# Lionel AF fastrack



## Jmass (Aug 11, 2020)

Hello all. I recently picked up a Lionel AF gp 20 on ebay and decided to go with Lionel fast track for the layout. I am finding it quite hard to snap this track together and I'm wondering if anyone who is using this track has kad the same problem. Can't seem to find any complaints about the track anywhere else. Any info would be appreciated. JOE


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Hello, and welcome to the forum.. I have no knowledge about Lionel Fast-track but have heard some complaints about it..I would have gone with original flyer track with rubber road-bed or GarGraves track.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

When I snap my FasTrack together I turn track upside down. Then you can see what you are doing. If you just push pieces together you can damage the connectors. Once it is together FasTrak works great.
I did not say it was easy.

Welcome to the forum.


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## Jmass (Aug 11, 2020)

Thanks for the welcome and the reply. I thought I was the only one with this issue. And your right, the track does seem to work very well. And it looks pretty good too. Joe


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## Jmass (Aug 11, 2020)

Flyernut, my original attempt was with the old pikemaster track because it was cheap compared to other track. Well buy cheap get cheap so I went with the fastrack. Lesson learned. Joe


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## C100 (Nov 19, 2012)

flyernut said:


> Hello, and welcome to the forum.. I have no knowledge about Lionel Fast-track but have heard some complaints about it..I would have gone with original flyer track with rubber road-bed or GarGraves track.


I sent you a PM awhile ago.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

C100 said:


> I sent you a PM awhile ago.


I'm so sorry buddy. I still have trouble with this new format. Let me see if I can find it...if not I'll let you know.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

flyernut, PMs are now called conversations, look in conversations.
Click on those 5 bars to the left of your logo in upper right.
You will see conversations.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

flyernut, sorry, I was wrong. Just click on your logo in upper right.


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## Jmass (Aug 11, 2020)

Glad you came back Wit that mo-pac. Was going crazy trying to find personal messages. Anyway, on the original topic, track is set up and seems to work very good. Joe


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Glad it works for you Joe. I do not have a layout. I usually use regular Gilbert track when I set up
on the floor. On my planned layout I want a figure 8. Gilbert only made a 90 degree crossover. I
wanted a 45 degree. Only Fastrack makes a 45. Thats why I have some Fastrack.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Thanks MOPAC, I figured it out...


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## kvlazer22 (Jan 27, 2020)

Like Mopac said, you need to be careful with the connectors. Of course the one piece I really have trouble with is the powered section. I need to pull the connectors apart in order to get the male section to snap in.


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## Jmass (Aug 11, 2020)

Anyone run American Models trains using old pike master track? Might be loosing some space and that's the smallest radius track I know about for s scale. I would be looking at a gp 9 or something in that range. Nothing with a huge wheelbase.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

I have a lot of Pikemaster track, turnouts and crossings plus some panels. I used it a long time ago just to test it. My plan was to use it for center city trolley loops with the Corgi PCC cars.
Only "short step" GP7's will run on Pikemaster. Atlantics and Pacifics will run on it.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Forgot about the AM engines, not sure about them. Give me a couple of days and I will test some. I just need to find some pieces of curve track.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

The Pikemaster track along with all the accessories were right where I thought they were. For those who have seen my older posts that is not always true. I assembled a loop of Pikemaster track in my office. I did not attempt to power it because many of the pieces are missing track pins, which I have in a different storage area. The track also needs to be cleaned and I saw no reason to do that to get the answer to the question.
I tried three American Models engines. First the Trainmaster, a big diesel. No go, the trucks hit their turn limit stops and will not fit on the track. The GP9 and the RS3 both work but the trucks are pivoted right to their limits. They can be put on the curve tracks without derailing. As I said I did not try to actually run them. There is a major difficulty. The AM engines have body mounted couplers with fixed pilots. The center of the coupler at maximum coupler pivot is still outside the outside rail. It is impossible to couple a car with truck mounted couplers to an AM engine on Pikemaster curves. I was able to couple the two engines together but I am pretty sure they will derail when coupled together. Picture attached. The best option is the Gilbert engines with truck mounted couplers designed to work with this track.


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## Jmass (Aug 11, 2020)

AmFlyer said:


> The Pikemaster track along with all the accessories were right where I thought they were. For those who have seen my older posts that is not always true. I assembled a loop of Pikemaster track in my office. I did not attempt to power it because many of the pieces are missing track pins, which I have in a different storage area. The track also needs to be cleaned and I saw no reason to do that to get the answer to the question.
> I tried three American Models engines. First the Trainmaster, a big diesel. No go, the trucks hit their turn limit stops and will not fit on the track. The GP9 and the RS3 both work but the trucks are pivoted right to their limits. They can be put on the curve tracks without derailing. As I said I did not try to actually run them. There is a major difficulty. The AM engines have body mounted couplers with fixed pilots. The center of the coupler at maximum coupler pivot is still outside the outside rail. It is impossible to couple a car with truck mounted couplers to an AM engine on Pikemaster curves. I was able to couple the two engines together but I am pretty sure they will derail when coupled together. Picture attached. The best option is the Gilbert engines with truck mounted couplers designed to work with this track.
> 
> 
> View attachment 547503


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