Pikemaster Concept: Was It Ahead of It's Time?

I believe Lionel is already doing something similar.  And the prices are simply in the clouds.  I wonder if they are even selling any of it.

It certainly is a neat concept for show goers.  Quick and easy set up.

If anything I'd like to see someone do tinplate track on a rubber road bed.

I just can't get into Fastrack, the profile is just to wide and tall.

It's a great concept. However, it was introduced by Gilbert when trains were on the downhill slide.

The Lionel version is excellent but I agree that it's very expensive.

We can build our modules for far less.

Peter

(....and I do say ,we, loosely.........my participation is usually as the one who holds tools and fetches things....)

I am unaware of anything like this from Lionel. If it is expensive and buried in the back of a catalog somewhere, I may have missed it.

Can anyone provide a link?

Look here. Page 116.

Interesting concept, but not for the masses at the current price point.

Oh, okay. I didn't make the connection between a plop-down plastic r-t-r square, and a module where you have to supply material other than what's in the kit and build, scenic, and wire.

Electroliner,

I wish Lionel would bring these track panels back for American Flyer.

They could offer several combinations for building both small and larger layouts.

It would be an instant layout with nothing else to do except connect your power supply.

Thanks,

Phil   

We have a system based on the Gilbert Flyer idea, however for simple storage purposes, the scenery is left off. The table top snap together idea remains. There are a number of us that get together at meets and shows and combine our panels into very large layouts.

http://www.allaboardfastrackers.com/

Steve

My "Westerner 1200" All Aboard set.

Wow !

Man oh man is that sweet.

American Flyers 'All-Aboad' modules and Lionel's modular section are two different products. The AF modules were pre-wired, landscaped and ready to go. Lionel's product, you have to construct the board, place the track and scenery, with some of the suggested scenery not included in the kit or available.

I remember a friend who had AF.  He received an All Aboard set for Christmas.  He used it for awhile then went back to his sectional track because he liked making his own track plan and the ability to change it if he wanted to.  He had a huge apple box full of AF sectional track, switches and crossing.  I remember he turned his dad's garage floor into a layout.

Steve, Lady and Tex

A few kids I knew had those AF sets. They were cool....but 'playing' with them showed how limited the layout was. It had VERY minor changes in plan if you had a basic set. My 4x8 plywood O scale layout was a lot more creative and fun. I like the look of the AF modular s....but appeal was limited IMHO.

A modern version MIGHT work on the entry level modeler. A modern injected rigid structural foam with maybe 10 different modules COULD work....not sure.  

electroliner,

  You are correct - PIKEMASTER made constructing a layout as simple and easy as possible. It was designed to bridge the gap between a starter set oval set up for Christmas and a more permanent layout - an "instant layout. as Phil posted.

  Unfortunately, TV, slot cars, and other hobbies were eroding interest in toy trains. PIKEMASTER became another casualty.

  As 3rd Rail and TexSpecial posted, a PIKEMASTER layout looks "sweet." But track plans were limited.

 I have heard that PIKEMASTER curves were too sharp for AF UP 4-8-4's, so I'll mention that, too.

The Noch HO and N modular layouts are quite impressive, although not cheap.

http://www.euromodeltrains.com/nochlayouts.html

That is way cool..I have never seen that many modules put together. Instant layout to put up or take down without having to dedicate permanent square footage...I wonder how rare they are...Ill have to check that out...What be be cool as well would be winter modules for Christmas time.

Electroliner -- me, too. Very cool stuff!

They also had a "Winter Wonderland" set (photo courtesy myflyertrains.org:

I think there could be a place for something like this today. We've all met people who are interested in O gauge trains, but once they get beyond putting up a train set, the track planning, the wiring, the construction is well beyond their interests and skills. 

When I started in HO, I had one of these, the 4 x 6 version (which fit under the bed in our one-bedroom apartment.

I even modified it a bit to include about four siding for additional cars, providing switching and operational variety. 

As many have mentioned, however, price would be an issue. If someone purchased a O gauge starter set for $150 - $200, how much would they be willing to pay for an easy-to-assemble and operate 4x8 layout with some basic scenery?

Did the pikemaster switches have contrllers made by Atlas?  They look it.

The C&O geep for The Defender train set had some changes due to the sharp tracl of Pikemaster.

3rd rail, I agree with you. "If anything I'd like to see someone do tinplate track on a rubber road bed." Lionel really needs to expand their "O" gauge tubular track and make a matching gray rubber roadbed to work with each component. I still think this would be better than Fast Track.

As far as the old American Flyer Pikemaster displays, they were very cheaply made. Not of very good quality. I believe once you saw it you wouldn't want it.

Jim, you are right. I had a set a long time ago. Not only the layout was cheap looking but by that time most of the American Flyer trains to run on it were not much better than Marx. It wasn't ahead of it's time it was to late in time to save AF. Don

You might be right about them being cheaply made. Mine is near mint though and looks better than any 3-rail track system.

Owwwwwch!  With those prices, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

George

Was at my LHS last week, there was a very large crate in the back, lid was closed but not fastened down. I had to take a peek, it was one of these layouts that you linked to here. Said Noch on the crate. I could see it was some kind of layout like thing, but had no idea for sure what it was until looking at your link above. Couldn't see it very well in the crate. Was going to ask LHS owner, but got busy looking at O stuff and forgot to ask him about it. Now I have to ask about it next week for sure. Thanks for the link.

I think American Flyer came very close sometimes. S scale sized engines and cars, "T" rail track with two rails to name a couple of pluses. On the down side they put those terrible whitewall painted drivers on all their steam engines. They plastered American Flyer all over their tenders and many of their diesels and though they had two rail track, they made it look like tinplate. Many of their PA diesels were called Rocket or Comet. It's a shame they didn't make a true scale line of trains. I think their size was ideal. Don

Electroliner:

They did make a winter scene set.  Thanks to Myflyertrains.org site here’s a link to it in the 1966 catalog:  Gilbert 1966 Catalog Page 6a - Winter Set!   They are very valuable!

I had that Westerner 1200 set also and agree with others that they were cheaply made and the tighter curves limited what you could run.

Bill  

scale rail,

Don't forget the #405 Silver Streak diesel and the #477-478 Silver Flash diesels. I have always wonder, what would of happened, had Flyer chosen the following railroad names. Pennsylvania, New York Central, Baltimore and Ohio and Chicago North Western instead of the Silver Streak, Comet, Rocket and Silver Flash.

I enjoyed reading all the comments. Although the question related to the concept behind the Flyer product, not necessarily the product itself, they gave an idea of what it was (is) like. The winter version designed around placing a Christmas tree stand in the center, modest in design but more sturdy ( materials have come a long way since then) I think might appeal to enough folks in O to be successful, especially with the Polar Express in mind. The modules would be small enough to store easily and if expandable might be appealing. I suppose it would appeal to those who don't have the skills nor want to acquire them in order to cobble their own version together.

ED H,

Thanks for posting that link to NOCH modular layouts!

Their layouts are both modular and very detailed.

Maybe they might consider making layouts in S guage?

Thanks,

Phil.  

Better re-read the text:

Hard fact #1. NOCH Layouts are made in Germany, they are bulky and expensive to import and transport, even within United States and Canada. It can cost, on average, $1,200 to get layout delivered to your residence. Price you see on website does not include shipping.

Hard fact #2. NOCH Layouts are not "what you see is what you get". You don't get track, buildings and all that scenery, as many think.

The Noch 'Z' scale layouts are available from Amazon with FREE SHIPPING. 

I wonder if they include tweezers for me. What is interesting that this subject brings up is the cost of DIY layouts and the time needed to put them together and then compare this across the board to something modular but theres no O equivalent. The convenience factor ( I would think) in pre-built would be more expensive. Then again having slopped paint, glue, sawdust flying over weeks only having to disassemble many a layout over the decades..this concept has some appeal to me. Portability without having to lug 60 -100 pounds of a modular wood and screw layout up stairs into a truck without destroying it has appeal as at 63, I am not getting any younger.

How many O or S trains fit on a Noch Z Scale layout?

Rusty

Phila -I dont believe Noch makes any layouts larger than HO, although I'm no expert regarding their products.  I've seen a Noch layout with about 10 modular sections and Marklin HO track and it was very impressive.

Not too many. 

I posted that information just to illustrate that the shipping charges don't have to be extreme. 

Actually, by the 1960's, outside of a high end Lionel O set, bulletproof Marx was to be putting out better quality stuff  in thier 8 wheel/delux line than L or AF.

 I love the AF Comet/Rocket/Silver Flash sets! I love the whitewall tyres on the steamers! I love the 2 rail track......this is what American Flyer was all about imho.

I have the snow panels(minus track and accessories)about 6 of them, currently sitting in the closet in the basement. I do prefer the sectional track(like them 4-8-4's) Al

The problem with the Pikemaster concept is that it locked the user in to very limited track arrangements.  I had AF trains and a 4x8 platform when I was a kid and one of the joys of my trains was being able to constantly change the track layout.  I had the track necessary to make all the 4x8 layouts in the Flyer book(s) and then some.

I do the same thing today with O-31 tube track on my garage 4x10 as I consider a "permanent" track arrangement to be undesirable.

Pete