I have been using nails for track pins for many years galvanized nails are even better, in addition when fastening down the track only place screws on the ties closest to the inside rail, especially on curves. If you want to slightly bank curves cut down door shims, do it on a trial basis . A little bit of shim is all that is needed!!!
I like O-27 for me with limited space is that it makes a tighter curve and lets you have more tack in tight space. I also would like to point out the switches are far cheeper. So if your on a limited budget it is the way to go. Now go have fun with it!
I also am a big fan of the O27 track. I find the smaller profile to look better and the trains look more realistic on the smaller rails. And as you noted since it was made in larger Radii All the larger locomotives run just fine. Some treat the smaller rails as though they are a completely different Gauge which they aren't. But if you scale the rail height on the clunky O track it comes to 30inches in the real world. Too big unless you're running a monorail. The O27 is around 18" which although still a big tall is much closer to scale than the other. I had the fortune to get some of the larger curves while it was still being made and Both LIonel and K line made switches with 42" curves. Just my preference and I am glad you like it too. Too many people are dismissive of the O27 track and that is a shame. Always enjoy your videos, very informative.
I use O27 profile track. It works well for me as I primarily collect and run vintage Marx and Lionel. My layout is L shaped 8 x 13 only 48" wide so I avoid large locomotives and cars.
Great info again Mike.! I started out with O27 in the mid 90s but did make the switch to Fastrack in the early 2000s. Mainly because I was running trains on the floor and did'nt want them to pick up carpet hair. I have to say O27 is a really fun track to use. We had one a heck of a cool L shape layout on two 4x8 sheets of plywood back in the 90s. I'm saving my old O27 track and switches so I can maybe bring back that old layout some day? No video then. For now Fastrack is the way to go for me. Really enjoy your videos glad you are back.! 👍
Thanks for the comments. I have a small amount of MTH Realtrax that I use for temporary floor/Christmas Tree layouts. Like FasTrack, it keeps the carpet fibers (or artificial snow blanket) out of the gears.
Thank you for this video! I'm going to be building an O-scale Polar Express layout this next week at my neighborhood's community building for our neighborhood kids to come see on weekends until Christmas. Lots of good information on cutting and mounting the track!
Just in case some folks aren't aware- back in the day, Marx made some O27 profile track with a 34" radius. 42" radius is also common. I am using all three on my layout, with Marx 27" radius turnouts. I don't run any monster size locomotives, so this all works out okay for me.
I purchased a case of postwar O gauge straight, and a case of curves (100 count each) from Stout Auctions 15 years ago. This track is new, unused, and still wire-banded. It is the harder to find gray anodized rail type, built by Lionel during the Korean war. I am finally building my postwar-era style layout, using this track of course.
O-27 is a joy to work with. I'm planning on building a small 0-27 layout under my high rail style layout. Your videos will be indispensable to that project. Thank you!
Mike, you are the perfect guy to ask this question, because of your expertise in postwar Lionel track. What is the ideal placement of lockons on a tubular track layout - given that the track is brand new postwar, never used, and given appropriate gauge wire, etc. One lockon every four feet, six feet, eight feet? We are talking a layout with approximately 70 linear feet of mainline track. Power supplied by several postwar ZWs. Some say a lockon immediately before or after every switch? Appreciate your help Mike, as I finally begin my new postwar layout.
Thanks! You have landed on one of the topics of my next video! My rule of thumb is one set of feeders every 5 track sections. I also attach the ground terminal of every remote turnout to my common bus wire to ensure good ground contact throughout the turnout. If the turnouts use track power instead of transformer power, extra feeders next to the turnouts are a good idea to combat voltage loss when the train activates the nonderail feature. Enjoy your layout!
I wish they still made 027 track. It was made in different radii as you mentioned and it did not stand up as tall as 0 track. That is one reason I miss Kline. They made a lot of different tubular track.
I’d give my left arm if someone started making 0 to 027 track mating pins again. I sold all of my Fastrak about 5 years ago and I have a lot of 027 track plus starting buying Menards O gauge track.
The workaround is to use O27 pins and jumper wires as required for power continuity. Shim the O27 track to match the height of the O. Thanks for watching!
No one is currently manufacturing traditional tubular O or O27 turnouts. If you don't want FasTrack, you can try GarGraves or Ross Custom turnouts and use shims and transitions to your existing track. Or try to find good used O72 turnouts at a show, Trainz, eBay, etc.
Interesting. Did you grind the cutting edge off those nippers, or were they full to begin with? For what it's worth, you can get nylon or plastic rod from online metals or other suppliers in whatever diameter you want very cheaply. That's a whole lot easier than trying to make your own pins with a 3D printer.
The nippers are as-is from Harbor Freight. Thanks for the tip regarding materials, but when I only need 4 or 5 pins for a project I can print them in less time and effort than ordering. But it is an option - thanks!
What?!? Lionel doesn't make tubular track any longer? What genius decided that was a good idea? Pfft. Glad I bought boxes and boxes of both O and O27 for cheap at train shows over the years. Also a fairly good hoarde of mpc era remote switches off ebay in the early 2000's Even in hobby shops the $1 a section track was a no brainer over Fastrack for $5 a section. Glad to have 50+ yrs with Lionel. I'd hate to be just starting out.
Phase 1 of the layout is roughly 5 x 12. The track plan of this section is a simple oval with twin diagonals across the center. Each of these diagonals creates a reverse loop. I can run outside only, "figure 8" or oval to loop in either direction.
