How To Set Up A Lionel Train
FasTrack was introduced in 2003 and is now Lionel's most popular rails system. Information technology is piece of cake to gather, can be used on whatsoever flat surface, and has a more than realistic appearance than Lionel's older all-metal three-rail track.
Besides, FasTrack is bachelor in many different curve and straight dimensions, and there is an infinite number of layouts that tin be built using information technology.
However, for many beginners FasTrack can be disruptive, There are many pieces that perform special functions, and sorting them out and figuring out what is what can be a challenge.
The purpose of this brusque guide is to provide a basic primer on FasTrack, what the different pieces practice, how they piece of work together, and to give some ideas of train layouts that can be congenital using FasTrack.
If you have whatever other questions most FasTrack, feel free to email us at answers@trainz.com .
Have fun!
Lionel FasTrack - An Overview
Did you listen in math class? If the reply is yes, good! Because a little basic geometry comes in handy when working with FasTrack. (If the answer was 'no', read this commodity twice and then take the 100-question examination at the end of the commodity--just kidding.)
FasTrack is a rigid track organisation, and the rails sections cannot be cutting. Therefore, Lionel has designed a multitude of track pieces to meet nearly whatever need. Knowing how the pieces interrelate is of import to planning and building a FasTrack layout.
The key concept when working with FasTrack is knowing the angles--all of the curves and crossings except O48 curves work off of angles of 90, 45, 22.5, and 11.25 degrees. O48 uses thirty-degree angles.
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FasTrack Curves
Since nearly all layouts crave the railroad train to make a circle in social club to grade a continuous loop, it'due south important to await at the curved track sections start.
There are five diameters of curvature in FasTrack. There a 3 pes bore circle (O36), iv foot (O48), 5 human foot (O60), half dozen foot (O72), and 7 foot (O84). O36 is included with near starter sets. Note that each curve bore is one foot wider than the one before information technology.
Curved tracks are sold by the section:
O36--8 sections to a circumvolve (Lionel #12015). One section makes a 45-degree plow. Each half section (#12022) make a 22.5 caste turn, and each quarter department (#12023) makes an 11.25 degree turn.
O48--12 sections to a circle (#12043). I section makes a 30 degree turn.
O60--sixteen sections to a circle (#12056). Ane section makes a 22.v degree turn.
O72--xvi sections to a circumvolve (#12041). One department makes a 22.5 degree plough. Each one-half section (#12055) brand a 11.25 degree turn.
O84--32 sections to a circle (#12061). One section makes a 11.25 caste turn.
Notation that O36, O60, O72 and O84 track sections are fabricated where multiples of 8 make a total circle, which makes information technology easy to brand these circles symmetrical and piece of work together on a layout. This is considering the curved sections are all made to where they are either 1/8 of a circumvolve (45 degrees), 1/sixteen of a circumvolve (22.5 degrees), or 1/32 of a circumvolve (11.25 degrees).
However, O48 is made where information technology takes 12 sections to make a circle (30 degrees). This makes it a flake of a challenge to make O48 work in a layout using multiple curve diameters, because the angle of the curves does not lucifer the other curve sections when making fractional turns.
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FasTrack Straights
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Straights are pretty easy. The standard direct department is ten inches long (#12014), and a half department is available also (#12024). Well-nigh special rail sections like block sections and accessory activation sections are also either ten or 5 inches long, making it like shooting fish in a barrel to substitute a regular directly section with one of these special rail pieces.
Lionel also makes a 30 inch straight (#12042), which helps when building big layouts and long straightaways.
Three 'fitter' sizes are available--4 one/ii inch (#12025), ane 3/four inch (#12026), and one three/8 inch (#12073 and #12074). The 1/2 inch between the 4.5 inch and the 5 inch section is important when working with crossing sections.
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FasTrack Switches
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The traditional footprint of a switch track matches a direct and a curved section laid atop one some other. This makes it easy to integrate them into layouts.
The O36 switch matches the footprint of one 10 inch straight and one O36 curve, and the wider diameter switches are usually the footprint of 1 of the matching curves, along with a 10" and a 5" straight hooked together. All switches are available in both right and left hand turns.
On O36 switches, the last office of the curved section of the switch is a removable 1/four curve (#12023). The O60 and O72 switches include actress fitter sections with them.
O36 Switches come with both manual control (#12017 and #12018), where you lot flip the switch by hand, and remote command (#12045 and #12046), which includes a controller wired to the switch.
All other switches are bachelor only with remote control.
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FasTrack Crossings
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The iii crossings made in FasTrack are 90 degree (#12019), 45 degree (#12051), and 22.5 degree (#12050). Notation that the angles are multiples of i another (22.five x2 = 45, and 45 10 2 = 90), and that they friction match the angles of most of the curves also.
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Special Track Sections
There are several special rail sections made for FasTrack which perform specific tasks.
 | Uncoupling tracks (#12020) include a magnet that volition actuate the Lionel couplers automatically. An operating track section (#12054) also has the magnet, but information technology likewise includes special control rails that activate the Lionel operating cars with plastic slide shoes on the trucks [wheelsets]. The uncoupler track is five" long, and the operating track department is 10" long. |
 | The terminal rail section (#12016) is a 10" directly with wires to connect to the transformer. Starter sets all include a last rails section. The wires can be unhooked and reconnected to nearly all FasTrack straight and curved sections. |
 | The cake department (#12060) allows y'all to isolate power between sections of track. This is the track section you lot need to connect two loops operating off of carve up transformers. It is 5" long. |
 | The transition section (#12040) allows you to connect conventional O Guess rails to FasTrack. It is 5" long. Information technology has FasTrack connectors on ane end and O Gauge track pins on the other. It does not work with O27. |
 | The accompaniment activation track (#12029) is used to activate Lionel trackside accessories. One of the outside rails is isolated, and when the wheels of the train bridge power into this isolated section, it turns the accessory on and off. The activation department is xx" long when assembled. |
 | Too available is a 10" extension piece for the accompaniment activation track(#12027). |
 | Bumpers are used on the stop of spur sidings to keep cars from rolling off and to give the runway a nice, finished await. They are available both lighted (#12035) and unlighted (#12059), and are sold by the pair. Lighted bumper sections are five" long, and non-lighted ones are iii 5/eight" long. |
Grade Crossing Department Highway Signal Set Crossing Gate Set
Lastly, three crossing sections are likewise available from Lionel. The form crossing department (#12036) is ten" long and has a simulated road and crossing built into it. They are sold in pairs. The flashing highway signal (#12052) and crossing gate (#12062) sets are xx" long when fully assembled and take the place of two ten" straights on a layout.
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Fitting information technology all together--Examples of FasTrack Layouts
Example #1
Click the Diagram to see a larger picture
This little layout, which we call the Double Loop RR, shows how to fit a crossing into a layout. Take a look at the 2 parts of the layout outlined in cerise.
Note that the top leg of the loop, the one running horizontally across the top, includes thirty" of direct track (the two x" straights plus the straight leg of the switch, which is likewise 10 inches).
Forth the parallel leg in the middle of the layout, we also have a xxx" directly run, merely this one consists of v sections of track. Hither we have ane ten" straight, a ninety degree crossing, which measures half-dozen inches long, one 5 inch straight, and 2 of the 4.v inch straights. ten + 6 + 5 + 4.5 + 4.5= 30.
This illustrates the importance of the shorter direct sections like the four 1/two inch section. Because the crossing is an odd length relative to all other sections, a special piece is needed to compensate to make the loop match upwardly.
The vertical loop has the exact same system of straight sections.
This plan requires:
6 12014 ten" Straight
2 12024 5" Straight
four 12025 4.v" Direct
12 12015 O36 Curve
i 12019 xc Degree Crossing
1 Fastrack LH Switch--12017 (Transmission) or 12045 (Remote)
1 Fastrack RH Switch--12018 (Manual) or 12046 (Remote)
two 12023 1/4 O36 curve (included with the switches)
Example #2
Click the Diagram to see a larger picture
This second layout, designed to become around a Christmas tree, illustrates the demand for half curves to make a program fit.
At first glance the plan appears to be a figure-8, but it is in fact two contrary loops folded over each other. The peak half of the circle is made of half-dozen O48 curves. The two switches are O36, one right and one left. The 2 crossings are 45 degrees.
Note that because we are using 45 caste crossings in this plan, we needed to connect half sections of O36 curves between the switches and the crossing to line the rail up properly (the curves are highlighted in red).
Also, note that half curve sections were needed on the outside legs of each loop to shut the gap between the turns at the lesser of the layout and the switches (likewise highlighted in red).
This had to be done because the curves at the bottom of the layout were wider than those at the top, and so nosotros had to include the Due south-turns to get everything to line up.
Studying this plan closely, you will also see that a couple short fitter pieces were used to close a couple minor gaps.
This plan requires:
vi 12043 O48 Curve
12 12022 O36 1/2 Curve
10 12015 O36 Curve
two 12051 45 Degree Crossing
1 Fastrack LH Switch--12017 (Manual) or 12045 (Remote)
ane Fastrack RH Switch--12018 (Manual) or 12046 (Remote)
2 12023 one/4 O36 curve (included with the switches)
four 12025 iv.v" Direct
2 12024 v" Straight
2 12026 1 3/4" Straight
Instance #3
Click the Diagram to see a larger picture
This layout is an case of how to connect two dissimilar diameters of curves into one layout. It is a folded-over figure 8, and the inner loop is O48, and the outer loop is O60.
Note the utilise of several fitter pieces on the O48 loop (outlined in red) to achieve the desired distance between the back straightaways of both loops.
Also notice that a pair of O36 1/2 curves (also outlined in red) were used around the 45 degree crossing at the lesser.
They were needed considering if we tried to use ii O48 curves in their place, the plan would not have lined up properly, because of the different angle of O48 curves (encounter the higher up section on curves).
When designing a plan, it is always all-time to outset with the about circuitous function of the track program start, and then work your fashion out. Y'all will find that it is easier to brand everything line up with you are finished if you follow this method.
This plan requires:
xviii 12056 O60 Curve
12 12043 O48 Curve
ii 12022 O36 ane/2 Bend
1 12051 45 Degree Crossing
seven 12014 10" Directly
11 12026 1 3/four" Straight
Example #4
Click the Diagram to see a larger picture
| This layout illustrates the use of block sections to dissever two loops of track and create a two-train layout. The block sections, highlighted in red, separate the ability between the two loops. The rest of the layout is very straightforward, using regular O36 curves and 10" and 5" straights. Two 1 3/four" straights are needed, one between the two switches on the inner loop and one on the opposite side of the loop to compensate for the first one. This plan requires: 16 12015 O36 Curve twenty 12014 10" Straight half dozen 12024 5 Inch Directly two 12060 Block Section 2 12026 ane iii/four" Straight 2 Fastrack LH Switch--Manual (#12017) or Remote (#12045) 2 Fastrack RH Switch--Manual (#12018) or Remote (#12046) |
Example #5
Click the Diagram to encounter a larger picture
In this last programme, we run across the total integration of all FasTrack components--switches, crossings, curt straights, full and one-half curves, all creating an interesting, fun to operate layout.
The layout shows that numerous circuitous arrangements tin be formed with FasTrack. The i iii/4" fitter sections used are all highlighted in red. The layout has a pair of reverse loops, a continuous loop, and two effigy 8s.
As well annotation that despite this layout'southward apparent complication, it only uses 3 pairs of switches.
This plan requires:
19 12015 O36 Bend
10 12014 10" Straight
five 12024 5 Inch Direct
2 12019 90 Degree Crossing
half-dozen 12025 4.5" Straight
eleven 12026 i 3/iv" Straight
i 12073 one three/eight" Direct
two 12022 O36 1/ii Curve
one 12051 45 Degree Crossing
3 Fastrack LH Switch--Manual (#12017) or Remote (#12045)
3 Fastrack RH Switch--Manual (#12018) or Remote (#12046)
6 12023 O36 1/four Curve (included with Switches)
Source: https://www.trainz.com/pages/the-guide-to-lionel-fastrack
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