Another Question on Converting O27 Switches to Fixed Voltage

raising4daughters posted:

I like the 1121 switches because of the visible green and red directional lights, but they aren't non-derailing.  Can an 1121 be made into a non-derailing switch with relative ease or is that a nightmare not worth pursuing? 

 

raising4daughters posted:

I guess I don't fully understand the benefit.

Mostly, with fixed voltage to the switch motors, you can run trains really slow(or any speed for that matter) and get a nice crisp snap action of the switch at all times.

Thanks Rob!  I was thinking I could do this with an insulated track, but my confidence is my electrical skills is minimal.  Looks like that's what they're doing here.  Much appreciated!

raising4daughters posted:

 

Is the benefit that you can wire the switch to a separate transformer so it doesn't draw power from the transformer powering the train? Or, are there other benefits? 

 

As rob said, you can run slow with a good snap of the switches, but you may want to look into some of the methods out there, if you are taking them apart anyway, to keep the coils from being active whenever a car or locomotive is on the switch.  This seems like a much more useful 'fix' on the o27 switches, and is almost needed if you convert to constant power, as otherwise the switch coils will quickly over heat if you park a train over them.  

I found a few threads here from 2013 talking about this, but only found actual examples on other websites.  you may find what you need typing "o27 switch capacitor" into google.  

If you're running 6+ car trains you probably have enough voltage on the tracks to throw those 1121 switches over without having to worry about fixed voltage. If you use insulated rails to make them non-derailing make sure you don't park a train on the insulated rail because you could burn out the switch solenoid.

When I owned Lionel's O27 switches, both 27" and 42", I rewired them for constant voltage.  I found 2 advantages:

1. As already mentioned, the switches switch reliably regardless of track power.

2. Another advantage which I use often is that you can switch the switches without any track power applied.  This is handy when setting up situations ahead of time or when you realized that needed to switch a switch but didn't have time, so you stop the train and can still switch the switch.

BTW: i also added electronics to my 42" ones to stop the buzzing.  I don't know if what I was taught would stop the coils from burning out if a train was parked on it for an extended time, I'm not that gifted electronically.  Bob Nelson provided the information to me on how to do it.  It was expensive for me - he had the parts on hand and he's smart enough to know how to interconnect pieces.  I'm  not.  Possibly other components (aka, cheaper) could have been used, don't know.  I could have gotten the supplies on-line but had to buy a rather large quantity to get a good price.  Since I was only doing 6 of the 42" ones, I wasn't going to buy 100 of each component!  Especially since I didn't know for sure the results.  I did the Radio Shack retail store route - not cheap.  But it worked - no buzzing!!!!!

I wrote an article a few years back that I submitted to OGR on how to do this.  They never published it (claimed it got lost in the transition of ownership) but I have emailed it to over 100 people.  Email me if you would like the article and accompanying pictures. 

Again I will repeat: I taught myself how to wire them for external power by reading.  But it was Bob Nelson who drew up the schematic for the buzzing solution.  I don't want to take any credit for something that was his idea.

- walt

I think if you look up  Bob Nelson and cap discharge you will find Bob's information