MIFFED! Can't fit Fastrack into the MTH girder bridge. Suggestions?

The bottom is a metal sheet You may be able to remove the sides and have a sheet metal mechanic fabricate a new bottom to fit fast track. 

Good morning

I am not familiar with fast track, I would rip down the fast track edges on a table saw. Find a neighbor or friend with a saw to do it.

Clem 

You could use another piece of track and get the 2 Fastrack Transition (6-12040) pieces and no cutting would be needed.

I am using them on my Bascule and Lift Bridges.

Does the Fastrack transition piece connect to MTH track? Are they the same level or is one higher or lower than the other? I don't want to use the older Lionel pre-Fastrack rails.

This solution might be the easiest (and that's really what I am looking for). Thanks!

It uses three pins and is made for the older Lionel O , but I got a piece I think either Ross or Atlas that is a 5 rail that is used on bridges etc. As far as MTH, sorry, I am not sure.

Got a hand file?

place the bridge where you want it, mark the track and file away until it fits between the sides.

Simple, shave (I used a small block plane) a little of the road bed away from both sides of the FasTrack.  This is what I had to do when building a display layout for local toy train shop years ago.  Oh and we were using Lionel bridges that had the same fit problem until Lionel designed and made wider ones.

Ron

Terrence,

You have gotten some good suggestions so far and any one of them could work for you.  I believe that Lionel has made some FasTrack pieces with removable sides for use on Milk Car platforms and such, which were not originally designed for FasTrack.  You may want to check that out.

Another option which I used was to take the girders off the base and make a new one out of wood which I painted black.  It worked well for me.  Making a base out of metal, as others suggested, would also work.  

By the way, I really like the girders on your MTH Pennsylvania girder bridge. They are worth using, whether you "shave" the FasTrack or make a new base for the girders.

Ed Boyle

Mark the length inside the bridge then use a dremel or sandpaper to remove a little of the fastrack roadbed a little at a time until she snaps right into place.  Touch up with medium gray paint.  

Don't be miffed. It's called building a layout. This isn't the only place you will have to "customize" to get things that you like into the layout.

You could remove the connectors from the end of FasTrack and put O gauge pins in and modify the ends of O gauge to be staggered to create a transition area for the bridge.

What is the width between the sides at the roadbed or bridge base?

You might be better off buying a Lionel Girder Bridge.  When you add the cost of the transition pieces you are approaching the cost of a new bridge.  Justrains of Delaware list's them for $19.95.  Trainland/Train list's it for $20.95 and they usually have a 10% discount.  Put the others back on ebay.

A lot of great suggestions. For me, I used a Chop Saw and table saw to modify pieces. It was painless and fast.

Bob

One thing I learned about FasTrack and metal based bridges is the possibility of a short.  I had to insulate the bottom of the FasTrack.

Great suggestions from everyone. It seems that the general consensus is to cut back the edges of the Fastrack to fit the MTH girder bridge.

I did some research based on PRR2818's suggestion to use Fastrack transition track. I could purchase two of the Lionel Fastrack transition pieces and two MTH Realtrax transition pieces (there are all 5-inches each). These transition pieces have three pins on one end of the track section, allowing them to join together.

Lionel Fastrack can transition to MTH track over the span of the girder bridge, then transition back to Fastrack.

The cost to do so would be around $40 -- more than the cost of the actual MTH girder bridge ... and I have two of these MTH girder bridges -- YIKES! Although it's an EASY option, it's an expensive one.

I will cut off some of the Fastrack and fit it into the MTH bridge. I can use filler material to level off the Fastrack to match the height of the adjoining pieces, then spruce up the edges with ballast or similar "clean-up" material. Besides, I prefer to see only ONE style of track on my layout (Fastrack) and not "patch" some MTH track into the mix just to cross a bridge (LOL!).

Thanks for all of the wonderful suggestions. OGR forum members are THE BEST!

PS - thanks jmiller320 for the tip about insulating under the Fastrack at the bridge crossover. Don't need any shorts (except for the ones I wear in the summer!). 

I cut down the middle of my bridge with a jigsaw. Spread the two halves farther apart.   The cut does not show, so it doesn't matter how it looks. Zero cost, and not difficult to do.

A jigsaw sliced the metal base plate in half? The metal seems kind of thick to me. I do have a handheld jigsaw. What kind of blade would I need to accomplish this feat?

I have trimmed Fastrack with a saw to make it fit girders.  Mark....what a great idea...I never considered cutting the girder down the middle.  Now.....what blade gets the job done?

Rick

It often says right on the blade "metal"

Google and You tube are your friends!

helpful video

This is really thick material in this video.  You could use wd40 or any oil for lubricant, but probably not needed for cutting the bridge base plate.

    Use A metal or bi-metal blade. Choo Choo Kenny