K Line Super Snap

The K Line Super Snap track is the same height & profile of regular steel tubular "O" gauge track(not O-27) and will work with all brands(the roadbed types only with transition pieces) . Where the Super Snap meets  regular "O", you can just cut the snap connectors off and use regular "O" track pins. You can use the "O" pins for improving the conductivity of the Super Snap track as well.

You can connect this track as intended by K-Line, but if you need to expand, clip those plastic loops of the track end where you need to, and they align perfectly with tubular O gauge.  You may need to get some added track pins.  The K-Line track looks good, but the plastic loops tend to get brittle & crack if subject to repeated assessembly-dissassembly.  If you intend to keep it in place, you will have little problem. 

Here's an alternative to cutting the plastic snap-clips if you are mating the K-Line track to another brand such as Lionel:

On the Lionel section, loosen the tie closest to the track joint, slide it about 1 inch away from the end of the track, and re-tighten it. This way, you can mate the 2 brands without permanently altering your K-Line track. I've done this with the K-Line switches on my layout and it has worked very well. 

John

Thanks for the replies. Did a bit more looking around for track that looks similar. Is Gargraves the only manufacturer that makes track with the plastic black ties that look similar to the K Line track? 

C&O Fan,

These gentlemen are giving you great advise, I will add this also.  If you plan to use FasTrack along with the K-Line Super Snap, Lionel has a FasTrack Transition piece that was designed for conventional Tubular, it works well with both the K-line SS Switches and Track.  The great thing about K-Line SS Switches is they accommodate Tin Plate, are low voltage and work very very well.

The only draw back to the K-line SS Switches is they do not operate, plug and play from a Legacy Cab2 HHRC.  For this reason I sold all my SS Switches, and went with the FTCC Switches, which you can transition in and out of, with your K-Line SS Track, with just some minor work.  

Very foolishly I sold all my K-Line SS Track and Switches, bad move on my part, it was in fact one of the best running layouts we ever designed and built.   The real reason for selling the K-Line SS Track and Switches was because I was frustrated about not being able to acquire more of it, when ever we needed it, to enlarge the layout.

My advise is to look around and purchase as much SS Track and Switches as you can, a little at a time, over a long period of time, then transition in and out of some additional FasTrack Command Control Switch.  A set up like this makes an incredible Christmas Layout, easy to work with, and seldom if ever has any problems.

PCRR/Dave

Dave, there are still many SS switches on the market; a guy down the aisle from me at York last weekend had about 30 O72 switches for sale for pretty short money. I was tempted, but I have a pretty good supply. 

John,

   In reality there are more available today than when I sold mine.  Further people are now more likely to sell them than when I sold mine.   New and different Track & Switches, such as FTCC & RealTrax is now available for building layouts.  

Remember K-Line SS was engineered long before FasTrack and RealTrax came on the market.  It was at that time far ahead of its time, with low voltage and was able to accommodate Pre War Tin Plate and Post War Trains both.

York will probably be the only place you will see them in bulk also, and as you say at decent prices.  It was and still is a great product.

IMO over all accessibility is still kind a problem.

PCRR/Dave

C&O Fan posted:

Thanks for the replies. Did a bit more looking around for track that looks similar. Is Gargraves the only manufacturer that makes track with the plastic black ties that look similar to the K Line track? 

C&O,

If you're looking for some specific SuperSnap pieces, contact me... I did a few setups with the SS and overbought so I have a variety of items that are available.  I like the look for my tinplate layout!

Ed

C&O Fan posted:

Thanks for the replies. Did a bit more looking around for track that looks similar. Is Gargraves the only manufacturer that makes track with the plastic black ties that look similar to the K Line track? 

C&O,

Ross Custom Switches also makes track with the black ties ( I think both Ross and GarGraves ties are wood), but going that route will present another challenge of a difference in height. Both Ross and Gargraves track are lower height than the K-Line Super Snap, so you will need to put shims under the Ross and GarGraves track to bring it up to the height of the K-Line track, as well as use special adapter pins to mate the 2 brands together. 

John

Hi C&O Fan

My layout is 100% K-Line Shadow Rail, same thing as K-Line Snap Track, but we use Lionel pins and Lionel insulator pins.  I started laying track in 1983 with Lionel Tubular Track and in 1997, I took out all the Lionel Tubular Track and went to K-Line Shadow Track.

At the time K-Line had several stores called K-Line Super Stores. I used to drive from Detroit, Michigan to Indianapolis, Indiana to a K-Line Super Store called Trains X-Press, to get the track an cork bed.

The cork bed is spray painted grey to simulate the ballast. I use no ballast because after applying the ballast glue it will turn to concrete and this is no good for when you want to take out a Lionel Switch for repairs.  The track is screwed down for easy removal of track.  

This is a closeup photo of the track.

This is an iPhone panoramic view. 24 feet x 10 feet.

If you would like to learn more about my layout and this process check out a feature article in OGR Magazine, Run 278 June / July 2015, Pages 48 to 53.

I also have over one-hundred videos on my YouTube Channel, where you can see trains running on this type of track. See My YouTube Channel in my OGR signature below.

I knew that K-Line was going out of business so I went back to Trains X-Press and purchase a lot of K-Line Shadow rail track.  

I am a toy train layout, and if you want the toy train sounds, only tubular track will give you the original sounds from the 1950's. 

Hope this helps: Gary

When K-Line came out with the SS switches, I found that they mated perfectly with my tubular track and they were perfect for replacing Lionel O-72 switches that would fling steam locomotives off the rails.  I could run all my locos through them at speed with no derailments.  An initial manufacturing problem, mostly with RH switches, caused shorts and sparking.  That was fixed with black electrical tape over the crossing rails and halfway down the points.  (The early production switches could be easily disassembled and the metal rails ground down to provide an air gap at the joints.  The tape fix is easier.) Another problem cropped up after hours of running - power on the middle rail was not transferred through the switch.  The mechanical electrical contacts for the middle rail loosened.   That is easily fixed by running power leads to track on all three legs.

The final problem I am currently dealing with on these well used and abused switches is the failure of the motors and I suspect the micro contact switches inside are to blame.  Unfortunately, the motor casing is molded with the track ties, so removing the motor to "tune it up" requires removing the switch from the layout.  A PITA.  Most of my LH switches have unreliable motors.  I started changing over to Ross scale plate O-72s but the switch machines on those suffer from the same poor performance stalling before closing the points.   It always happens on the most inaccessible switch.   Grrrrrr.  Fortunately the Ross switch machines are easily swapped out.  Just budget to buy a couple of spare motors with your switch.

The SS track, having no moving parts, is a good substitute for tubular.  When mating with tubular using pins, make sure the metal ties on the tubular are shifted back so they do not short on the SS electrical connectors.

Thanks for all the replies. Very helpful. I am all new to this. I had a whole 12x18 l-shaped layout given to me (locomotives, rolling stock, buildings, the whole works). It was all 031 SS, lots of switches. I was looking to maybe change the design of the layout when I get around to starting to put it up, since I have a little more room. Problem is, I'd like the track to look the same and I didn't see anything that had the black ties built-in like SS? I liked the more realistic look they gave off. I thought I was on to something with Gargraves but sounds like it isn't the same height. Darn

C&O Fan posted:

Problem is, I'd like the track to look the same and I didn't see anything that had the black ties built-in like SS? I liked the more realistic look they gave off.

see my post above...

eddiem posted:

C&O Fan posted:

Problem is, I'd like the track to look the same and I didn't see anything that had the black ties built-in like SS? I liked the more realistic look they gave off.

see my post above...

EddieM- Thank you so much for the offer, sir. At this point, I haven't even started so I'm not sure what I need. Still going through it all and planning/dreaming. I'll certainly remember your offer and I'd like to know what you may have available. Not to hi-jack my own thread but is there a way to private message people on here? Tried to send EddieM a PM but didn't see a way

If you click on a user's name at the top of a post, their profile will show up which includes a spot for email address.

Probably a good idea to add you email to your profile...click on your name in the top right corner and update your profile!

and... Welcome!

eddiem posted:

If you click on a user's name at the top of a post, their profile will show up which includes a spot for email address.

Probably a good idea to add you email to your profile...click on your name in the top right corner and update your profile!

and... Welcome!

Thanks. Email updated. Appreciate the advice on this forum. Seems like there are many great people willing to help a complete amateur!

Over the last several years I have converted all my 0 gauge tubular tracks to supersnap for my 9' by 12' layout. I have been able to find mostly new stuff from several on-line vendors including EBay. Micholas Smith Trains has a great sale on 30" and 40" sections while Trainz.com sells switch tracks at the lowest price I've seen (they come under the 0-Line designation which seems to market some of the supersnap stuff). RMT occasionally gets track and switch supplies. You have to keep looking. I am currently in the market for 42" supersnap curves (6 to make half a circle).

To me the supersnap looks much better than the Lionel tubular stuff and seems to provide a smoother run than Lionel fasttrack which I find overpriced.

John