Best O42 switch

Ray,

We have a lot of helpful folks on this forum.  Before long you'll be getting answers to your questions, but also "extra help" in the form of suggestions about how to troubleshoot and repair what you have instead of buying replacements.

They'll need some help themselves in order to help you.

Questions:

1. What are the Lionel (or K-Line) product numbers for your present switches?
2. Are you able to post pictures of them so that we can see exactly what you're working with?
3. Are you actually using 'O' Gauge Tubular track, or is it really O27?

As a start Ross makes tubular equivalents in it's RossPlate line if it's truly 'O' Gauge, but no O42.   K-Line made O27 replacements as you've probably noticed.  You can buy either Ross or Gargraves versions, and I believe that both have O42's, but they're not as tall as 'O' Gauge rails and need to be shimmed to a matching height as a result.

Lastly if a train passing over your switches has started to cause a short-circuit it may be because their insulated rail sections are no longer isolated from the rails coming into the switch.  Plastic pins need to be in the correct locations, and doing their job.  Rail section ends that are touching each other when they shouldn't be might be the source of your problem.

Mike

1. https://www.lionel.com/product...-right-hand-6-12080/

2.  I don’t have a photo but can get one.  However these are O gauge (not O27) 42 inch switches with the low profile switch motor housing.  The link above has a photo.

3. I am using o gauge tubular track.

Instead of changing them, I may try to use plasti-kote or similar to reinsulate the points.  Looking at the switch, the point for the diverging path is very close to the fat center rail.  That may be the issue.  If someone has tried this before let me know.

Ray,

I link to think that I'm reasonably up to date on Lionel offerings, but I've never seen this switch before.

Thanks for posting the product number.

Now that I look at the situation it's probably not placement or functionality of plastic pins.  If you pulled the switches out of the box and connected them up on the layout, and they worked for a good while before this problem arose, then it's probably wear and tear.  Insulation on the points might indeed be the issue.

We learn something new every day.

Mike

I (and others on this forum) have had the same problem with some of those switches. Not all locos, and not all switches.  They are K-Line units, sold as OLR (O Line Reproductions).  I had to replace my trusty 022s with these b/c of the smaller motor units to accommodate my limited layout space.  They function fine, except that some locos short at they travel thru the unit.

Simple solution: put black insulation tape on the sections of the rails that short.  See photo: I put some weathering chalk on the rails on one of the offending switches.  It's an 072 diameter, but I have the same problem on some of the 031's as well.  Run your locos slowly through the switch and take a close look where they short.  That's where you put the tape. Use as little as possible, otherwise some other locos lose power at those insulated points.

If you do a search on this forum, you will see others have this problem and I believe used this solution.  This solved the problem for my units.

Hope this helps.

Michael

Thanks for the information Michael.  I ordered a small bottle of plasti-kote paint in black - I am going to try to see if it is not too thick so that I can spread a thin layer on what I would guess are the problematic parts of the point(s) and go from there.  I would try your approach, but I don't have weathering chalks.  Curiously, the paint has to come from the UK - Google couldn't find me a US supplier - so it will be a few weeks but I will report back with what I find.  

The other things I was wondering is, looking at my hobby supply area, whether I could also try Tamiya acrylic.  I am not sure if that paint has electrically insulating properties.  I read mixed things when searching online, and I don't want to apply multiple layers of different paints or it will make a mess of the switch track.

Take care.  

I used nail polish on the trouble spots of my 072 switches, works great!

@Ray Lombardo posted:

We use traditional Lionel O gauge tubular track on our layout.  It has two O42 switches that are Lionel branded but may be old K line tooling - they have the low profile switch housing.  We have recently developed a problem where a number of Williams and now Lionel locomotives will throw the breaker when going through the switch in the straight direction.  I would like to replace these switches but was wondering if people could share experiences with other O42 switches that are compatible with O gauge tubular - Ross, Gargraves, etc.  I have zero experience with anything other than tubular and fast track for the tree layout.  Thank you

I am currently installing Ross 042 switches to be used with standard O tubular track and am configuring a non derail feature on the connecting tracks.  I will let  you know how it goes. First time for this for me.

John