From following Sunday Fun and numerous other posts, I Know there are many out there with postwar, magnatraction based collections likke mine.
What are my options in track and switch systems beyond traditional Lionel tubular? The problem with traditional is that I need larger radius turnouts to produce sidings with approx 4 inch center to center spacing.
Please don’t suggest Gargraves, which I have tried, and commented on in various other posts.
runtime
The first option is Lionel Fastrack but you will have to do some surgery to get 4" centers on sidings. The second is Atlas O steel but it has been discontinued. Some dealers still have some left. You may be able to find a combo that will give you close to 4" centers or do some cutting. Gargraves tinplate is about the only practical choice to get the centers you want (4 3/8") if you are looking for a readily available track system that works with magnetraction.
I believe in terms of maintaining magnatraction, you should avoid stainless steel rails, as your trains will not be magnetically attracted to the track.
Kurt
If you can find them K-Line 042 or 054 switches should help. Tubular track is made in curve sizes from 031 up to 072. Lionel has some switches in differant sizes but I don’t like the newer Lionel tubular switches as they act up too much, try K-Line(not made by Lionel, pre Lionel take over) switches.
Another company that makes tubular track is Williams Trains, don’t know if they have made any switches.
Atlas switches will need adapters for use with Lionel style tubular track.
Lee F.
Surprised no one has mentioned it but why not ROSS? They have a whole library of straights, curves, turnouts, etc.
If I am not mistaken Ross uses the same type of track as GarGraves, only their switches have better quality. To be honest, I don’t think Ross switches would work with magnatraction. You can use regular GarGraves track pins with Ross switches.
Lee F.
They sure are:
All of our switches and track are constructed by hand, using tinplated STEEL rail for magnetraction capability and real WOODEN TIES.
Taken right off their main page. http://www.rossswitches.com/
It is interesting to know that Ross uses tinplated steel for their track & switches.
Thanks for mentioning that Brent.
Lee F.
I have GarGraves stainless, & my MagneTraction locos attract it. Not as much as regular tin plated, but it still works.
Rob
Thanks to all for the prompt replies.
Sounds like there could be the following options:
Lionel Fastrack - mates with lionel tubular?
Atlas O steel - discontinued
K-Line 042 or 054 - discontinued
Williams - ??
ROSS - compatible with Gargraves, therefore can mate with lionel tubular +. BRENT: ARE ROSS SWITCHES COMPATIBLE WITH PREWAR?? (SEE BELOW).
Gargraves - I have one of their switches installed, with a manual throw; derails all prewar due to frog design which is incompatible with large wheel flanges - flanges also catch on outer rail guides. Don’t recall if my Gargraves track and switches are tinplate or stainless; I think it’s the former.
Basically, it looks to me like the real choices are Fastrack or ROSS/Gargraves. Don’t really like the gray color of Fastrack, as I use tan cork roadbed, unballasted.
Don’t think my local shop carries ROSS, so I’ll have to call around.
I’ll report back after investigating available radii and prewar compatibility, unless you guys fill in some of the blanks for me.[:D]
runtime
runtime,
Email Tom at Ross, he can better answer your question as I use Atlas 21st Century track which is nickle silver and is not compatible with Magnatraction.
I can’t see why Prewar would cause a problem because ROSS takes incredible pride in their product and craftsmanship (I’ve met and spoken with many of their employees at York).
Thanks. E-mailed him earlier today.
runtime
Another option to look into is K-line Supersnap track.
Basically, Supersnap is a track system based around O-gauge tubular rails. Rather than the three metal ties, though, it has plastic ties with built-in locking tabs and electrical connections. The center rail is blackened.
There’s more switch variety(I believe that they make an O54 switch, which no one else does), and sectional curves all the way up to 128" in diameter.
The beauty of this system, too, is that to connect it to O-gauge tubular, all you have to do is snip the locking tabs off and stick in a normal pin.
The only downside is it’s no longer produced.
There’s also one other general caution that should be mentioned in reference to just about any track system other than tubular track. If you’re like me, a good many of your postwar cars have sliding shoes for their couplers or operating mechanism. The switches for many of the more modern track systems are designed for the smoothest possible operation. As a consequence, many of them don’t have wide gaps in the running rails, which are necessary for the the sliding shoes to pass. So, you can end up binding or shorting the shoes, and in extreme cases even shearing them off.
Low end prewar locomotives wheel gear teeth are on the edge of the flange and interfere with the frogs on Ross switches or just about any modern day switch. The only switches that work with low end prewar are the frogless switches such as prewar Lionel 027 switches, Marx, and early Gargraves.
runtime,
Fastrac needs an adapter track to go to tubular track. K-Line made tubular track, Williams is making tubular track similar to Lionel’s tubular track. Pre war trains as other have mentioned don’t like GarGraves & Ross track & switches.
Lee F.