I’d like to put track/rails on a brdge I’m building … I have all fastrack … but don’t want the roadbed on the bridge … what and which and how can track with just rail and ties be adapted to hook onto the fasttrack ? No.2 … I’d like to run 2 steam engines linked in unison insted of one huge engine . What problems with one pulling or pushing the other will I encounter and how would I do this ?
On the bridge question, use a Fastrack-to-tubular transition piece at either end of the bridge. Then use maybe Atlas track on the bridge itself and connect the Atlas pieces to the Fastrack transition piece (which has the old pin connectors) using special Atlas adapter pins. Works pretty slick.
With running two engines in unison you need to be sure that they both pull about the same or the two have similar electrically designed motors in them. One way to be sure if they pull about the same is run both engines and tenders around the same track a couple of times but not have the engines hooked together, if they stay at the same distance apart all the way around they should work okay, if one outpaces the other then it may not work that well.
You might want to buy a Williams S-2 steam loco #671, it is a Lionel reproduction and it has great hauling power. The S-2 will pull at least 22 Lehigh Valley quad hoppers behind it.
Lee F.
I have a heavy puller … but wanted to run 2 of the same engines together . Seems like I’d have to gut one and make it a dummy to be safe … plus that atlas adapter mentioned above has ballast also permantly attached … no go for that idea I guess .
You can use Gargraves track.
You will need a Fastrack transition to Lionel Tubular track, and O gauge mating pins (Gargraves No. 802) to go from Lionel to Gargraves track, on both sides of the bridge.
The Fastrack to Tubular transition looks like it just has tubular pins in the end, so you should be able to simply pull and replace the Lionel pins with Gargraves.
One more thing to think about is that there will be a height difference with any transition to Fastrack.
Kurt
What Lee says is good advice if both of your locomotives have permanent-magnet “can” motors. If either or both of them has the older series-wound universal motor type, they can run together without any worry.
I use ROSS track over my bridges for it’s appearance. Really looks good over girder structures, and through open truss crossings.
The height difference will be no problem … since I can make that up with the wood base of the bridge . Going to look for those pins … I was hoping to see there were some to do it . Have’nt done much in O scale building … am a converted HO scaler … and it has non roadbed track in HO . Thanks millions for the advice Kurt and dadurling … you’ve hit the nail on the head ! Guys … need all the help here I can get ! I was about ready to take my dremel and some solid brass or copper heavy wire and make my own transition pins .