Fast Tracks, any good?

[Jintyman]

Hi all,
 
I'm thinking of having a go at building some coperclad point kits in OO. Now I've looked at some of the options, C+L, SMP, Marcway, etc, but I came across this company from across the pond, Fast Tracks   http://www.handlaidtrack.com/

 

I know they're USA based products, but I've seen some Peco code 83 track used quite successfully for UK layouts as well. I just wanted to know if anyone has used their stuff, and if it's any good.

Initial purchase looks like it could be quite dear, but once you have the masters, it's a lot cheaper after. It also looks foolproof, which would be an advantage with me!!!!!! ;) 

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jinty ;-)
 

[trisonic]

They are Canadian. The two brothers that run it are good guys.

I just think that their “jigs” are expensive and I’m sure that they are accurately priced too... Their stuff will certainly make switch building easy but work out the cost of all the various bit and bobs that you’ll need from their selection. I think it is strictly 3.5mm to the foot too.

 

If you are looking at HO Gauge then take a look at P87 Stores too, the owner is a member of RMWeb. http://www.proto87.com

 

There is more than P87 available from this site,

 

Best, Pete.

[davknigh]

Fast Tracks is a good idea if you are building a basement empire that will require many turnouts of the same size. They also have their place when it comes to club layouts for the same reason. Pete's point about the scale is a good one as the spacing of the sleepers would be wrong for 00 scale track. They do make a wide variety of scales so if you had the dimensions of a proper 4mm scale turnout (C&L, Templot?) they might make you a jig if you asked nicely, but it wouldn't be cheap. There are other issues with Fast Tracks that are of a technical nature such as fidelity to prototype but I'll let those better versed in that area chime in as suits them.

 

HTH

 

David

[MikeTrice]

First off I have purchased items from their site and they have been brilliant in their supply. The quality of their products is also first class. I have not used their aluminium jigs which arre based on NMRA Americal standards. Interestingly they did offer to produce special jigs to my own specification (which opens the possibility for some uk based jigs). I have their switchblade and frog filing jigs which work as advertised. Watch out for the extra VAT inport tax on orders over a certain value. I have been lucky and managed to avoid this but it could hit you for big cost items. There are a number of videos on the site which are recommended and show the various jigs and their usage. 

 

As a supplier I can but recommend them.

[Jintyman]

Thanks guys,

 

The only reason I asked was because I'd watched their videos and it looked fantastic. I appreciate that it's 3.5mm, but as I've already mentioned, I've seen code 83 used for British outline, and it looked very nice and flowing but not prototypical. But looked a doddle to put together.

Looking at their prices, it does look, just as Davknigh says, you'd need to be building quite a few turnouts to make it worthwile.

The quality does look good, and even the jigs they sell, could have some use with Marcway, etc

I think it will be Marcway, once I get my head around Templot......

 

As Mike says, it may be interesting if they'd produce some standard UK outline jigs!!!!

 

Thanks again

 

Jinty ;-)

[Godders]

Hi Jintyman,

 

Unless you specifically want H0 why not take a look at this home grown version

 

http://www.timbertracks.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=8

 

Godders

[martin_wynne]

One big advantage of building your own turnouts is that each one can be different, sized to fit exactly to your site and curving radius. This is almost essential if you want the prototypical flowing effect, especially the different ruling radii. As soon as you buy (or make) assembly jigs a lot of that advantage is lost, because there is no point in having a jig and using it only once.

 

What's more most of the Fast Tracks jigs are for straight turnouts, there are very few sizes to choose from in curved turnouts. And none with contraflexure, so it is impossible to create a proper crossover in gently curving double track (the same applies to Peco and all other ready-made track that I know of).

 

To see what such a turnout should look like, see the far turnout in this pic. It is a left-hand turnout but curving to the right through the running line (contraflexure):

 

Linked from: http://bristol-rail.co.uk/wiki/File:Filton_Abbey_Wood92.jpg

 

Such a turnout is as easy to build as any other if you are handbuilding on paper templates. But almost impossible to achieve from purchased jigs or buying ready-made pointwork.

 

Curved crossovers such as this are very common, and almost essential if you want to create flowing pointwork in a confined space.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

[Jintyman]

Thanks Martin,

 

Yes, I'd love to be able to create my own templates, and build from them.

My ideas for my extension has a very long curved area with pointwork running either side of it, on a sort of Minories idea, but with some additional freight facilities.

 

I just have to learn the basic principles of Templot (to which you're no stranger  I believe  ), I am watching the tutorials, and I think I'm making progress, but I'll give it a bit longer before I ask the wife to help!!!

 

Jinty ;-)

[hayfield]

Jinty

 

I never use jigs as I can print off a plan from Templot

 

Stick it to a board, put some double sided tape on it and stick the sleepers on

 

Then I can start to solder the rails to the sleepers etc

 

A bit of a simplistic reply, but sometimes we try and make things more complicated than they need to be

[trisonic]

And if you do work in HO then Templot handles that too (and many other scales and gauges).

 

You want a laugh - ask Brian Harrap what he uses....................mostly Mark One eyeball - as they used to say. As my eyeballs are crap I do need some help.

 

Best, Pete.

[trisonic]

By the way a lot of people think you cannot find beautiful track in America.

 

Under the cruelest conditions of a long throw lens (which usually shows up all kinds of nonsense, I know Martin hates these shots) look at this lovely trackage in Elizabeth, New Jersey - it’s the old Pennsylvania mainline:

 

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=494911&nseq=116

 

Best, Pete.

[hayfield]

And if you do work in HO then Templot handles that too (and many other scales and gauges).

 

You want a laugh - ask Brian Harrap what he uses....................mostly Mark One eyeball - as they used to say. As my eyeballs are crap I do need some help.

 

Best, Pete.

 

 

Brian and Pete are correct in that most things are easier done by eye that fiddling about making jigs for everything. The thing to remember is with hand built track you are not constrained (hindered) by a choice of 3 different straight sizes plus the odd curved turnout.  It is just as easy to build a 37 5/8ths" radius turnout as a 36" radius one.

 

I do use a straight edge when making a straight turnout or piece of track to get the sleepers and first/stock rail straight, but that's an aid. If you look at old track its not always perfectly straight or smoothly curved, sometimes we make out track to clinical. If we did copy real life exactly, some may question our track building skills 

[bécasse]

 If we did copy real life exactly, some may question our track building skills 

 

 

When we built Bembridge (the first complete P4 layout to ever be exhibited) well over 40 years ago, we did copy the prototype trackwork exactly because, fortuitously, one of the team had measured it before it had been lifted a decade previously.

 

We soon discovered that it was quite difficult to propel into the goods siding without the odd wagon derailing on the points. Of course, this was a pioneer layout and it was built before it became normal to compensate wagons in P4, but we were still somewhat surprised by the problem.

 

However, some years later, an official drawing of the point work came to light complete with a pencilled list of wagons known to derail on it - the prototype geometry was faulty and we had faithfully copied it, warts and all.

 

 

The culprit was the point by the bean stalks. Photo by the late Ian Lyle.

[Indomitable026]

I've just had one of these jigs sent over, its a ON30 1 in 8 - it looks a beautifully made accurate thing

 

I've built quite a lot of different UK track work and fancied an insight in to others methods.

 

For narrow gauge I'm not concerned that the points are standard.

 

I'm looking forward to trying it, in fact it may be a job for the weekend.....

[trisonic]

That route would also work on “shoreline’s”, Damian, where the current tendency is to use off-the-shelf #8’s.....(so far I haven’t seen anything “shorter” on any prototype I’ve visited).

Fast Tracks stuff is usually beautifully made (to order). Which makes total sense to their business model. Did you tell them exactly which rail you’d be using?

 

Best, Pete.

[Indomitable026]

That route would also work on “shoreline’s”, Damian, where the current tendency is to use off-the-shelf #8’s.....(so far I haven’t seen anything “shorter” on any prototype I’ve visited).

Fast Tracks stuff is usually beautifully made (to order). Which makes total sense to their business model. Did you tell them exactly which rail you’d be using?

 

Best, Pete.

Yes I quoted the rail and bought a little. it looks different to any profile over here (I didn't want to get the jig back and realise the rail over here didn't fit and slopped around.

 

I've started a new thread called 'Pie in the Sky' which will look at my 0n30 track building exploits...

[Jintyman]

Hey guys,

Thanks a lot, I appreciate all your advice/feedback/answers and that 'Golden' anecdote by bA@casse.

I have decided to persevere with Templot, I'm looking to create a 12' radius curved approach to a 'Minories style' station throat, with at least 1 double slip and a tandem 3-way in the yard (I have a thing for smooth flowing trackwork ).

I suppose that if I couldn't get to grips with Templot, if I gave all the dimensions and basic design to someone (along with the correct incentive) who was conversant with it, they could design it and I could print it off!!!!! :good:

 

Thanks everyone again

 

Jinty ;-)