Will O, O27, And FasTrack Connect Together?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2022
- Episode 120: Can you connect O and O27 track pieces together, and can either of them connect to FasTrack? The answer is, "YES"! Watch for a simple solution that requires no special tools or track sections. It's easier than you think!
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That's one way to do it. You can actually remove the pins from the FasTrack. You just have to pry the tabs and pull up the rail enough to remove the pins. Then, you can re form the FasTrack rail to resemble the tubular rail. You can then use just regular old track pins to connect. Thanks
Good to know!!
@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks Mike's train house also makes a transition track from their style of track with the roadbed to regular Lionel track. I loved the Mike's train house real track when it had solid rail. Being an ex ho scalemodeler I grew up with solid rail, template sheet metal rail was a sign of toy train like the oversized ties and rail of 031. The brass solid rail track of m t h has excellent conductivity. I have to put many more lock-ons for a oval of Lionel track than for an oval of Mike straight house real track.
I have been seriously involved in trains for 56+ years. Over that time, I have accumulated several different varieties of track. Situations do come up where I have used more than one type of track including my present layout. It is useful to know how to combine them.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I mix track all the time!
TH-cam has your answers, saw you there. Thanks for the video . After decade or so back into the Hobby.
Thanks for watching!
My preferred method of joining O27 and Standard-O track is to simply hammer Standard-O track pins into the O27 rail ends, after spreading the O27 rail web sufficiently with a screwdriver. This provides strong mechanical and electrical connections without requiring additional wire jumpers. And shim for rail height difference as necessary.
Thanks for the tip.
I have an old issue of Model Railroader from 1947. Advertised is a kind of sheet metal roadbed that Lionel track fits into, it makes it look more realistic as well as once the Lionel track is in the roadbed it is solidly joined so when you are done playing with your trains you could just hang the track up on a wall. I thought that was so cool. The Lionel track looks so much better in the road bed. I wish it was still available. It amazes me that gargraves track is still available and they make track for different scales as well as two rail. Kudos to them. Your track is the foundation of your layout
Neat stuff!!!
Great Video Mike.! Save the folks some cash for the Holidays.!
Awesome.! 👍Have a great weekend.! 😊
Thanks! You, too!
Great tip, it also adds nice railjoint sound.
Thanks!
3:00 You could also solder the pins to help with electrical contact and keeping the tracks together.
Indeed you could! Excellent idea!
You video's are the BEST I love them so much.
Thank you very much!
Interesting
interesting video.😍
Thank you! 😃
My lower fastrack is connected to upper level 027 track for some time now.Thank for sharing 👍♐️
Great information! Thanks much!
Thanks for watching!
I bought 1/8 and 1/4 stainless steel rod which was about about10 ft section. got home and cut at 1 inch and when I used 1/4 rod sander one end was down to fit o27 by using drill and taper it and the other end to fit o gauge
Interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Great explanation!
Glad it was helpful!
I have not tried this yet but I getting ready too. Take a straight section of Fast rack and cut it in half. Be careful to keep it square. The track holes are round to accept a track pin. Clean the holes and mate the track to any regular O gauge track.
That should work as long as you get a clean cut. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you this was very helpful
Thanks for watching!!!
Thanks for another money saving tip. The new fast track is expensive especially for pieces to add power or activate an accessory. Using the old style track and the adaptor is usually cheeper or in some cases fast track would not work with some old accessories or cars. So in those cases you would need to use the old O or O27 style of track to make them work.
You're welcome!!
You can remove the pins from fastrack, you just bent the tabs holding the rail down until they're straight and then lift the rail up just enough to take the pins out. They aren't permanently bolted down.
Thanks for the information!
Wish they sold envelopes of the fast track pins as I have found pins broken on my fast track. Mainly on my O72 curves for some reason. I like the older activation track for my milk cars. For some reason, probably because they are made with smaller magnets?, the fast track version doesn’t work well for me. As always, I enjoy all these videos.
@@gregleuze6657 Thank you!
Doesn't work for O27. The pins are too loose and hard to adapt to the fastrack.
I'd like to see a video about track sizes that go deeper into the O-27, and O-42, diameters, and how to construct temporary and permanent layouts. Also matching engines with track diameters.. that chart at the start of this video was the first I've seen. Lionel or someone should publish a modeler's primer.
This might be helpful. th-cam.com/video/nQDpcsXsECM/w-d-xo.html
@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks they make books for beginners that cover all of their questions. Like the atlas HO Scale Track plan books. They cover wiring they have track plans. Lionel trains used to put out books with different track plans on them. Had a list of all of the track required to build the particular layout as well as its dimensions that it would be once it was completed. I went to a train show and I bought a suitcase that was totally packed with standard gauge track switches and Crossing included for $20. Before covid shutdown all the train shows I like to go to the train shows and go home with no money. I don't pay collector prices for nothing. I wish the collectors would go away and stop jacking up the price of everything I'm interested in. By the time you save up enough money to buy a particular item the investors bought them they're sold out and now they're on the internet for twice the regular price or more. And then the factory doesn't make any more because that would reduce the value of the ones on the internet. I like it when train for trains and not an investment.
Grumpy old man says,” screw driver do not have heads, they have tips. A flat tip screwdriver can fit in a flat head screw, round head screw, pan head screw, etc.”
clever. Where were you a year ago when I spent $$$ on transitions lol
:-) Thanks for watching!
I would just cut the fast trax slightly behind its pins, and then just use round pins to connect both types of tracks.
It's the WIFI and such I don't understand LOL I guess I am still old school but love the postwar and MPC stuff.
Another way to join 0 to 027 enlarge the 027 track to accept the 0 gauge pins and crimp them in place restoring the electrical connection
I'm "old school" as well. I would think that widening the O27 rail may cause gauge issues. You also still need to shim the O27 to match O height.
The old track i think is great for bridges tussles
Yes!
For connecting the o guage track to fast track, can’t you remove the connecting pins of the fast track? I would think you could take a flathead screw driver and pry the tabs on the underside of fast track so you can remove them and then insert the o guage tubular connecting pins into the fast track. Maybe crimp the rails of the fast track to lock the tubular pins in better and then you have a pretty solid and easy connection I’d think.
Thanks for the tip!
Good video. What about adding an old O gauge remote turnout to a FasTrack layout? I have FasTrack transition track but I'm not sure which pins to pull. I appreciate your videos and help.
By "what pins to pull" you mean on the turnout, it's the two inside rails on the diverging side. th-cam.com/video/ZKJGdBZr6Cc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=QZ1in7deiauNw6gj
Thanks!
Since the Standard O is cheap try to shorten the rail that butts against the protruding Fastrack rail so the others get closer. Otherwise the wheel travel over the gaps will be noisy and it looks sloppy. Real railroads avoid this. Star wiring where a lead goes to both sides of the transition saves jumping and helps avoid voltage drops. The malleable rails can be snugged up a bit. TMCC and particularly DCS would benefit from better connections.
Good tips!
I `m in the process of building my Marx O gage layout on a particle board table surface . How might I soundproof track noise ?
Depends on how "sound proof" you need. My current layout uses zero because it's in a basement away from everyone. The best product I have found for underlayment is Homasote, which is used as a sound dampener on floors, but it can be hard to find in some regions. Next, cork roadbed under the track helps as well. However, the biggest culprit I have found is our rolling stock. Rack of our Marx and Lionel hollow freight cars act as mini sound chambers. You can pack the interiors with foam peanuts or another sound dampener. It's tedious but it does help.
You're also better off using tubular rail with wood or rubber ties. The plastic roadbed acts as an amplifier.
Try cork or foam insulation, comes in several thicknesses and easy to cut
Toy train shops are always drowning in 3 rail track. Fast Track is expensive for a beginner. You can get a ton of older American-made track and build a beautiful layout on it inexpensive Lee compared to Fastrack.
Marx o27 profile track had 5 tie p e r section of track. They also had larger radii of track. Any company's 027 style of track is more prototypical than the ridiculous oversized 031 which is standard gauge Rail and standard gauge ties. It is a Shame that Lionel did not combine Super all track with the fast track roadbed. That would have looked a lot better then what they really made.
Most Marx O27 track has 3 ties per section. I have boxes of the stuff.
Hullo!
I have one question?
Are you.able to run newer o scale trains on older track?
I have some marx trains and a lionel thomas, am I able to use it on the same track?
For the most part, yes. Some Marx will not run on Lionel turnouts and crossovers, and some Lionel will not run on Marx turnouts and crossovers. Otherwise, yes.
@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks good thing I just have a loop
Why didn't you use the fast track to Lionel adapter.
1) I don't have one. 2) I didn't want to buy one. 3) You don't have to buy one. 4) I mainly use O27 and the transition piece connects to regular O. This works either way. Thanks for watching!
This looks really great, but I notice you used only straight track sections. Does this method also work on curved tracks? Also wondering if I would be wise to use O27 instead of Fastrack, except for the switch tracks. My semi-scale Hudson steamer will operate over O36 manual switches, but binds-up while curving through O27 switches. That's why I'm interested in keeping only the Fastrack switches and using your method for transitioning to O27. Your advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
First, yes it works for curves as well. I would expect that if your steamer has issues with O27 turnouts it might also be problematic to use O27 curves. If you're looking to save money, regular O tubular might be the way to go. It's still produced by Menards in many curve radio and the rail height is the same as FasTrack so there's no need to shim.
@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks My engine is a Williams by Bachman semi-scale Hudson, blue B&O. I bought it about 12 years ago, and I know it's not a great brand name, but at $200 new, I went for it, especially since I found 4 matching Baby Madison type B&O passenger cars to go with it. Strange as it may seem, the engine runs well on O27 curves but binds up on the switch motors which protrude just a tiny bit too far. I have TONS of O27 track, and really dislike the Fastrack. I bought a ton of that, too, so will probably put it on Ebay so I an afford to buy wire, etc. Man this is fun! Again, thank you so much for your excellent and inspirational videos.
@@gmaneis How old are your O27 turnouts? Everything from 1955 and newer should work with the Williams engine. Oh, and there's NOTHING wrong with Williams products - great runners at a great price.
@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks I bought the O27 turnouts new in 2010, when I had only an Atlas trolley and a small layout. Like so many other people, I wanted more stuff! So I bought the Williams by Bachman Hudson. It works great on Fastrack and O27, but not on those O27 switches. Annoying! Do you have any suggestions on how I might make the switches work with that steamer? I would be really happy if they didn't hate that engine!😁
P.S. I'm going to set up the switches and engine again to see if my diagnosis of the problem is correct. I'm not sure the engine is really hitting the switch motor. As I recall (it's been 12 years) the moving rails may be the culprits.
Does anyone know if old hornby 3 rail track is compatible with lionel’s ?
The gauge would be the same, so it's a matter of rail height, which could likely be shimmed to match.
@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks thanks !!
I am like number 252
(Good morning from a country where 027 Gauge is a genuine rarity) As a very long time "S-gauge" modeller -without giving up 1/64, that's obvious- I came to the decision of making a "lasting escape" towards 0-27. I now have already some theoretically suitable stuff (Marx' "1666", plus some freight cars, that are all in flawless condition). Nevertheless, unfortunately, -despite having the right power source = Titan transfo AC, & that works when making direct contact between wires & central foot + rail !- I'm not able after having put the "1666" onto the track to obtain "normal signs of life", only very, very brief sounds, very, very brief functionning of the loco's light. Perhaps my tracks (old not branded ones, very similar to Marx) do play this negative role ? (but : they are sold as being in good condition, even if the tin has really faded). What is your opinion about this problem, that would maybe frequently occur (heaps of attempts from me weren't succesful) ? Kindest regards, plus thanks from Brittany/France.
Okay, let's troubleshoot this. First, let's make sure the transformer is good. Run some temporary wires to something you know works such as a light bulb. If that works, you know the transformer is good. Next, let's take the track out of the equation by running jumper wire straight from the transformer to the locomotive. If the locomotive works this way, the problem is the track. If not we have narrowed down the problem. If the problem is with the locomotive, it sounds like there is a loose wire or loose connection somewhere. I would remove the shell from the locomotive and make sure all of the wiring connections are secure. Then I would look for an issue with the reverse unit. Mark's reverse units can usually be easily repaired by spraying them thoroughly with electrical contact cleaner and allowing them to dry overnight. Take it one step at a time until you eliminate all possibilities. Good luck!
You could use the swallow 27 track pins to to join O gauge and o27. Fast Track is garbage I don't understand why anybody buys it except they're a lion no Junkie. The rail is not even shaped like a rail. It is made of steel that will Rust away and crumble away in time. The crap still the Chinese make track out deteriorates horribly in high humidity environments like outdoor layouts and basement layouts. I felt a layout of a mixture of old 027 and newer 027 track within a year the newer Chinese made track turn black electrical conductivity and then crumbled away. Sheer garbage indicative of the new Lionel.
After 2 full minutes of an 11 minute video, we're still hearing what the video is about. I'd suggest some editing on the front end.
Thanks. I've learned a lot since last year.
I’m Sorry But me Doin that Sorry I would be Able to Go one Way Or Another But not Mix the Track Like that Sorry.
American track systems are so ugly