I am thinking of making the switch from O-27 tubular to Fastrack. I have heard of the advantages and like Fastrack, but is it worth the cost and is it that great of a thing to completely overhaul my track system? And also, what is a way to get the remote turnouts at a lower price if I do make the switch.
I really like the FasTrack system. I have a small layout (6’x8’). I designed several track configurations to fit on my layout using RRTrack software. I then ordered enough FasTrack and switches so that I could change the layout to any of the configurations. The nice thing about FasTrack is that it locks together and won’t come apart when trains are running on it. Therefore, I don’t have to screw down the track. So changing track configurations is easy.
Good Luck with your new layout…
Earl
The only downside to Fastrack is the cost of the switches which by the way are fabulous, the best I’ve ever used but apart from that, its worth changing over to. My track mix includes O gauge tubular, O27 and Fastrack but I’ll replace the other stuff with Fastrack when I can afford to.
Oh, one more thing, Fastrack is a bit noisy and that could be a problem for some situations though it can be quieted by stuffing it with foam window insulation strip.
Another thing about Fastrac if you don’t already know this is that the curve sections have a much wider radius than 027 & O gauge tubular track. Other thing about Fastrac it is more expensive as you must buy short sections, you can not cut it to fit like tubular track.
One thing that I have noticed, Fastrac doesn’t sell at train shows in south Florida.
Lee F.
If I were building my layout today, it would be Gargraves and Ross switches. If I wanted a track ssytem with attached roadbed, I would use Fastrac. I used Realtrax. Soldered the sections together. Track is great and quiter than Fastrac. Switches are trash!!! Fastrac now has some great items.
FastTrak has a lot of nice features and it was really meant to be used on temp/floor layouts. This is where it really shines. You can walk around on it and it won’t break. The conections are rock solid. We hung an oval on the back of the door at work so one of the employee’s kids could keep themselves amused when their parent had to come in at unexpected times. Took the loop off the wall and put it down on the floor. Switches (even the manual ones) work extremely well.
Downsides to the system. It is expensive compared to O-27 or even O BUT it includes roadbed and kids can re-arrange the track without injuring themselves. It’s noisy. Unless you run the trains slow or on some soft carpeting the track is loud. You can easily dress it up by using washes on the ballast and Floquil paint markers can weather the rails. If you run trains at reasonable speeds and put some padding under the track it makes a nice permanent system as well.
Gargrave’s has nice flex track and real wood ties. On a permanent layout it should be considered seriously. It’s quieter than FastTrak and tubular but the rails tend to act like piano wire/guitar strings and they tend to “sing”. Atlas solid rail doesn’t do this. Gargraves is made in the USA.
Atlas O. Very nice solid track. Quiet. More expensive than tubular. Switches are not as solid/well made as Ross but they are better than most of the other brands but they aren’t cheap either.
Ross track/switches. The switches are THE top of the line. They have the largest selection and are made in the USA. The rails are based on the same type of shape as Gargraves but their is no webbing below the ties (this may be why the switches are a little more quiet than the regular flex track). The individual spikes on each tie look good even if they aren’t “scale”. You can mate Gargraves/Atlas track to Ross switches without much p
With Ross & GarGraves switches you only need to take up the switch motor when the motor acts up, the switch stays intact on the layout.
Lee F.
Excellent concise track / switch review.
Only thing missing: magnetic properties - I believe Atlas O is nickel-silver, therefore non-magnetic, Gargraves is available both n-s and magnetic, Ross, i believe is all magnetic, as is Fastrack. Important for us post-war Magna-Traction guys. Also Gargraves switches work poorly with pre-war.
One question - how does FasTrak height compare to O tubular plus cork roadbed?
FastTrak matches up with O exactly in height, aka without cork roadbed. There is an O to FastTrak transition piece.
The newer Gargraves switched use cast points which are an enormous improvement over the old stamped stell ones. Those were real crap shoots as to alignment.
I did overlook the magnetraction effect. FastTrack is actually better at this than GarGraves as they have included “straps” or magentic material under the track to bridge the outer rails the way O/O-27 tubular do. Atlas has zero magnetraction since it isn’t magnetic.
[partial quote user=“phillyreading”]
Other thing about Fastrac it is more expensive as you must buy short sections, you can not cut it to fit like tubular track.
…
Lee, you may not be able to cut Lionel FasTrack as easily as traditional tubular track, but you can cut-and-fit it if you know the technique and absolutely have to do so. There are at least two ways. The better one seems to have been inspired by a method of joinery used for years by cabinet-makers and finish-carpenters,* and can be researched on several forums – possibly even this one.
The good news is that you don’t have to cut it very often: There are charts online that show you how to produce almost any length you need.
The larger the layout the easier it is to “fudge-fit” a little – as long as you do so prior to fastening the track to the board. The tolerances of FasTrack are relatively tight (a good thing) but generally one can finagle 1/8 inch or so, unless the layout is quite small and rigid.
- Not to mention Swedish or Danish ones. BTW, does everyone know that Danish cabinet-makers seldom use glue? (They prefer pastry.)
Happy Thanksgiving!
I switched from Atlas O to FasTrack a year or so ago. I have not regretted the switch - for Toy Train Operators I think it is one of the best systems going. While not as easy cut as tubular, as pointed out it is also not difficult. With a $15 miter box from Home Depot and some O track pins it takes me less than 30 minutes to custom fit a section. I have even made my own operating track sections using Atlas O accessory rails. I needed this so that I could fit an operating section into 9.5". With repeated assembly / disassembly, the rail joints can get a little loose thereby not creating a solid connection. You can solve this by pinching the open end of the rail gently with pliers. On a more permanent layout I suggest that you use multiple power feeders. I recommend feeder every 3 or 4 joints on FasTrack. If you have to stack multiple 1.75" or 4.5" / 5" sections, I suggest using a custom fit section even if the right combinations are available in order to reduce the number of joints.
Yes, the track is a little more expensive than traditional tubular. While I support purchasing from a local hobby shop, you may find better prices on line with a dealer like Grzyboski Trains - that is where I bought all the track for my layout. At least try your local dealer, they may be willing to discount!
Luther
I sure hope Lionel gets the message and designs an expandaple FasTrack sections so that we aren’t forced to cut up our FasTrack. Kato has a similar track system and has a very nice looking, functional, track expansion piece.
Earl
I’m so darn glad I went with fasttrack a couple years ago … got a real low sweet deal from a guy on ebay near xmas . The best =easiest way to cut any noise for me was a sheet of thin cork under the roadbed . Of course I always have the railsounds going anyway … LOL . The switch prices are’nt high … they’re ridiculous … especially 072 's ! They should have came down by now . I’ve been putting a wash on the roadbed for alot of guys here to make it look very authentic ! Guess what … have’nt done my own yet … [banghead] . Started doing the ties now on some though … what a pill ! Lord it’s good to be back here !!!
I originally bought a Penn flyer set with the Fastrack and then decided to use O27 track because of cost and space limitations. My son watched me slice my hands many times on the sharp metal, he and I would have multiple engine and car derailments at every O27 switch.
It was a headache to say the least and my son didn’t even want to run the trains. We set up the Fastrack on the floor in the doorway and then had a living room carpet layout after that. We never turned back. About 6 months ago, the wife decided to okay converting the dining room into a train rrom and our carpet central was to have a permanent home. A friend help build the benchwork and we found the wood on sale. We used the green fake grass carpting as a base to control costs. To keep costs down on the Fastrack we looked for our LHS to have sales/purchase discounts and online for sales. Our LHS, which is actually a hardware store, puts everything on sale every Christmas time, so that helps on the cost. I also designed the entire 7x11 L shaped layout using O36 curves to keep the costs inline. We had lots of this radius track since we had purchased several starter sets. I do have one pair of O60 switches for a transition because I could easily isolate one loop from the other. Try to plan your layout with as much of the generic O36 stuff as possible. The idea being that this stuff comes in the starter sets and if you find a starter set, or someone doesn’t want the track you can make a deal. I also limited costs by using the manual switches where ever possible. My son and I did hours of test runs and simply use the remote switches for the hard to reach areas. Many times we just run a switcher in the reverse direction to change the manual switch and then move on to set up a consist. We also went with TMCC becuase of the low cost and this allows us the freedom to move around the layout and operate the manual switches ourselves.
Yes, there is a higher cost to Fastrack, but the look,
I am glad you are enjoying this track. I’ve toyed with a few pieces that came with some expansion sets and it looks good - I’ve noticed a difference between the FT that first came out and the newest version but nothing to have to do with its compatibility - just it seemed a little ‘thinner’. I’ve stayed with tubular 027 since it’s what came in my original train set and I’ve been expanding it ever since. I don’t have derailment issues because I run very short cars - and trains for that matter.