Fastrack coming apart.

Did you try switching the pieces around to see if some fit better together then others?

Well, I have 1 oval with 0-31 ends on it.  I'm going to try the PLASTIC TIE trick.  Drill a hole, insert tie, Slid another tie and cinch.  2 on each end of the 0-31 oval  should do the trick.

After reading the response by Larry3railtrains about using the plastic cinch ties (I remember reading about it a while back), I thought of a method that MIGHT work for keeping track together on carpet central layouts. It is a variation of the plastic cinch tie trick. Note, I have never actually tried it.

 

1. Drill holes near the ends of the two pieces of track that keep pulling apart.

 

2. Connect the two pieces of track together.

 

3. Using a plastic cinch tie, insert one tie into the hole on one piece of track from the BOTTOM side of the track, then thread it through the TOP of the hole of the second piece of track.

 

4. Using a second plastic cinch tie, cinch it up on the first cinch tie under the second piece of track.

 

It might be possible to do this with just one plastic cinch tie, creating a loop between the two pieces of track, but I'm thinking the cinch tie might not lay as flat using the loop method.

 

 

NEVER, in all of my considerable dealings with Lionel Fastrack, have I had even two pieces of this product not firmly snap together as designed. 

 

Have had trouble CONNECTING MTH RealTrax from time to time, but once joined, NO problem!

Art, You and others may not have ever had this problem, BUT Myself and Others HAVE. I am Glad that Art and many others have never had this issue, but unfortunately that is not the case for all of us.

 

Doug

Gentlemen,

    You only put the screws where you need them to secure your FasTrack layout, I simply gave Larry how McMaster-Carr packages the hardware and the cost.  Purchasing in this manner you never run out of hardware to build layouts with.  I use as little as possible to secure each and every layout I build, Larry will probably do the same.  It looks as if Larry simply needs to screw down his track to secure his layout, the correct hardware is available from McMaster-Carr.

 

PCRR/Dave

What a peculiar response.  The issue is whether the O-31 track is more difficult to join.  Your reply is irrelevant to many usage situations, and crude.

Specific to this one aspect, I would expect the 31 curves to be more of a problem than 36, just in general:sharper curves will always have the potential to create more stress, etc..  

 

 

I agree, Lee.   But why is it harder to get together when you are just working with two pieces while standing in the store?  Thats the weird thing!  Its as if the plastic or manufacturing process is different for the O-31.

In Larry's pic above, I can see that there are gaps between the plastic roadbed sections, but the rails appear to be joined snugly.  This tells me that the roadbed is a bit short or the rails are a bit long-either of which is likely a manufacturing issue with the O31 curves...

I just went over my 0-31 oval and yes, the rail in most of the oval is tight but the roadbed is not.

In fact, I took 2 of the 0-31 curves off the layout and put them together with vice grips. They still would not close because the rails were already together.  So for now, I'm just going to live with this problem.  My straights all click together except 2 that I took off and are in my spare track box.  The 0-36 click together nicely.

Larry if I were you I would contact Lionel's customer service even if your track is out of warranty they should be made aware of the problem. I am sure you are not the only one and I would hope it is just limited to the lot of track yours came from because the O31 curves I have are no different from the O36, O48 or O60 curves I have and work fine.

I have found that sometimes I have to rearrange my O36 curves when setting up my under Christmas tree layout to get them to fit together easily. Once they are together I don't have any problems.

I am sorry you are having troubles and I really like your layout!

 

 

Of course this is hijacking a thread, but I had a loop of track that went down the long length of the basement floor, 47', including a trip past the sump pump and under the basement sink. And I always had problems right there near the water. I could never figure out if it was increased corrosion or expansion and contraction finding the weakest place, or both. That and with the family stepping on it, the trains got banished to the work room only.

 

Radio Ron -- yes 4 X 8 Table top ( 2 - 4 X 4 pieces of 1/2" Plywood on a 40" X 86"  1 x 4 Wood frame with 6 2 X 4 Legs 32" each.  This is the biggest set up I could do in this small room. My Computer, office and treadmill are also in here.  Train boxes, etc stored under the table. I am in a  small  apartment 2 bedroom condo on the main floor. There is 2" Blue Foam on the plywood.  Originally I was going to put the track directly on the foam (painted of course) so I could do scenery, cut a stream of creek etc. But I decided to go more toy like. So I used a cheap indoor/outdoor carpet with no backing  and sprayed it with Elmers'. glue to hold it onto the foam.  Thank you for the kind words about it

I use green indoor-outdoor carper also.  If it was good enough for Ward Kimball, it is good enough for me!

I always use the green paper.  It gives you a finished look right away and you can always landscape on top of that..  I still say a a screw or two in the right places will prevent your track from moving in the corners, if not fitting perfectly because of being miismanufactured.  I don't understand the aversion to this.  It worked for me in 2" foam before.  Have fun.

Ya almost gotta screw it down. I layed a circle of track on the floor for testing locos and if I run for any length of time, the curves start to separate.