Lionel Fastrack LED Lighted Track

I saw that and also thought, wow that's perfect, Kids love blinky lights. It's certainly attention grabbing overall. I don't have any Christmas trains yet but this one is tempting. 

Kind of pricey, like all Fastrack, but it would save me some work stringing multi-colored lights around the perimeter of my Christmas layout.  It really looks kind of neat and I'm sure my Grandmunchkins would love it.   This will bear looking into.

OKHIKER posted:

Kind of pricey, like all Fastrack,

You wouldn't want to do a whole layout with it.

The kids will like them; Heck I think their cool! I have a complete 0-36 circle of Fastrack under my tree built into a village I’m thinking of 4 pieces spread out to every other track section would look pretty cool. 🎄

I love the idea.  So much so, that I wonder how difficult it would be to add a few inconspicuous LEDs trackside along other brands of track, and actuate them with LCS, JMRI, an arduino, raspberry pi, etc.  I have my reasons for asking...!

And don't forget the flashing green light version that is shown with the Area 51 LC Set.

KIND of pricey....  I mean WOW!!!  It’s INSANELY pricey....  roughly $150 (net price) to do a small oval...  yikes!  

BHalfway posted:

KIND of pricey....  I mean WOW!!!  It’s INSANELY pricey....  roughly $150 (net price) to do a small oval...  yikes!  

Sure, but it's.... COOL!

I wonder if Chris' idea of alternating is realistic, or if it might require some sort of interconnect between adjacent sections (other than the obvious 3 rails )in order to work properly.  Maybe it's just as simple as each piece has a sensor and when a train passes it's on for that time plus some number of seconds.  That would be nice and simple and then it would probably work staggered or for only part of a circle (like if you wanted to do the front of a Christmas display, not include it in a tunnel, etc).

Half of me thinks it's cool and may be worth having a circle of it, but the other half of me doesn't like what appears to be the translucent track bed (it looks like you can see through it to the underside where all the circuitry and wires are).

It's inventive for sure, so I'll give them credit for that!  The effect probably would not be as noticeable if it was regular track with LEDs just visible on the surface.  I assume the translucent plastic (again, if I am interpreting illustration properly) helps the effect quite a bit.

But yeah, pricey!  It's approaching the cost of a full circle of the larger diameters of FasTrack (O72, O84, O96)!

-Dave

gunrunnerjohn posted:

BHalfway posted:

KIND of pricey....  I mean WOW!!!  It’s INSANELY pricey....  roughly $150 (net price) to do a small oval...  yikes!  

Sure, but it's.... COOL!

Definitely cool, definitely going to order an Area 51 set, and if I heard Dave and Ryan correctly, you can swap out the LED's to match whatever visual effect you may be hoping to achieve.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

BHalfway posted:

KIND of pricey....  I mean WOW!!!  It’s INSANELY pricey....  roughly $150 (net price) to do a small oval...  yikes!  

Sure, but it's.... COOL!

$1.50/inch list price. Street price will be less, but still expensive. I'd probably just put 2-3 sections every so often around the Christmas layout. Clever idea, though.

Cost is not much more than Magic Tracks sets that were specific gift requests and hits with the grandchildren.

What, me worry? 

Alfred E Neuman posted:

Cost is not much more than Magic Tracks sets that were specific gift requests and hits with the grandchildren.

What, me worry? 

???  Magic Tracks runs about 13 cents an inch. The illuminated FastTrack runs about $1.50 an inch.

Not the same... the Magic Tracks are "glow in the dark" and pick up on the light emitted from the battery-powered cars.  There are no LEDs or lights in the track.

I think it would look cool with my mth Christmas train with the lighted locomotive and ten lighted cars. Led overload!!!!!

Btw all the track will have the leds, now how cool will this be?

Dave

Ted S posted:

Not the same... the Magic Tracks are "glow in the dark" and pick up on the light emitted from the battery-powered cars.  There are no LEDs or lights in the track.

No, they're not the same, but you missed the point. What was being discussed was Alfred E Newman's statement that the cost of Magic Tracks and Lighted FasTrack is not much different, when in fact it's radically different. 

Chris Lonero posted:

I have a complete 0-36 circle of Fastrack under my tree.  I’m thinking of 4 pieces spread out to every other track section would look pretty cool. 🎄

I don't think that would work well as you would lose the "drag behind" effect of the lights after the train passes a certain track section.

RadioRon posted:

Chris Lonero posted:

I have a complete 0-36 circle of Fastrack under my tree.  I’m thinking of 4 pieces spread out to every other track section would look pretty cool. 🎄

I don't think that would work well as you would lose the "drag behind" effect of the lights after the train passes a certain track section.

However, I don't think my young grandkids would notice the loss of "drag behind" effect every so often.

My main concern would be that children would no longer pay attention to trains unless they're running on illuminated track, with no interest in watching or playing with trains if the lighted track is absent. The focus won't be on the trains, but on the track "light show." In other words, there is a danger of it becoming too much of a spectacle,  taking away from the experience of watching the trains themselves. So perhaps having only a few sections of the lighted track might be the best thing.

For adults, and thinking about this lighted track as an adult, it's a cool novelty. But for young children, it may be too much of a distraction. It's like having a fireworks display going off during a baseball game. Noone will be concentrating on the game. I'd prefer my grandchildren focus on enjoying the trains, and not on a sideshow of flashing track lights.

Just a thought.

I could see this in a store window. Attention getter.

I think the target for this is a small under the tree layout to add to the holiday festivities and decor. Per John's comment, unless you have a ton of money you are not building a layout out of it and since it operates on isolated rail probably not feasible. I certainly think it's a pretty neat idea and even at the MSRP cost I would buy a loop to add to the play value and overall decoration of the tree layout.  Personally I think some blue only track would be cool for the Star Trek set to simulate "Warp Drive".

One of the "synonyms" for Christmas is lights - bright and plentiful.

NOW, off to figure out a way to add something similar to a spot on my tubular layout.

Enon49

Hmm.....I may get some LEDs from Evans Designs and experiment with making my own.   I am thinking using amber ones on a bridge track and have it isolated, so it would light up (and maybe flash) only when the train entered that isolated track section spanning the bridge.

Rick

Rixster posted:

Hmm.....I may get some LEDs from Evans Designs and experiment with making my own.   I am thinking using amber ones on a bridge track and have it isolated, so it would light up (and maybe flash) only when the train entered that isolated track section spanning the bridge.

Rick

Based on what I am paying for the Evans LEDs, it would cost more to build it yourself.

George

Yeah, I like the idea above of spacing it out among some regular pieces of track. Would still look cool and you could save a few $$.

Leaning towards getting the Area 51 Set with the flashing green LEDs. Not normally a set that would appeal to me but it could be the start of a small outer space-themed layout (think the Menards Flying Saucer as a centerpiece ). 

George S posted:

Rixster posted:

Hmm.....I may get some LEDs from Evans Designs and experiment with making my own.   I am thinking using amber ones on a bridge track and have it isolated, so it would light up (and maybe flash) only when the train entered that isolated track section spanning the bridge.

Based on what I am paying for the Evans LEDs, it would cost more to build it yourself.

If you're doing custom LED stuff, using Evan's LED products are not the way to go. The Evan's LEDs are great for adding a headlight or other individual lighting, especially if you're not willing to do a bit of soldering.

LEDs are a few cents each, you just have to learn how to wire them.  Anything that's going to use a large quantity of LEDs is going to be expensive if you're paying dollars instead of cents for each LED.  Also, you'll have the limitations of the pre-canned nature of the product.

Definitely a neat idea with the track. Too bad they didn't use programmable LEDs where you could change colors with a small remote. Then you could have had orange for Halloween, red for Valentine's Day, etc. 

breezinup posted:

However, I don't think my young grandkids would notice the loss of "drag behind" effect every so often.

For adults, and thinking about this lighted track as an adult, it's a cool novelty.  But for young children, it may be too much of a distraction. It's like having a fireworks display going off during a baseball game.  No one will be concentrating on the game.  I'd prefer my grandchildren focus on enjoying the trains, and not on a sideshow of flashing track lights. 

I think you are right.   

I’m also thinking about this track strictly for under the Christmas tree. Even then, the ability to change the color of the LEDs would be useful. I would love it if I could program the colors to an alternating red and green pattern.

Here is the track in person at the Lionel booth at the Springfield show today. I ran the car back and fourth and I didn’t see any trailing affect. The LED’s went on and off as the wheels went over them. The track kind of looks like ice covered tracks which would fit in more with a Christmas loop under the tree. 

I think the "trailing effect" is the fact that the whole piece of track lights until the car or engine is totally off that track piece.

Chris Lonero posted:

Here is the track in person at the Lionel booth at the Springfield show today. I ran the car back and fourth and I didn’t see any trailing affect. The LED’s went on and off as the wheels went over them. The track kind of looks like ice covered tracks which would fit in more with a Christmas loop under the tree. 

Chris Lonero posted:

Here is the track in person at the Lionel booth at the Springfield show today. I ran the car back and fourth and I didn’t see any trailing affect. The LED’s went on and off as the wheels went over them. The track kind of looks like ice covered tracks which would fit in more with a Christmas loop under the tree. 

Hi CHRIS,

  Were there any of the Area 51 alien green track there?

I'm glad I'm a grinch.  (image courtesy of pinterest)

I'll save big bucks.   

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I think the "trailing effect" is the fact that the whole piece of track lights until the car or engine is totally off that track piece.

Yes John it’s a little confusing. This is how Lionel describes it in the new catalog.  

“LED’s remain illuminated shortly after the train has passed to create a light trail affect” 

laz1957 posted:

Chris Lonero posted:

Here is the track in person at the Lionel booth at the Springfield show today. I ran the car back and fourth and I didn’t see any trailing affect. The LED’s went on and off as the wheels went over them. The track kind of looks like ice covered tracks which would fit in more with a Christmas loop under the tree. 

Chris Lonero posted:

Here is the track in person at the Lionel booth at the Springfield show today. I ran the car back and fourth and I didn’t see any trailing affect. The LED’s went on and off as the wheels went over them. The track kind of looks like ice covered tracks which would fit in more with a Christmas loop under the tree. 

Hi CHRIS,

  Were there any of the Area 51 alien green track there?

No I didn’t see any green track at all. I was kind of surprised to see the multi colored already. 

I played with it at Springfield today.  It seems to work well.

Jon  

Or you could do what i do. I get some battery operated led Christmas lights hide the battery box in a boxcar andtring the lights on the train. Costs 7.00 a set at Michael 's

Al Smeraldo posted:

Or you could do what i do. I get some battery operated led Christmas lights hide the battery box in a boxcar andtring the lights on the train. Costs 7.00 a set at Michael 's

Only when in season from September to A couple of weeks in December.

Chris Lonero posted:

Here is the track in person at the Lionel booth at the Springfield show today. I ran the car back and fourth and I didn’t see any trailing affect. The LED’s went on and off as the wheels went over them. The track kind of looks like ice covered tracks which would fit in more with a Christmas loop under the tree. 

Chris, I may have missed it. Are they using an insulated outer rail or some type of sensors? Nice image. The frosted track looks like it would fit in with the white Polar track.

Ideal for bump and go trolleys.  It's light rail!