fasttrack vs old tubulartrack pole.

Considering we've been purchasing Snap Track from Walter at RMT, going with tubular and Ross switches.  May need to mix some Gargraves and/or Ross on larger radius curves to make it all come together. 

My first choice would have been a reintroduction of Super O; however, with Fast Track, don't think that will ever come to pass.  Plus, are the molds still in existence?

Chevy.

Oh wait, wrong forum.

I'm working with O27 at least for now because it's what I have and getting what I'm missing won't cost much.

I am staying with tubular track! Have been using since the early 1970's and will continue to use tubular track. It can be cut to fit and then filed off the rough spots and continue with your layout.

I have checked out Fastrack and found it to be the biggest flop of the century! Won't stay clean and has poor electrical contacts. I used it in an indoor setting on the second floor, so moisture was not a problem. Another problem with Fastrack is that it can not give any so you will need expensive fitter pieces to make a fancy track design.

Lee Fritz

I have been using Fastrack for years. For me, it is easy to clean and has good electrical contacts. The price does include a roadbed. As for the noise it does not bother me. The full scale trains I have been railfanning for decades are not exactly quiet. Except for the ones I saw at the scrap yard! 

To me, they are entirely different track systems and there are benefits to both. The versatility and simplicity of FastTrack is certainly a nice feature. Tubular track is tried and true and appears to be the most used track system in the world of O-Gauge.

Either selection is a good one.

Tubular has more and better switch selection then Fastrack. Prices are much lower too! 

Lee Fritz

Lower prices yes. 

But I disagree on the "more and better switch selection" part.

All I've ever seen from Lionel tubular is 031 and 072 switches. 

Hey Flash!

You of coarse know that other companies make tubular track besides Lionel. Correct? So you should know that between Ross Custom switches & Gargraves and Atlas there is a great selection of switches in tubular, somewhere 35 to 40 styles of switches.

Lee Fritz

I didn't know that gargraves and Ross were considered tubular.

Atlas track is solid flat top rail. Certainly not tubular. 

Don't forget these O-42 models.

Or these.

Gentlemen,
    Each track has it's Good & Bad points, I have used both for many years, it is true however that you must engineer properly to use FasTrack, tubular is much more forgiving.
I combine both and my big layouts have run like glass.  The problem with FasTrack switches is, they do not accommodate Prewar and Repro Tin Plate traine, and they have other opperating problems also,  FasTrack and original Lionel 711 type switches run every different kind of O gauge train ever produced by all the different companies.  I also use RealTrax due to the actual 031
that can run inside the FasTrack.  Now Lionel engineers stepped on it badly when they engineered the 031 FasTrack, it does not fit inside the 036 FasTrack, Lionel did not redesign the 031 road bed to allow for it, costing Lionel millions in track sales.
This is what I mean by each has it's good and bad points.  Can't for the life of me understand those who have problems with FasTrack for actual running, if you are having problem running FasTrack, you are doing something wrong, keeping it clean is easy also, never have any trouble with it, even the original black midrail has no problem running all my different trains.
PCRR/Dave



Jim Sutter on the other hand likes Tubular and had one the nicest layouts in Pa.  Note the Lionel switches on his layout.

Except Marx and American Flyer.

Rob,

   Yes you are correct, I should have said all 3 Rail O gauge, I knew you would bust me on the omission.

PCRR/Dave

I've never heard of such a thing. I can understand those older pieces that have the massive flanges and gears extending nearly to the edge of the flange but not your modern day reproduction tinplate pieces. Last week, we (National Capital Trackers) ran a handful of MTH/Lionel Corp. Tinplate on Fastrack switches with no issues. 

Marx and American Flyer are 3 rail O Gauge. 

I'm not trying to trip you up or pose trick scenarios here, but Marx and Flyer engines literally jump over O-72 and Fastrack switches.

SJC,

   Did you have an original Lionel 810 Crane car, followed up by a 2600 series Gondola and a 2660 Crane Car, on the Tin Plate train you were running.

I bet you never had anything that old or heavy run thru your Fastrack switches on any kind of repeated basis, my DCS MTH 263E Engine and 12 wheel tender will not go thru them very often either, The original Lionel 263E & tender has even bigger problems with them, especially at any kind of decent speed, even running conventional with DCS at slow speed they derail.   If the FasTrack switches would have run my layout correctly, I would have used them in a second, I wanted the operating low voltage badly.  I returned 8 sets of them.  If somebody would let me test the Ross new Tin Plate Switches and they accommodated all my Tin Plate, I would buy them in a minute also.  I am done paying for switches that fail to meet the engineer cryteria I need for running all my different trains, I will no longer pay to test any companies switches.  Jim's Sutters layout ran all the different 3 rail trains also, he used the same switches I did.  Original Lionel Tin Plate track still gets the job done correctly also.

PCRR/Dave 

Rob,

   I take no offense, you were absolutely correct I wish they would run on it, especially the American Flyer, I love their old Tin, want a Silver Presidential AF train real badly.

To me it was the finest piece of Tin ever produced by any company, especially in STD Gauge.  Man what a Tin Plate Train.

PCRR/Dave

I don't remember what exactly we were running although it was a steam freight 2-4-2 engine. Also ran a little 4 wheel electric. I'm not interested in tinplate so I don't know the numbers and model designations. 

Regardless, these particular modules are regularly used in shows with their owner and in all my years, I've NEVER seen an issue with them. Last week, those little tinplate trains ran like tops through the switches. It is not the first tinplate train to run through them. Dozens upon dozens of others have and I've never seen one derail or balk on the Fastrack Switches. 

SJC,

   Yes the little 2600 Tin Plate rolling stock will run thru the FasTrack switches using a modern engine, not the big O Tin Plate 263E type engines, You sir are talking about the 2600 Tin Plate that was designed to run on 027 Lionel tubular track, they are the mini version of the real Tin Plate O Gauge trains.  I have run Tin Plate trains all my life, I know what they will run thru and what they will not, I have tested most every companies switches.   The old 711 type Lionel switches are the only switches all my Tin Plate Trains run thru all the time at both slow and high speeds.

Unless the new Ross Tin Plate switches will accommodate them, to this point nobody really knows, if their design will accommodate the old Tin Plate pick ups or the 12 wheel tenders, not even the Ross company. When they 1st came out, I had a converstaion with one of the engineers at Ross, he advised me that they may not, and the Tin Plate name on the switches was due to what the switches were made of, no that they would accommodate Tin Plate Trains, even the repro. 

PCRR/Dave

I have had both, and prefer FasTrack.  I have also found FasTrack perfect for kids in that it take a beating and keeps going.  I made an under the bed layout with it, and yes, it is soooooo loud (didn't know about sound deading materials then).  But even after my son broke all the throws of the manual switches, we can still flip them by hand and have zero issues with trains going through them.  I also have a double loop set up on the living room floor, and have for the last 5-6 months, and it's still just fine, even with us walking all over it, my 10 month only crawling all over it, we vacuum the floor without moving it, and so on.  And when I want to run a train, I just have to snap back together a couple of the curves (I bought the curves in question from eBay and the bases came slightly warped from heat) and I've good to go.

As for tubular, I keep some, and have bought a couple of switches for it because I still have my 1st train which was a old Mark steamer that has a fat gear flange and a sliding shoe so it doesn't work with any modern track system.

sinclair,

    Glad you like the Lionel FasTrack, I love it with all my Tin Plate Trains and my Post War stuff also.  Never tried an under the bed layout, your kid must love it!

PCRR/Dave

Have had Atlas sectional, tubular, and Fastrack. I like Fastrak the best, by far. I suspect a section can be modified to make it useful for accessories, but I haven't made the effort yet.

I have always used Fastrack. I guess you could say that I don't know no better.

He does, when in the mood for trains.  But it requires him to keep his room clean, which I'm sure you know boys don't do very well, because it pulls out from under the bed to use.

For my future room sized layout I think I'm going to go with Atlas.  I like the way it looks, and sounds, but we'll see.