I’m a long-time collector of pre- and post-war Lionel who has recently begun investigating Fastrack. I was disappointed to find that the Fastrack 6-12054 operating track does not fit the platform of a postwar operating milk car (such as the 3472). Does anyone know which, if any, of the recent Lionel operating milk cars will work with the Fastrack 6-12054 operating track?
Did you try removing the ballast section on the side of the track where the platform would go? Both side slopes are seperate pieces that can be removed to accomodate placement of the track close to platforms. I don’t have a milk car but did remove the ballast to make the section in front of a passenger station look closer to reality (aka you don’t have to be an Olympic broad jumper to get on/off the train).
Ditto on what Chuckn said, but if that doesn’t work, www.theTrain-Station.com has a special operating track that they designed to work. I do think that the new operating track will work, the Train Station’s version was designed before Lionel came out with one for Fastrack.
Dennis
Thanks for the comments. Even with the side ballast sections of a Fastrack operating track removed, it won’t quite fit into an old-style milk car platform. The special track from train-station.com looks promising. I get the impression that Lionel hasn’t upgraded many operating accessories to work with Fastrack.
The Fast Track section is about 1/8 inch too wide on either side. You can get Fast Track to O adapter sections to use the original O remote control track. Or you can get a “sacrificial” platform off of E-Bay/train show and modify the base to accomodate Fast Track. Or try the unit Dennis described above.
BTW, some of he operating cars have platforms that are compatable with FT, milk car isn’t one of them. Even recent releases show unit with traditional O style control track, not FT.
If you have an interest in FasTrack why not take a look at the newly formed group focused on Lionel FasTrack? Maybe there is an answer to your question there.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lionel_FasTrack_System/
Very best, Mike
List Owner & Moderater
I bought the Fastrack operating track, removed the sides and shaved it down so that it would fit. It really is a nice peice of track and works great on the “O” gauge setting on my milk platform. I bought the track from Island Trains for $20 so I did not feel too bad about shaving it down.
You might also try the MTH milk car platform - it’s designed for the MTH track which is as wide as Fastrack. I think it costs $20 or 25. Looks like the Postwar platform.
Another thing you can do is just remove the platform from its base and mount it on a wood base that’s the same ht. Even though I have the FasTrack “removable sides” section, this looked better to me. Joe
Use the Train Station’s adapter. It is actually three pieces of track, 2-fastrack to O-gauge transition sections and 1-Gargraves operating section. Works great with the old postwar milk car platform.
Ditto the MTH Platform. I use fastrack and found that it works fine with the MTH platform if you remove one side of the ballast.
Nice to see so many with interest and expertise with FasTrack.
Very best, Mike
Lionel_FasTrack_System Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lionel_FasTrack_System/