Has anyone experienced odd issues when using FasTrack?? Ways to test the track??

Perhaps there were loose joints in the few pieces you removed?

I'd recommend adding solder to the tabs.  This ensures a good contact at least from that perspective.  Then for the pins I slightly bend them so when the 2 ends are connected they are tight against each other.

Considering it's not permanent soldering is a nogo...

All the tabs were checked, so I believe their is another issue at hand...

Soldering the tabs does not affect the temporary nature of Fastrack. It only ensures the tab connection.

I think Marty meant the outer rail connecting tabs, not the track connectors. Taking Fastrack apart and reassembling will loosen the track connectors. For the outer rails, I have success in pinching the open end of the track. I use a small pair of end nippers, not side cutters. For the center rail, I just slightly bend the pins toward the center. If the track goes together with good effort, I think it will work better. I use a utility blade to separate the track and a table knife to separate it fully. It helps to come apart as straight as possible, or the track openings spread. Very hard to pull straight apart by hand. When checking with a multimeter, check for resistance between joints, not voltage. Anything over 2 or 3 ohms could be improved. Under 1 is a good connection.

( I see Marty was posting while I was typing.)

All the above suggestions are good and since I'm a wintertime carpet runner I've used them all.   I also use some 18 ga speaker wire and run additional feeds to some of the more distant points, would be quite easy enough to do with an under tree setup.   My real point is about when taking up the track being careful not to twist it to get it apart.   My solution was to modify a couple of screwdrivers to give them really thin blades that I work into the tiny space between section and slightly twist to get the other one in, then the track pops apart with straining or bending the connecting blades/slots.

If anyone has a pic of where I should be soldering it would be appreciated! TY.

I have run into this situation on two occasions, once for myself and once for a friend.

In both cases one of the pins had actually broken in half within the rail.  Testing showed continuity and current.  However, when the train would go over that area it would ever so lightly depress the track and the split would widen enough to break the connection.  None of this was visible to the naked eye and the pin (s) appeared snug in the rail.   

It was a very odd situation and we struggled for quite some time trying to solve this mystery.  Changed out the offending piece (s) and all was well.

You said that you removed some "pieces" to form an oval and all was well.  Try replacing these "pieces" of track with identical others and see if it works.

Dave

How big is the loop?   Are there multiple feeds to the track?  Are you using a wall wart or a different power source.  Even on my smaller loops I found multiple power connections around the loop were needed so engines wouldn’t stall.  

I used FasTrack on a Christmas floor layout and it gave me fits with dead spots. This was even after soldering the contacts underneath, and I even went as far as installing jumpers between each section using quick disconnects beneath the roadbed. I gave up and bought Menards tubular. Holiday layouts should be fun, and I wasn't having fun with it he FasTrack. One day I need to be pull it in out and experiment with it again.

@CK posted:

I used FasTrack on a Christmas floor layout and it gave me fits with dead spots. This was even after soldering the contacts underneath, and I even went as far as installing jumpers between each section using quick disconnects beneath the roadbed. I gave up and bought Menards tubular. Holiday layouts should be fun, and I wasn't having fun with it he FasTrack. One day I need to be pull it in out and experiment with it again.

I have the same trouble with FasTrack for my Christmas tree layout.  I have a big pile of track pieces that don't have continuity.  Fortunately, I have another pile of replacement pieces.  Someday I will figure out how to fix the broken pieces.  NH Joe

I've had great success with quick fixes on Fastrack by setting up the track, using a piece of lighted rolling stock or better rolling stock w/MultiMeter built in.  Move it around by itself by hand with the power on.  Once I find a connection that isn't up to snuff, I use a short piece of copper conductive tape over the center and an outside rail piece to create a short-term bridge fix.

An example of tape I'm talking about.

Jim

@Jeff T posted:

If anyone has a pic of where I should be soldering it would be appreciated! TY.

I use FT for my Christmas carpet loop as well. After several years of use, the molded plastic pins started to lose their grip a bit. I started adding small binder clips to each joint last year and it seemed to help. I have about a 8' oval with a passing siding with manual switches. One power feed to each siding and another on the opposite side of the loop. The track was cleaned with Goo-gone before assembly.

Our carpet is a little on the thick side with good padding so I do see some flex when the weight of the engine goes around. The small clips fit nicely with the silver tabs out to the sides.

Bob

Like he said ⇑

For temporary, the binder works well because you don't need to run wires under the track along it's length.  You can run them on the outside.

John

I think the previous suggestions are all good.

There is one I do as well.  I call it the shake test.  Before connecting a piece of track I will hold it by the center and quickly rotate it back and forth sideways listening for rattling pins.  If I hear any, I check each of the 6 pins with my finger for excessive side to side movement.  There should be little to none.  If/when found, I use a pair of slip joint pliers to tighten the rail around the fat end of the pin, about 3/8" back from the rail end.  If you want to know exactly where the back end of each pin is, look underneath for a small (about 3/32") shiny square of metal showing through the plastic roadbed.

Tightening the rails around the captured ends of the pins like this will also help improve electrical conductivity across the track joints.

I often find loose pins like this even in brand new and unused track pieces.

I suggest using a small needle nose pliers to very slightly squeeze the opposing rails before joining the track sections. This will ensure the positive contact to the pin when joined. An Ohm meter can be used to check continuity between the rails after they are joined.

The rails get spread when a person "rocks" the sections to disassemble the track. Doing the above will bring your track back to usable standards.