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       #Post#: 1885--------------------------------------------------
       new vs. old track
       By: ortho1121 Date: February 2, 2018, 2:30 pm
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       My grandson (4 YO) loves trains, especially Lionel. The Fas
       Track is pretty expensive. Is there a problem buying up some of
       the much cheaper older track I see on many websites? Any
       downside to this? Remember it from when I was a kid.
       #Post#: 1886--------------------------------------------------
       Re: new vs. old track
       By: djacobsen Date: February 3, 2018, 8:04 am
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       ortho1121
       Hello & Welcome to the Forum!
       Old tubular vrs fastrack...
       I use old/used track exclusivly.  Last piece of brand new track
       I got was in 1958 with the Marx/Allstate electric train I got
       for Christmas.  Some of mine is from the 19 - teens and
       twenty's, easily 100 years old and still in use.  To be honest,
       the very worst/rusted, I convert into two rail to run my wind up
       trains on.
       I personally don't care for the noise fastrack makes, you don't
       get the clickety clack as the train goes roundy round from it as
       you do with tubular track.
       Used/old tubular track can be acquired very inexpensivly, often
       you can get enough for free from  train friends & acquaintences.
       I've purchased  what to me, is new track,  very inexpensivly
       from folk either removing their layout or upgrading.  My
       switches and crossovers are all vintage with the patina of rust.
       Some of the older pre war and post war locomotives do not work
       well on fastrack switches.
       I take heavy aluminum foil, not the stuff on rolls, but the
       stuff they make foil pans out of and use it to clean and polish
       the rail tops. works well.  Make sure you have a needle nose
       pliers to make sure all the track pins are tight and connections
       secure. clean with a bit of fine sand paper, a rat tail file or
       small roll of sand paper to clean out the inside of the rail end
       so you get a good connection.  make sure all joints crimped
       tight.
       Hope this helps.
       Happy Rails!
       dave
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