I bought a bunch of Lionel Fast Track when it first came out thinking it would be a nice change from the old tubular track. After using it for a while I quickly found myself longing for the tubular again. I didnt like the noise/sound of the fast track or the “U” shape of the rails. I have what I consider a “toy train layout” but I actually feel the tubular is better looking and even more realistic in some ways. The tubular has a kinda “T” shape to it that the fastrack lacks and even though I have a toy train layout I add the rubber ties to it and it looks geat! I love the look and sound and it seems like my engines run a lot smoother too. Ive also had Hi rail layouts in the past and used tubular and painted it to look rusty and weathered adn added ballast and iit looked really good. Anyone else still love their old tubular tracks or am I nuts?? LOL
!
You’re not crazy. This is certainly a hobby that accepts all kinds of preferences. I’ve stayed with the 027 track that came in my first train set. I like its height and ‘traditional’ curves given that I run very small engines. I’ve nothing against Fastrack except I find it expensive and a bit loud.
I agree with both of you about Fast Track. I like it best for around a Christmas tree. I like the look of tubular track.
John
I kind of agree. While I like the look of FasTrack it’s way too noisy and expensive to use for the entire layout. I did one small section and the price was almost $60.[*-)]
My vote is for Good Old Tubular Track. [Y] I have the traditional Lionel O Gauge Track on my layout. I have been cutting wooden ties and painting them black to place under the rails. For inspiration see the fantastic pictures posted here by Frank53 of his super detailed layout. I also like the look of layouts using Gargraves Track and Ross Switches. I have seen some layouts here using Fast Track that have landscaped the plastic road bed so that you don’t see the plastic base. But - Hey, this is a hobby where we do what works for us. So have Fun.
Steve
I never liked the fastrac or mth version either. I presently building a layout using gargraves for 3 outer loops then lionel Super O track and finally O gauge figure 8 in the center which will be a fancy 8 which will run 2 trains alternatively. My layout takes up 8’ x 16’ I’m now at the stage to start the planning as I go stage lol I know you should make a plan ahead of time I like to do things as I go.
I’ve never been a fan of fasttrack. It just seemed like an attempt at something than ran out of funding half-way through the design process. Lionel goes to the trouble of developing a track system with a realistic plastic roadbed and then slaps on polished chrome box-rails instead of a real shape like on MTH RealTrax. Something always seemed amiss to me.
But it’s also important for me to say I have no great love for any kind of track. If budget didn’t get in the way, I’d use several types simultaneously. I’d use tubular for all trains built before 1986 and MTH ScaleTrax, Gargraves or Atlas 21st Century for anything built after 1986. I try to let the age of the trains vs. their level of realism decide what kind of rail to operate them on. I’ve always thought a shiny new MTH/LCT Standard Gauge 400E looks dorky running on MTH RealTrax. But at the same time, my Lionel 259 from 1929 runs best on RealTrax since it reeeeeeaaaaalllyyy needs to be rewheeled! ( [:)] Something about the square vs. round of the rail keeps the loco from flopping over.) So it’s possible (though not probable) to theorize that maybe Lionel designers took that phenomenon into account while designing FastTrack and wanted to keep those oldest trains running no matter how badly out of alignment their wheels are. But I doubt it.
Becky
I ran the plastic track when I was running “n” scale. Never did like the cheapness or sound of it. Something about the tubular track just feels right running old or new. All I have ran is Lionel but I’m thinking my next engine may be Williams brand.
I started out with tubular and found that it came apart too easily or didn’t fit well. I was working with temporary layouts that was a problem. I purchased a goodly amount of Fastrack and find that for temporary layouts and such, it is a high quality product that I can use time and again without a problem.
I have a ton of Atlas O 21st Century track which I have fallen in love with. I came into it when the LHS I worked for closed and they were going to trash it as it was on a demo layout. Its easy to assemble and work with looks great but for temporary layouts it does have a tendency to come apart. I’m going to, at some point, try to ballast it on a diorama just to see how it looks.
I have bunch of tubular I’m saving for another project. I like it because it reminds me of the layouts my Dad made for us, which I still have.
The FasTrack Story From Mike Spanier:
Let me thank Richard for his efforts in sharing the FasTrack Story with us.
The FasTrack Yahoo Group is fortunate to have amongst its members, Richard Webster, who designed Lionel FasTrack. I have requested of Richard that he tell the FasTrack story and he graciously has agreed. Here is the 5th and final chapter.
The development of FasTrack is quite a story and lets listen to Richard as the story unfolds.
Mike Spanier
List Owner & Moderator
Lionel_FasTrack_System Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lionel_FasTrack_System/
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Chapter 1- The FasTrack Story
==============================================================
Mike has asked me to tell the group how FasTrack originated and to
tell the story of its development, so here goes.
During the summer of 1999, whilst on holiday in England, my home, I
was contacted by Dick Maddox who had just been appointed President of
Lionel. In my previous capacity I was in charge of the Kader factory
in mainland China manufacturing all Bachmann model products, and he
asked me if I would like to help him restructure the Lionel company.
Lionel was already having diecast locomotives built in Korea and with
my Chinese experience, production of all other items could be moved
<
OK, it didn’t run out of funding half way through. But I still maintain that it looks like it. [swg]
Becky