Manuals on Available Track Systems?

No thank you. 

Track systems are expensive enough.  I don't need the added cost to a track system to include a paper manual to tell me that...

Straight track makes the train go straight

Curved track makes the train turn

Switches make the train take a different route

Crossovers... well they cross over

And transition pieces mate with other track systems equally expensive.

Ron

On occasion it takes a little more than just click-ing the pieces together.

On occasion it takes a little more than just click-ing the pieces together.

Did you need a manual to do that?  Or did you just get your hack saw a dremel tool to make custom pieces where needed?

Ron

May be the effort is more of a "How to" manual.

Can't speak to other track systems, but Ross Custom Switches seems to maintain a comprehensive website on how to use their products.  What isn't there that should be?

May be the effort is more of a "How to" manual.

OK... I'd buy that.  I agree with you that would be helpful.  I purchased two video's that gave me some nice tips and tricks on things I could do with my track system.  But I don't think a manual should be included with every purchase by the manufacturer.

I like the 3rd party efforts that are done (by many on this forum).  Many times outsiders can see the forest through the trees and come up with ideas that the manufacturer never dreamed of.

Ron

Folks, you are totally missing the point here. I am not sure how to explain further, but I will make a second try. We all know what each piece of track (straight, curve, switch, etc.) is used for, Even though one has been provided, I don't think any explanation was needed for that.

First, the thread that got me thinking about all this was about making some Ross track and switches fit together properly. So, Ross may have all the information on their website, but it might not be that easily found. Or once found the use may not be obvious to the one trying to use the piece just what to use it for.

The correct answer was a piece of track Ross had made for this specific purpose. It was not in the track planning software and the person making the track plan didn't know it existed. A more experienced forum member knew of the correct piece and provided the correct answer for the OP.

The engineers and designers that make the track systems know a whole lot more about them that we do, well at least most of us anyway. Each piece of track in the system has one or more specific purposes, possibly known only by the engineers or designers. Example: why did they make a 1-1/4" piece and not a 1-1/2" piece or why did they make a 5" piece and not a 6" piece, or a half O48 curve, but not a half O-54 curve? You get the idea. All these things have a specific purpose in the track system. We may or may not stumble across these uses on our attempt to create a layout. It is good if we do, and we struggle if we don't, again, at least some of us anyway.

All I am trying to say is they should make a manual, how-to or whatever you want to call it that explains the intent for the different pieces and all the possible uses for them. As in my example above about the Ross piece. The manufacturers already know all this and have the documentation from the design of the systems. They didn't just go over to Asia and say we want one of these, they engineered it for a specific use and made drawings for the manufacturing process.

I am pretty sure there is a need for something like this as there have been at least 2 books written on Fastrack alone and they both sell pretty well at my LHS. Our own Lee Willis has written a book on 'Streets (that turned into 2 books) that explains a lot about what you can and can not do with the 'Streets system. IMO, it's a good book too, well written and covers a lot of things about 'Streets that you would not have otherwise known.

I am not suggesting the manufacturers write books, just put together the information they already have and make it easily available to us in some way. For all those worried about costs, I didn't want them to include it with each piece of track, just make us aware it's available for download and give us a link. I seriously doubt this would increase the track costs at all. Someone said they purchased 2 videos for their track system, if you had the manufacturer's information you may not need the videos?

Hopefully that will clarify my thoughts?  

The member with the issue later found out that his software did include the Ross pieces he needed; he'd simply been looking in the wrong place.  He was very humble to post his oversight.

Yes, I saw that, but it was also after Moonman explained what the piece was. Then the person found the track piece in their program. We all have difficulty at one time or another. I seem to be having some here myself.

I have done some Ross fabrication.  These 204 3 ways are mated to standard #5 switches.  If you look close you can see the difference between a #4 and #5 switch.

The disk sander allows for accurate cut/fitted pieces.

It is nice to get the ends even and square.

Gargraves custom via the sander.

Yes, rtr12, I think I follow what you are saying.  I think it is a good point.  I just finished laying Fastrack for a 4x8 layout almost copied exactly from Ken Hoganson's plan a couple of OGR runs back.  I did it to give me a temporary layout that is easy to build until our last grown daughter leaves home.  I have used GarGraves and various HO track over the years and cut my own special sections, but needed something simple until i hopefully recover better than in the past many years from carpal tunnel revisions and some other lesser known issues.  In fact today, I am typing with my left index finger and thumb only.  

My point, Ken figured out the plan, but I wondered why Lionel makes the special sizes they do, but not others.  I miss-ordered and had to vary from the plan if I was going to get things to fit. fortunately they did.  Maybe the info you suggest would make it easier for snap together guys like I have become.

Probably what would be most useful would be documentation on creating specific segments like wyes, the use of curved turnouts to save space and connecting various lines of 3-rail track.  

Atlas has much of this information in the Atlas All Scales Track Catalogue.  See page 118 for connecting Atlas track to existing track. Pages 110-112 for various wyes and turnout combinations.  This is not the straight to straight, curve to curve stuff.

Lionel also has several pages of similar information in its 2014-2015 Track and Power Catalogue.

Mark,

Yes, the manufacturers intended use for the different pieces is what I was talking about. Could be a lot of help to someone designing or building a layout. Of the 2 Fastrack books I mentioned, I have read part of one of them and the author goes into detail on a bunch of stuff like this. I would imagine he got the information I am talking about from Lionel to use in his book. If you plan to use Fastrack on your permanent layout, that book (maybe both) would be a good thing(s) to have. The one I had was the 'Lionel Fastrack Book' and the other is 'Lionel Fastrack Model Railroads' which is newer. Hope your hands and wrists get better soon, so you can do more with your trains. I almost went with Fastrack, I really like it, but the noise pointed me toward solid rail and Atlas track. I have since read posts by others here that there are ways to quiet the Fastrack, so I may use it for something someday?

Bill,

Yes, you got it too, I use Atlas and I have the catalog track info printed out for reference. I would almost bet there is more to their system than they have published, but maybe not? I have found some info on their website too, some from links posted here on the forum. I don't think I ever said we needed a printed manual with each piece of track, not sure where that came from? Maybe it was the use of the word 'Manual'? At least that was not my intent. I think something like this is a lot of help when using each specific track system. The Lionel Track & Power catalog is also a step in the right direction. The 'Manual' could be just as Atlas has done in their catalog, in a downloadable file.

I was not talking about custom cutting and fitting, that's a whole different subject. Although maybe a good topic for another publication or even possible inclusion in what I was talking about. I think with the manufacturers information on their track systems describing their intent for the specific pieces and how and where to use them, the need for some (maybe all) of this custom cutting and fitting could be eliminated.

RTR12, I totally see your point.  When I was "helping" my son set up a FasTrak figure eight for his little ones, I had to go to the train store to find out how to do it, i.e.what special pieces were required.  Not like the old tubular, by any means.

Yes, the manufacturers already know all this, they had to for the design of the track systems they make. I just want them to put all the info together and put it out there for us to use. Probably not all LHS's would know this and some folks do not have LHS's they can go to.

Must be the time change, but glad to see some are finally understanding my post, I don't always express my thoughts very well in a typed message. I would not be the ideal one to put these track information packages together...

rtr, I thought your expanded explanation of a day ago was very clear and concise.  In this internet age, how easy it should be for the manufacturers to post links to pdf files with all the important information that you have noted.

Thank you!

Kind of what I was thinking. Obviously, the written word is not always read as it was written. 

Can you folks narrow the focus of the discussion?  I ask because I believe Gargraves and Ross provide easily accessible information on their respective products.  The problem with their products are the software suppliers providing computerized layout software, and/or the users of such software.  I have no experience with Atlas, FasTrack, et al. and what their internet accessible information may lack.

Suggestion:  If you are having problems with a particular track system, contact the manufacturer/vendor to resolve the problem.

Suggestion:  A special place in O gauge/scale heaven awaits the soul who does an Excel spreadsheet on the commercially available systems currently available to O gauge/scale hobbyists.

Not quite there, it isn't a software supplier issue, many people don't have any track planning software. It's the use of the track system and how it all fits together the way the manufacturers intended to fit when they designed their systems. The Lionel Track & Power catalog has some examples of this and Atlas has some examples in their track catalog, but I am sure there are many more possibilities they have considered that are not listed. Maybe not, I don't know?

The post above by TrainsRMe where the LHS had to help them figure out what pieces of track they needed for a simple figure 8 is an example of what I am talking about. This information should be available to us all and readily accessible too. The folks here on the forum are mostly all devoted hobbyists that have occasional difficulty, how does the casual train person getting their kids a train set figure all this out?

I am not familiar with Ross or Gargraves, but I did look around on their sites and didn't find anything like I am trying to point out here. All I found was switch diagrams and wiring and that sort of thing. Gargraves did have a video on working with their flex track. Maybe I missed the track info? Links would be helpful here.

Maybe I will try to post what info I can find on the various track systems. If that isn't feasible I might be able to at least make a SS of the available pieces, that doesn't sound too difficult, that is without having tried it yet, it sounds easy...

Not counting on the special place in O gauge Heaven, but I have just fiddled with a track chart a little. Can you list for me all the currently available O gauge track systems you are aware of. I am not sure I know of all of them.

Here is what I have so far:

Atlas

Fastrack

Gargraves

Lionel O

Lionel O-27

RealTrax

RMT

Ross

Scaletrax

What have I missed? I only want track that is currently being manufactured. We'll see how this goes.

Hi Rtr12!

Back in my HO days, circa 1966 through 1993, I used to design my layouts using information similar to Bill’s referenced “Atlas O-Scale Track FAQs”, above. I used to use a large drawing table and numerous drafting tools, which I had for my job as design engineer.

When I returned to model trains in 2008, and with the advent of RR-Track, I quickly abandoned my drafting table and tools, and used my computer to create my first O-Gauge layout using Lionel Fastrack in 2008-2009. A couple of years later, I designed my second and current layout with Atlas track and turnouts, combined with some RCS turnouts.

I was so pleasantly surprised to find that RR-Track was dead on accurate each and every time with the use of all sectional curves, all turnouts, and with the exact dimensions of any track that had to be cut; whether straights or curves. With their zoom feature, the way tracks and turnouts fit is so accurately and clearly shown that it would be very tedious and time consuming for me to attempt to replicate that degree of detail.

I am not yet familiar with the free offered SCARM software, and it may well be as good as RR-Track, but even at the relatively low cost of the latter, I think it is well worth its cost for almost anyone who embarks on designing a model train layout.

Just my 2¢

Alex

rtr12,

   You forgot Atlas Industrial Rail, add that one to your track list.

PCRR/Dave

I think Scram is harder to learn than RRtrack.

Ken M