Fast Tracks- Worth the money?
- Thread starter Traintown
- Start date
HaggisKennedy
Coal Shoveler
I've seen it at the shows, and watched them demo it. Seems easy and straightforward.
I was having a beer with Tony Koester and others at the Cincy NMRA, and he was raving about them because he has a lot of turnouts to build on his new NKP layout.
I don't have this, since I don't handlay.
Kennedy
I was having a beer with Tony Koester and others at the Cincy NMRA, and he was raving about them because he has a lot of turnouts to build on his new NKP layout.
I don't have this, since I don't handlay.
Kennedy
I think so our club uses them. The have great videos on their site check it out
fast track
fast track
IronBeltKen
Lazy Daydreamer
If I had known about these before I built my current layout, I'd definitely have used them! But now, with the layout already built, if I find an extra $200 to spend, it'll have to be on decoders rather than a FasTracks jig.
CP9302
Member
If you are building 15 of the same size switch (eg all #6) then the fast track jig is worth it. When my club was doing the math, 15 or 16 switches was the break even point. Buying the jig and supplies to build the switches cost the same as buying walthers switches.
The fast tracks jig is very easy to use. And the final product is far better than what you can buy from Atlas or Walthers. I've built a dozen or so switches for the club so far and would definitely recommend it.
The fast tracks jig is very easy to use. And the final product is far better than what you can buy from Atlas or Walthers. I've built a dozen or so switches for the club so far and would definitely recommend it.
SpaceMouse
Fun Lover
I use them and love them.
Here is some of my work with them. I did not use the ties because these will all be in the street.
Also, I have a deal with Fast Tracks. Enter their site through a link on my site and use the 757 discount code and you get 10% off. Not much, but hey.
Here is some of my work with them. I did not use the ties because these will all be in the street.
Also, I have a deal with Fast Tracks. Enter their site through a link on my site and use the 757 discount code and you get 10% off. Not much, but hey.
Trussrod
Well-Known Member
Jigs verses Templates?
For Mike & Chip,
Hi Mike,
Ive done a lot of hand-laid track, still am on my new layout too and built numerous turnouts, straight, curved, wye's, transitional and even a three-way, 'believe it or not that was my first switch to build on my own once I was shown how to construct a turnout' from a template.
Working from a template gives you more flexibility in the construction of a turnout depending on the given situation your in. Jigs can be useful but unless it's a flexible jig that can move to accomodate your particular need, such as an odd shaped or curved switch, it limits you to just about the same
design all the time. Of course you could use a jig for some turnouts and templates, even hand drawn ones, for other turnouts.
It is necessary to have some gauges to hold the rail in place while soldering to the pc strips with a template though, be sure to cut slit with a rizor saw in
the copper between the rails and don't go too deep, some adjustment may be required of track gauge but is usually easily done if track gauges or used. I use Kemtron gauges but don't think they're still available, there are others though.
The printed template mounted on a piece of small plywood or osb is all you need, just use some double sided tape at the various locations to hold the pc
strips in place on the paper template and your ready to start, once you've got
your pc strip/ties cut to length. Be sure to clean the copper surface with a bright-boy eraser/track-cleaner or other ink eraser to a somewhat dull shinny Copper surface for proper solder adheasion, tin [apply a bit of solder] to the pc strip where the rail will lay first a slight bit of No-Krode soldering paste might be helpful or use rosin-core solder, and clean the bottom portion of your rail good too, especially if weathered to get proper solder adhesion. All you need again is a slight bit of solder, be sure the solder joint is shinney looking - you have to apply enough heat to melt the solder properly and get the rail hot enough to allow the solder to flow or you'll get a pimply looking dull surface on the joint which is NO Good and a poor electrical conductor as well!
Another type of switch which can be easily built is a Stub switch, used in mining and logging areas where lack of space demanded something shorter than a conventional switch. A stub switch doesn't use any points but rather uses the lead in rails to be move back and forth to line-up with the rails of the route desired.
So IMHO the need for a jig/s is somewhat defeating the purpose of building your own turnouts. Let me explain, often times you may want to possibly put a siding or spur switch in where a conventional straight or curved won't fit for one reason or another yet with a bit of finagling you can get a hand built one to fit just fine so the only way is to use a paper or even a hand drawn template and adjust the switch to fit the demands of the location.
The other factor in getting a switch to fit a given location is how natural it looks!
In the shot above the turnout/switch leading into the curve switch is just that type as the right side has just a slight curve to the Right and the Left side is more pronounced but it almost could be considered a slight Wye yet it wasn't meant to be.
The next switch which leads to the Rio Lobo Logging grade on the Left and the Right side will connect with the spur behind the switchmans shanty and the station will be very interesting to build indeed as it is anything but normal
and that is what I mean about using templates as I'm going to have to come up with a template to fit this particular situation.
So now you can see just what I mean by using templates rather than jigs but to each his own.
Say Chip,
That's quite some switching setup you've got there but my only concern for you is that you seem to have made the exit legs on your switches TOO Sharp?? They almost appear to be about a 15* radius which I would think would be way too tight a turn for your loco's and possibly even some of the cars? Also are those suppose to be Stub switches as I don't see any points?
You certainly did build one mess of switches in short order though.
For Mike & Chip,
Hi Mike,
Ive done a lot of hand-laid track, still am on my new layout too and built numerous turnouts, straight, curved, wye's, transitional and even a three-way, 'believe it or not that was my first switch to build on my own once I was shown how to construct a turnout' from a template.
Working from a template gives you more flexibility in the construction of a turnout depending on the given situation your in. Jigs can be useful but unless it's a flexible jig that can move to accomodate your particular need, such as an odd shaped or curved switch, it limits you to just about the same
design all the time. Of course you could use a jig for some turnouts and templates, even hand drawn ones, for other turnouts.
It is necessary to have some gauges to hold the rail in place while soldering to the pc strips with a template though, be sure to cut slit with a rizor saw in
the copper between the rails and don't go too deep, some adjustment may be required of track gauge but is usually easily done if track gauges or used. I use Kemtron gauges but don't think they're still available, there are others though.
The printed template mounted on a piece of small plywood or osb is all you need, just use some double sided tape at the various locations to hold the pc
strips in place on the paper template and your ready to start, once you've got
your pc strip/ties cut to length. Be sure to clean the copper surface with a bright-boy eraser/track-cleaner or other ink eraser to a somewhat dull shinny Copper surface for proper solder adheasion, tin [apply a bit of solder] to the pc strip where the rail will lay first a slight bit of No-Krode soldering paste might be helpful or use rosin-core solder, and clean the bottom portion of your rail good too, especially if weathered to get proper solder adhesion. All you need again is a slight bit of solder, be sure the solder joint is shinney looking - you have to apply enough heat to melt the solder properly and get the rail hot enough to allow the solder to flow or you'll get a pimply looking dull surface on the joint which is NO Good and a poor electrical conductor as well!
Another type of switch which can be easily built is a Stub switch, used in mining and logging areas where lack of space demanded something shorter than a conventional switch. A stub switch doesn't use any points but rather uses the lead in rails to be move back and forth to line-up with the rails of the route desired.
So IMHO the need for a jig/s is somewhat defeating the purpose of building your own turnouts. Let me explain, often times you may want to possibly put a siding or spur switch in where a conventional straight or curved won't fit for one reason or another yet with a bit of finagling you can get a hand built one to fit just fine so the only way is to use a paper or even a hand drawn template and adjust the switch to fit the demands of the location.
The other factor in getting a switch to fit a given location is how natural it looks!
In the shot above the turnout/switch leading into the curve switch is just that type as the right side has just a slight curve to the Right and the Left side is more pronounced but it almost could be considered a slight Wye yet it wasn't meant to be.
The next switch which leads to the Rio Lobo Logging grade on the Left and the Right side will connect with the spur behind the switchmans shanty and the station will be very interesting to build indeed as it is anything but normal
and that is what I mean about using templates as I'm going to have to come up with a template to fit this particular situation.
So now you can see just what I mean by using templates rather than jigs but to each his own.
Say Chip,
That's quite some switching setup you've got there but my only concern for you is that you seem to have made the exit legs on your switches TOO Sharp?? They almost appear to be about a 15* radius which I would think would be way too tight a turn for your loco's and possibly even some of the cars? Also are those suppose to be Stub switches as I don't see any points?
You certainly did build one mess of switches in short order though.
Last edited by a moderator:
SpaceMouse
Fun Lover
Dave,
I think they are distorted because of the lens zoom. Fast Tracks are to NMRA specs. In fact if you want to design with them use the NMRA turnouts in XtrkCAD.
The plan is
I think they are distorted because of the lens zoom. Fast Tracks are to NMRA specs. In fact if you want to design with them use the NMRA turnouts in XtrkCAD.
The plan is
