My experience with Fast Tracks.
 |
| A "down" QUBE steel train approaches Shepherds on Jan 30, 2025 at around 80-90Kph. This snapshot through the car windscreen. Of note is the lack of wires on the lineside poles - these copper wires have been pilfered constantly over the last few years. |
Before Fast Tracks
Way back in the 1980s, I was naive enough to think that I could construct bespoke turnouts for my new layout. Well, I succeeded, and whilst they took me around 4 hrs each, I was saving considerable money. These turnouts weren't pretty, but buried in ballast, the woeful out-of-scale sleepers didn't detract.
 |
| I kept this 3 way turnout from my first layout. The sleeper size would probably be more suited to On30. Close up, the tiebar design is poor, and original ballast is still attached to the rail. |
However, my foray into making trackwork was short lived, mainly to that first layout - the realisation that club layouts were more quickly built by buying turnouts with club funds.
Fast Tracks
I first saw Fast Tracks demonstrated in the USA, at one of the NMRA conventions I attended (Long Beach 1996?). I was a bit skeptical with their claims, although I did like the assembly fixture, and the idea that all turnouts would be functionally a clone of each other.
Since then, I had read good reports from almost everyone who had used Fast Tracks, and I was encouraged by these reports.
About 10 years ago, I managed to win a Fast Tracks "starter pack" on an on-line auction site, and then promptly placed it in storage.
 |
| #6 turnouts assembly fixture - code 100 rail. The copper clad PCB sleepers, the filing jigs, the pliobond, and the wooden tie sheet. The wooden ties are not going to be needed for my staging yard turnouts |
 |
| Assembly fixtures for #8 code 70, and #9 code 83 rails. I won't be using these for my staging yard |
 |
| The printed builders guide was placed into two A4 loose leaf display books |
 |
| Having the guide as a book makes lookup easy, and keeps the pages nice and tidy |
My first fast tracks turnout.
 |
| Over the years, I had accumulated a lot of code 100 rail, which I hoped would keep down the costs |
It was then I ran into my first problem. The peco code 100 rail did not fit properly into the assembly fixture. The problem was that the bottom flange of the peco rail was slightly too wide. I sent an email off to Fast-Tracks, and got back the reply that the rail should be micro-engineering.
I actually thought I got some microengineering code 100 rail with the original auction win, but a 2 hrs search failed to find same. I did locate 2 bundles (each bundle 33 x 3' rail lengths) of code 70 microengineering, but that didn't help. So, the option was to file down the flange on the peco rail - labourious, but acheivable.
Of course, another option would be to buy microengineering rail. Unfortunately, the Fast Tracks importer, Gwyder Valley, has closed, due to a serious illness of Warren Herbert. And I was unable to locate any other hobby outlets in Australia that stocked the rail.
 |
| Part way through assembly |
I found that filing the point blades, frogs, and stock rail slots in the jigs to be straight forward, but getting a sharp point was not as easy as it sounds. Hopefully practice will help. The other tricky bit was the curve rails. Ideally these should be pre-bent, and this is easier said than done.
 |
| The "completed" turnout. I have biased the point blades to the straight route, but not much force is needed to select the diverging route. |
After competion of the soldering, the running rails need to be isolated by removing some of the copper cladding of the ties. And isolating the frog was a trial. I managed to break 2 jewellers saw blades, and the blades got blunt very quickly. Obviously the blades I was using were inferior. (bad workman blames his tools?) I think I will opt next time for using a dremel with a cut-off disk.
Testing - a NSW 4 wheel sheep van ran smoothly along the straight, and diverging routes - although I will need to attach some lengths of flex track, and power the rails to test a proper train. And I need to come up with a method to screw down the turnout, and a connection link for the Cobalt SS point motors.
More benchwork
Butt joins with the plywood sheets needed some reinforcement.
 |
| I placed some yellow tongue offcuts over the joins |
 |
| The offcuts were then attached underneath with screws, making the joins very solid |
 |
| White paint on top of the plywood used up some of the leftover ceiling white from the room build. |
More distractions.
A couple of weeks ago, a pair of kittens made their presence known. They were found in the same location as Misty (and her brothers) 14 months earlier. The kittens were dehydrated, and screaming for their mother, who possibly had abandoned them. The feral cat had struck again. I strongly suspect there is a cat den under the rotten decking of our unused swimming pool. These kittens were very young, (younger than the other kittens when found) and needed to be syringe fed every 2-3 hrs for the first week, before they improved.
 |
| Have you ever tried to photograph kittens? They do not stay still. Estimated age is 4 weeks |
If you are wanting a kitten, both are available for rehoming in a month's time, after we get them vet checked, and microchipped. Contact me on alco4801@yahoo.com.au
Next steps with the layout.
I mentioned the turnout testing. Well, the staging yards will need 24 turnouts, and I am sort of dreading the time this will take. The hope is that the assembly time will improve with practice. After that, comes the electrics.
This blog post update has taken far too long to write. I have had some medical issues, and Santa delivered covid to Tracy on xmas day. Coupled with the kittens, vets visits for the dogs, and horse, and the heat, it was easier to stay inside with the air conditioner and watch Squid Games. Model trains are a hobby, possibly a lifestyle, but if you need a break, take it.
 |
| CLP 9, "Peter Wilks" painted in Auscision's colours, is a moving billboard for Auscision's excellent range of model trains. It was in Junee yard early in January. |
Until next time
