

What we really need is full length 084 curves and possibly larger like an 096?? Lionel is putting out LOTS of large steam and large diesel locomotives that look silly on anything less than 072.

Great point here. Most LEGACY trains only work on 60" curves or larger. Hence my space problem.

I think Fast Track is the hands down best of all the starter set systems. I even saw a few FT layouts that are very impressive.

But, the truth be told I doubt if it will draw enough scale hobbist to justify the cost of producing all the large turns and associated equipment that would be needed for such large turn outs. The people who build highly detailed layouts are going to wont a scale profile track system, with a true i-beam cross section.

What I think would be a real winner for Lionel to produce in Fast Track would be the Cross-Over assembly that GR John shows above.  They are always cool an any layout that has the real estate to fit them.

Your on the money there. If they only made a couple of thousand cars a year they would have to charge a million bucks for a Ford Tarus.

Ditto the above!  I'd really like to have full length O84 curves.  I wonder why they made  O84 only in half curves? 

Larry

The above is a point well made. I'm sure we can all remember the Scale Polar Express petition. I for one never thought they would do that, but sure enough with the public push they built it.

Not to forget the American Flyer push for steam power about eight or nine years ago and sure enough they came out with it.

In both cases Lionel frist said No way, then we will see and finally it showed up in the catalog. So keep asking folks, the only people who never get what they wont are the ones who dont ask.

Amen to this!  I'd buy the bigger curves.

I ready for some #4, 6, and may be a 7.5 in fastrack, but I also want to make the center rail spacing 4.5" using the number turnouts rather than the 6" standard using the turnouts available now.

036 switches on a crossover,--looks like derailment central to me. omg,you cannot be serious.-jim

Well, this little beauty works pretty well, and I've taken all the paths at a pretty good clip.  Looks a little funny snaking through some of them, but it works.

Well, with 0-72 as in the diagram it works well.  Made with o-36 switches, it would probably work well with shorter 0-27 and 0-31 locos, if the speed was held down. I've got two spare 36" fastrack switches and a X crossing and will build something to test in tomorrow.  I'm curious if the new Southern Crescent ()-36) can go through it: it goes through back to back 60" with no problem . . . 

The configuration in my previous post was tested with stuff that is rated for O-31 curves, several LionMaster locomotives, my new U28C, and several small steamers.