Fast Tracks System - HO Scale


R

rzw0wr

Newbie Switchman
I have been building my layout with the Fast Tracks system for about a year now.
I thought I would write a little review of the Fast Tracks products I am using.

To start with I use the straight main line jig, the #4 turnout jig, the #6 turnout jig and the #8 turnout jig.
I also have 2 curve jigs from 20" radius to 30" radius in 2" increments. 6 different radii in all.

To go with the turnout jigs I have all the filing jigs. The Frog and point jig for each and a jig for filing the stock rail away for the points.

I will say that all of the products I have from Fast Tracks are very high quality and well made.
All are fairly simple to use. No hoops to jump through or holding your mouth just right to get them to work.

The finished product looks good and works well.
The turnouts are almost flawless. This depends on how you build them. If you take your time and try to do a neat job they do work well.
The turnouts are not difficult to make. It does take a little practice and some understanding of what your are doing.

The turnout jigs have all the bends you need to make on the jig. There is not any real measuring to do.

I think when finished the track looks and performs better than sectional track that I have seen and used.

The only problem I have found is the cost.
I have about $1,000.00 in Fast Tracks so far.
You do have to buy solder, PCB ties and glue from Fast Tracks.
I use their ties for turnouts and curves. I use regular hand laid ties for the straights.
I have found way better prices on rail.

Over all, building my own track is fun and entertaining. I have learned a great deal about model railroad track doing it this way.
I now understand a turnout better and a diamond crossing.

I would not recommend this to anyone on a tight budget. You will never recoup your cost for the jigs no matter how much track you lay.
 
Dale,

I have to agree with you about everything you said about the jigs. They do give you a top of the line turnout. In fact, when the NMRA compared all the commercial turnouts against the NMRA standards, only the FT jigs and Micro-Engineering turnouts were dead on. None of the others matched completely. My biggest complaint about the FT jigs has always been about the cost. I have always said that the jigs cost way too much for what they do. Same for the filing and bending jigs. Practice and judicious use of a NMRA gauge gives you the same result when you build them freehand, plus you're not limited to just the geometry of the jigs you can buy.
 
I did try some free hand track laying.
I enjoyed it but, I did use up a lot of track learning.
I can now solder pretty well also.
 
When that Paul Mallery book gets there, study it well! He puts forth several techniques for laying turnouts, and I developed my own technique combining what I had been doing for years, and some of the ones in the book.

Maybe you could do the same. I always practiced with old flex track the rails were removed from, pieces of sectional, etc before I'd try with new rail. I do have to admit though, unless you have old scrap flex track or sectional track on hand, financially speaking, getting some may not be feasible.
 
I had to reorder Paul's book. I was told it was no longer available from the people I had ordered it from.
I am excited about reading it.

I have a few peices of flex laying around.
The real expense is the PCB ties.

I need to learn to spike I guess.

Thanks for all of your help Carey.
 
I don't use the jig/plate, just the filling blocks and a paper template. Point/Frog form and Stockaid tools. Clover House has 12" long Modern PC ties, you will have less waste, 10-12" sticks for $15.95. They also sell throw bar PC ties and turnout cross ties. The cross tie is a bag of 500 for $17.95. I'm figuring around &7 bucs per turnout but I'm building #4s.

I start by cutting, cleaning up the PC ties, glue those to a paper(regular printer) template(free from Fast Tracks). I use an NMRA gauge and the three point gauges to triple check all aspects of the turnout before soldering all the rail in place. Cutting and filling all the rails are made easier with the filing tools. My problem with building my own turnouts is control. I need to figure out what mechanism to use to throw them. I don't want to use those unsightly oversize ground throws. And I'm not spending an arm and leg on switch motors either, my layout is narrow and small enough that I can reach most if not all the turnouts. Something under the layout that is cheap and I can home build. Any suggestions? Simple over center spring, toggle switch and wire?
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