When I was a kid, you either had Lionel track or you didn't. Now I see various kinds of track available for Lionel trains. I just got the Strasburg set with FasTrack. I'm probably going to make a layout on a door. The door I have is 30" wide, but I could easily make it 36". I wondered if I'd be better off with RealTrack or maybe 027 for the sharper turns. As it's name implies, Realtrack looks better.
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Thanks. I like the looks of the Gargraves.
@Jerryc41 posted:When I was a kid, you either had Lionel track or you didn't. Now I see various kinds of track available for Lionel trains. I just got the Strasburg set with FasTrack. I'm probably going to make a layout on a door. The door I have is 30" wide, but I could easily make it 36". I wondered if I'd be better off with RealTrack or maybe 027 for the sharper turns. As it's name implies, Realtrack looks better.
If you add some O31 FasTrack you could get the FasTrack to fit on a 36" door.
Shown on a 36"x80" door. Four O36 FT easements, and four O31 FT curves. Eight 10" straights shown. All O36 would fit on a 42" wide door.
Nice set! I am wanting one myself!
FWIW - I like the look of FT over RealTrax. I also think wider curves look better - personal choice. I would not go down to O27, but stay at least at O31, if nothing else, it will handle a wider variety of rolling stock and locos.
I checked at Home Depot who offers a 36" x 80" slab composite door.
@Jerryc41 posted:As it's name implies, Realtrack looks better.
Realtrack is about to become an orphan. Lionel came out with Fastrack just after and learned from the mistakes of Realtrack.
If you want realism, go for Atlas. But bring money.
The only issue I see with your door model railroad is the turn radius will limit what you can run due to minimum radius of some rolling stock and engines. Track is a personal preference but consider if switching is desired then see what switches you like.
There is a tremendous amount of knowledge and support on this website.
Welcome and good luck
You could make a figure-8 inside a loop using O31 turnouts and O31 quarter curves in 36"x80". Only place for spurs is on the outside curves, here shown with a 10" spur.
If you can find a 42" wide slab interior door, a connected figure-8 FT O-36 can fit:
IF you were to go away from the roadbed-track systems, I like Atlas-O.
@Ken-Oscale posted:You could make a figure-8 inside a loop using O31 turnouts and O31 quarter curves in 36"x80". Only place for spurs is on the outside curves, here shown with a 10" spur.
Thanks. I might be pushing it, but I'd liker to be able to run two trains at once - without collisions. Is a spur necessary? Is that where an idle train would sit while the active train is running?
@Ken-Oscale posted:If you can find a 42" wide slab interior door, a connected figure-8 FT O-36 can fit:
IF you were to go away from the roadbed-track systems, I like Atlas-O.
You're leading me toward that 4 x 8 plywood. 
@BMT-Express posted:If you want realism ... bring money.
Isn't that always the case?
@Gilly@N&W posted:I, and many here agree. However, I think you will be more satisfied with Ross switches. They use the identical track pins. Using the two together is easy.
Thanks. I'll file this info away.
@BMT-Express posted:
If you want realism, go for Atlas. But bring money.
At the big train retailers like Trainworld and Charles Ro, Atlas O track is price competitively with Ross.
John
Jerry, you might have missed this subject from the link I posted for you yesterday. Scroll down to the box where you see door sizes and track type, for layout ideas.
http://www.thortrains.net/marx/drlaydex.html
Really this is all a matter of personal preference. Door layouts have the advantage of not taking up too much space and being more movable than something larger.
Yes, you won't be able to run larger sized engines and rolling stock, but that can also save you money.
As far as realism, I added brown foam ties that I cut from sheets of brown foam available at Hobby Lobby, etc. I used a glue stick to adhere them in place. The foam ties work wonders to quiet down the rubble of the hollow door.
My opinion, 027 track just looks better on a small layout like a door. The lower profile and lack of roadbed contribute to this. I've seen small layouts with FasTrack or RealTrax, and the track with roadbed really fills up the space and limits the room for scenery and other accessories. But again, it's preference.
I don't know how "crafty" you are? You won't see me complaining too much at all on this forum. I accept the limitations and work with them.
For example, I replace all the rivet mountings of truck sets to train cars by drilling out the rivet and replacing it with a truss screw and lock nut. The loose truck mounting is what causes derailments when backing up a train on tight 027 curves. With what I do, I haven't had a derailment in decades. Really. If you look at my linked thread below my signature, you'll see I do a lot of repainting and kitbashing. I like "realism" too, even if it is on an 027 level of realism.
I also have chopped down 027 switch tracks. Might be more work than you want to do. For me, it's par for the course: I want a small layout, and I want the very most out of that small layout. But this might be more work than you want to do.
For switches on the back of the layout, I use the brown colored MPC designed manual switch, utilizing nylon fish line to operate the switch: I call it a Poor Man's automatic switch.
If you decide to go with the FasTrack that came in your set: Advantage is that it is available and currently made. Here's a link to some small FasTrack plans. No door sized layouts, but still small in size. It's worth noting that FasTrack is made in a 31 inch diameter curve now, though it's the 36 inch that comes in train sets, so you'll have to buy it separately. Also worth noting that the actual size of the space needed is more due to the roadbed. So the 36 diameter curves really need something like a 42 inch space.
If you like the MTH RealTrax, while MTH is going out of business next year, the track should be easy enough to find, though it might have to be on ebay or such. And if you're doing a small layout, you won't need a ton of it.
@brianel_k-lineguy posted:Jerry, you might have missed this subject from the link I posted for you yesterday. Scroll down to the box where you see door sizes and track type, for layout ideas.
http://www.thortrains.net/marx/drlaydex.html
Really this is all a matter of personal preference. Door layouts have the advantage of not taking up too much space and being more movable than something larger.
Yes, you won't be able to run larger sized engines and rolling stock, but that can also save you money.
As far as realism, I added brown foam ties that I cut from sheets of brown foam available at Hobby Lobby, etc. I used a glue stick to adhere them in place. The foam ties work wonders to quiet down the rubble of the hollow door.
My opinion, 027 track just looks better on a small layout like a door. The lower profile and lack of roadbed contribute to this. I've seen small layouts with FasTrack or RealTrax, and the track with roadbed really fills up the space and limits the room for scenery and other accessories. But again, it's preference.
I don't know how "crafty" you are? You won't see me complaining too much at all on this forum. I accept the limitations and work with them.
For example, I replace all the rivet mountings of truck sets to train cars by drilling out the rivet and replacing it with a truss screw and lock nut. The loose truck mounting is what causes derailments when backing up a train on tight 027 curves. With what I do, I haven't had a derailment in decades. Really. If you look at my linked thread below my signature, you'll see I do a lot of repainting and kitbashing. I like "realism" too, even if it is on an 027 level of realism.
I also have chopped down 027 switch tracks. Might be more work than you want to do. For me, it's par for the course: I want a small layout, and I want the very most out of that small layout. But this might be more work than you want to do.
For switches on the back of the layout, I use the brown colored MPC designed manual switch, utilizing nylon fish line to operate the switch: I call it a Poor Man's automatic switch.
If you decide to go with the FasTrack that came in your set: Advantage is that it is available and currently made. Here's a link to some small FasTrack plans. No door sized layouts, but still small in size. It's worth noting that FasTrack is made in a 31 inch diameter curve now, though it's the 36 inch that comes in train sets, so you'll have to buy it separately. Also worth noting that the actual size of the space needed is more due to the roadbed. So the 36 diameter curves really need something like a 42 inch space.
If you like the MTH RealTrax, while MTH is going out of business next year, the track should be easy enough to find, though it might have to be on ebay or such. And if you're doing a small layout, you won't need a ton of it.
I can see that I'm going to have to spend some time studying track before I go much farther. I don't want to be halfway into it and realize I went with the wrong kind of track.
As for being "crafty," I like to think that I am. I also like to think that I'm 30 and handsome.
I don't shrink from a challenge, though. I'll take anything apart and repair or modify it.
What kind of screws are they that you use on the trucks (truss screw and lock nut)?
If you purchase another LionChief set with a remote, then you can run two trains at once by controlling each train's speed with the remotes (requires some juggling). Lionel also makes a universal remote that will handle up to 3 separate trains on one remote. If the set(s) come with BT, you also have that option for controlling multiple trains.
Another relatively easy way would be to run two loops on the door - one with O-36 curves and the inner with O-31 curves. However, an O-31 loop will not fit inside an O-36 loop unless the O-36 is slightly expanded by using O-48 easements or a short 5" straight in the middle of the O-36 curve. That will mean that the O-36 curve is no longer the same diameter and would necessitate making sure you have a door or plywood that would extend to the new diameter.
OD of an O-31 curve is 34.5"
ID of an O-36 curve is 32.5", so the O-31 will not fit inside.
OD of a standard O-36 curve is 39.5"
OD of an O-36 curve with a 5" extension is 44.5", so you would need a door/plywood of at least that dimension.
ID of an O-36 curve with a 5 " extension is 37.5", so the O-31 curve will fit inside.
Here is a pic borrowed from superotrackdon on this interesting thread, that compares five track systems, and conveniently has Scaletrax and Atlas-O next to each other.
@Jerryc41 posted:You're leading me toward that 4 x 8 plywood.
Yes 
, that is the way it goes.
If you want to do double-track with FasTrack, 42" would be easy to do double-track, with cross-overs, with O36 and O31. But then you would be tempted to leave the door size of 80" and go up to 96" for the extra length.
Jerry, for cars that you can't see the screw, I generally use a combo (straight and phillips) 8/32 large head truss screw and a 8/32 nylon insert lock nut, also called a stop nut.
I use a good quality drill bit (drill bits are NOT what they used to be) that is just slightly larger than the diameter of the rivet used by Lionel or K-Line. You want to minimize the melting of the plastic car body, while still removing the truck. On Lionel cars, you drill them out from the under side. Basically you want to shred the largest part of the rivet, the upper lip so-to-speak, so that the whole thing comes loose. Sometimes the rivet will come free from the train car, but still be in the truck. A little more drilling to the truck isn't as bad as with the train car body. You want to minimize the enlarging of the hole in the train car body.
On train cars like gondolas and flats, where the screw will be seen, I either paint the screw the color of the train car, or use a pre-blackened 8/32 hex screw. For some of my projects, like what is seen below, this has an advantage. I've made all sorts of "load holders" that I designed to fit over the round hex screw. In the photo, you'll see the two round short pieces of Plastruct tubing glued to the underside of the trailer holder: They fit nicely over the round hex screws. This way I can easily change the use of a flat car.
Of course, needless to say, this is something you might try after you have a layout built. 
And yes, I guess I am as much of a nut case as anyone else in this hobby. But I'm not a "full scale" nut case, I'm a "semi scale" nut case.
@Ken-Oscale posted:Yes
If you want to do double-track with FasTrack, 42" would be easy to do double-track, with cross-overs, with O36 and O31. But then you would be tempted to leave the door size of 80" and go up to 96" for the extra length.
I see a 4 x 8 in my future. : )
@brianel_k-lineguy posted:the train car, or use a pre-blackened 8/32 hex screw. For some of my projects, like what is seen below, this has an advantage. I've made all sorts of "load holders" that I designed to fit over the round hex screw. In the photo, you'll see the two round short pieces of Plastruct tubing glued to the underside of the trailer holder: They fit nicely over the round hex screws. This way I can easily change the use of a flat car.
Okay. I see what you mean.
@Richie C. posted:If you purchase another LionChief set with a remote, then you can run two trains at once by controlling each train's speed with the remotes (requires some juggling). Lionel also makes a universal remote that will handle up to 3 separate trains on one remote. If the set(s) come with BT, you also have that option for controlling multiple trains.
Thanks.
Hi Jerry,
Welcome to the forum. I too have a small layout, 38”X110”. Size is limited by the room and being able to reach everything from the front edge. I have a fair collection of both MTH RealTrax and 027 track. Since I want to run at least two trains at once I have an outer loop of RealTrax and an inner elongated figure-8 of tubular 027. I run conventional power and I’m limited to smaller engines and rolling stock. But as someone mentioned earlier, I’m saving a boatload of money. 😁 My master plan is to build in an upper level for even more train action. I’m currently leaning towards an On30 loop as a mining or logging scene.
John
You can do a lot on 6' X 5'
6' X 9'
6' X 13'
Looks good.
Gargraves offers a O32 and a O42 so you would be able to do two loops on a 4' x 8'. But, Ross custom switches also offer curve track and actually cheaper than Gargraves and there's is O36 and O42 so it also would fit on a 4' x 8' with room to spare. My outside loop is ross curves where the rest is Gargraves, My switches are Ross custom switches.
Thanks. When I bought this Strasburg set, I never thought that deciding on track would be a major research project.
I'd like to see the actual Strasburg line some day, but it's almost a five-hour drive for me.
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