Manual FasTrack switch stand replacement(new, low profile switch knob available).

If you are interested in buying one of these switch signals you can order them here.

www.shapeways.com/fragments/product?spin=BXKP77B6Y

These are stainless steel and indestructible. I added a little craft paint and I am ready for my toddlers to use it.

One of the few times it's okay to say your product is tested on children.

Can the littles pull them out?

A Modest Proposal:

Patent the switch control lever and license it to Lionel as the solution to an initial design fault with the Fastrack manual switches.

Mike

I didn't ask them to pull it out but my 1 year-old tried and couldn't. It is a press fit into the gear in the switch. I'm sure if I asked my almost four year-old to pull it out that he could, but it would take some effort.

Well, I stand corrected. My almost 4 year-old can't take it off.

Mike H Mottler posted:

A Modest Proposal:

Patent the switch control lever and license it to Lionel as the solution to an initial design fault with the Fastrack manual switches.

Mike

 

I don't know if they would be interested. I mean they sell replacement parts, but they're just as flimsy as the original switch stand. I saw an old thread where someone bought 10 replacement switch stands. That's a little ridiculous.

You should be given a medal for solving this...  I've the exact same problem!

I have an idea for a version that would be bolted down, but that's still a ways out.

Tom M posted:

Now I'm sure these stands are okay on a layout, but for us carpet central modelers and those with grabby kids and grandkids. There needs to be a better solution.

Yes, and until something even better comes along, this replacement is surely it.  Good work, Tom.

The press fit sounds good - better than the small indicator that breaks off. The grandkids, 4 & 5, have three on their layout. Two are broken, but the handle is still there and one is surviving. I think they learn not to man handle it, but stuff still gets dropped on it.

You little one went right to turning it - already knows what to do - he seemed surprised when you asked him to pull it off.

Nice job on the part - I think I'll try a few - Thank You!

Ok one issue... looks really painful to step on.  Maybe a round-head version ... wait, you mean you aren't supposed to walk on the track?   Har... good one.

Severn posted:

Ok one issue... looks really painful to step on.  Maybe a round-head version ... wait, you mean you aren't supposed to walk on the track?   Har... good one.

I was actually thinking about a knob. Would anyone buy a simple knob switch?

I just ordered for of these "flag" style switch flippers ... and would take four "round heads" if you made them.   Just pick the ones I like best I guess.  (I assume about the same cost).

BTW that reminds me somehow -- I have this 3D model of european engine someone sent me.  It's in autocad format I think.   Can I just upload that to shapeways and get a cost estimate in stainless?

I best it would be several hundred...  still... kind cool if they could print it.

Severn posted:

I just ordered for of these "flag" style switch flippers ... and would take four "round heads" if you made them.   Just pick the ones I like best I guess.  (I assume about the same cost).

BTW that reminds me somehow -- I have this 3D model of european engine someone sent me.  It's in autocad format I think.   Can I just upload that to shapeways and get a cost estimate in stainless?

I best it would be several hundred...  still... kind cool if they could print it.

 

I'm going to start working on a knob switch ASAP. Shapeways has certain file type requirements for uploading. They also have many mediums available to render models including many types of plastics and steels. They also have silver, brass, bronze, gold, aluminum, and believe it or not, sandstone.

For my model of a White Pass shovelnose diesel I paid about $125 to print in a durable plastic.

To print it in high detail plastic Shapeways asked for about $400. I said thanks but no thanks. This model in stainless steel? About $800!

That's clever.  I just took all my broken stands off and switch them by hand by flipping the points.  also makes them safe to walk on.  Already have too many LEGOs around here to torment my feet.

I followed your thread on the custom engine with interest.  However I see $800 will not pass the "home front" test but I still have this irrational thing about metal shells.  I don't own any but I rather like idea of it...

What I should do is make an account there, upload the files for that engine I do have and ... see what they say for costs.   That's ought to be easy!

As for lego -- oh the worst on bare feet!  Also wooden train stuff is not so good either.   Interestingly fastrack seems a pleasure since my kids walk all over the tracks all the time... even though I've said not to do that 100s of times! 

This is sort of related... you folks seem to have kids & legos got me to thinking.  We were in legoland recently and I was really taken with a large scale "city scape" scene they'd made out legos.

Perfect for the carpet layout which comes and goes I thought!

Then I poked around the web and it seems there's an interest in this kind of thing -- folks recreating large building with legos, and stuff -- kind cool.

But alas, the prices to do it are way out there... so another idea hits the dust bin.

They do have a castable wax medium available if you could find someone who knows how to cast metal.

Oh that's very interesting.  My grandfather was a machinist and I have all his machinist school books.  I've read up on last wax and sand casting and that before.  It's one of those things... be neat to try at least on paper.  I found a website which ... you know it was just a google result where some guy was casting in his back yard. I can imagine doing it at least...

However immediate path of least resistance first... or perhaps only.

I tried to upload my model I have to shapeways but it's in .dwg autocad format.   I tried tinkercad to convert it which some suggested but it won't read the original .dwg format.

I'm sure there are some converters out there.

Instead I emailed the original author to ask if he's export it to one of the supported format using is autocad... but I'm not sure he has a long term license.

The other option is to get the 30 day trial for it ... then export it (assuming they turn this feature on... tbd)

Kind of annoying really...  but autocad is the king, so they can get away with it.

(I'm suspicious also the model is highly detailed and will need to modified to make it print worthy -- tbd)

My engine originally had lift rings attached to the model. But that fine of detail won't come out in the cheaper plastics. The frosted ultra detail costs 3 to 4 times more but the level of detail is stunning.

This is an example someone shared on the forum of Shapeways Frosted Ultra Detail.

Tom M, I have to say I admire your creativity, watching your other White Pass threads and now this one.

While there's an aspect of the hobby moving towards more realism, that accuracy and durability don't often go together. The easily broken switch lever on the FasTrack turnouts is a good example of that, and in my thinking, durability with maybe less realism would have been better. As you indicated to with your mention seeking interest for a simple knob to control these manual switches.

FasTrack is hardly cheap as compared to tubular, and since FasTrack is now the Lionel standard for starter sets, one would hope the manual switches would be a little more durable, as there is a chance that young hands will be operating them.

The MPC era 027 switches with their large housing box is not the most realistic design, but on the manual switches, it is certainly a durable operation. And I haven't had the problems that others have spoken of with the 027 switch tracks.

On mine,  I drill a small hole in the level on those manual 027 MPC era switches, and then run nylon fish line to the front of the layout. So I avoid the headaches by design of the electric Lionel 027 switches, and yet get benefits of an electric switch.

In a hobby where the participants expect more and more from the "manufacturers" in this small niche (AND diverse) market, it's nice to read your threads where you are making things yourself. I personally don't have much hope for seeing any new 027-ish diesel engines, so I've taken to kitbashing and making them myself. Just as with my many repainting projects. Just because I'm an 027 guy doesn't mean I don't like current modern road names. And fortunately, many of the larger hearld HO decal sets work out just fine with the smaller 027 types of rolling stock and engines.

Nice idea and thanks for sharing it.

that's very nice.  but i can still see the print details.  another reason i was thinking the metal... cause I though it would be buffed smooth without losing too much details.  BUT not for $800 and up...

Still not a really deep criticism, just an observation.... next year it will be even higher resolution and so on...

Here is a low profile FasTrack switch stand replacement. For sale now.

Severn posted:

Ok one issue... looks really painful to step on.  Maybe a round-head version ... wait, you mean you aren't supposed to walk on the track?   Har... good one.

Here you go.

Super speedy... I will order tomorrow.   I also found a free model someone printed of an engine. it's in STL format ... each part of it loads in Tinkercad... but there's an STP file which I think links it all together but Tinker wont take it.  I guess I need to try FreeCad... 

Anyway the big issue I have with it is its in the wrong scale so every piece would need to be resized... which sounds a bit daunting.

It's an EMD SW1500.  I got it off of GrabCad (which I know nothing about)...

Here's another place I found it:

https://www.youmagine.com/desi...1500-1-32-locomotive

i ordered 4 of the round knobs.

I've found shapeways will take my ~25 or so individual STL files for the EMD using the drag and drop interface ... and there's a convenient scale button... so I can go from the 1:32 its in original form to 1:48 ... hopefully with the push of a button.

Sadly it's looking a little on the pricey side to print ... but I have to play around with it.

I think though it's a well done model...

Sounds like quite the jigsaw puzzle.

Severn posted:

I've found shapeways will take my ~25 or so individual STL files for the EMD using the drag and drop interface ... and there's a convenient scale button... so I can go from the 1:32 its in original form to 1:48 ... hopefully with the push of a button.

Sadly it's looking a little on the pricey side to print ... but I have to play around with it.

I think though it's a well done model...

Sounds like quite the jigsaw puzzle. They are really good to work with. I look forward to hearing how it works out for you.

Severn posted:

i ordered 4 of the round knobs.

I haven't even ordered one of these myself yet. I'm excited for it so I won't worry so much about my kids causing a problem with it.

I'm pretty interested in printing this engine now. I've uploaded all the individual parts.  I see that I have to run through a re-scale process and fix thin spots per part.  I haven't done that yet.   I also need to figure exactly which parts I need because I believe it is the entire engine plus trucks and wheels...   I may not print all of it to save a little.   First I'll probably print one piece in their default material just to see what it looks like.  Finally of course I'll need to get enough extra change together print the whole thing... so this may take awhile before I really do print it... weeks or months even...

I also found unfinished in the sense they are not ready to print models for several other popular diesel shells at that grabcad place (for example the SD70ace).... so subscription model to autocad and then ...

Tom you're getting very good with the 3d files.  Thanks for all you're giving back to this hobby.

now here's another idea drill a small hole in it and add a tortuous switch machine to it for us who have manual switches on a layout and can't reach then anymore cause the layout grew to big to reach them

There's probably a mount to be constructed that would hold a small stepper motor & say battery & tiny PCB.   The mount would be fixed and the stepper motor would go into the manual switch hole in some fashion but be affixed to the mount to hold it firmly in place.  The pcb would contain a blue tooth and when actuated by some kind remote signal turn the stepper one way or the other depending on the signal from the remote.

Or ... you could just sell the manual switch and upgrade to a remote toggle or command control version.

I was able to import all of the EMD-SW1500 engine's models into shapeways -- and work my way through each one -- re-scaling them to O scale (originals are in 1:32).   I also ran their "thickness" analyzes tool for each and made some adjustments there.

This all took time, possibly 8 hrs in total people time -- mainly because it's all done on their servers so the dependency is based on how fast these various functions will run -- the thickness analysis is particularly slow.

With that -- prices per part.    So as best as I can tell - printing all the parts which includes the trucks for example and wheels (so 8 of those) and things like the railing "pins" to hold the railing wire...

... total would be $350 in their default lowest end plastic...

I could of course throw out the trucks and wheels and this would lower the cost somewhat.  I could throw the base plate too...   But I'm tempted to start at least with the whole thing.

So that price, to me isn't too bad from an experimental pt of view...

I would however like to make at least one change before trying even a sample part -- that is turning the now solid fuel tank into a hollow one...

(this is a handy place to put a speaker or some weights for example & so I'd rather it be hollow)

My guess though is the print will come out in some ways imperfect and so I in theory I'd cycle through some iterations to get out a good print... 

Given that, I can see this is really rather pricey ... and yet it's very likely to only get better... it's a fascinating thing really if that occurs.

Question.  Does the switch have to be taken apart to install one of these stands? I have a switch in a tight spot on my subway that I could maybe use one.  

Chris Lonero posted:

Question.  Does the switch have to be taken apart to install one of these stands? I have a switch in a tight spot on my subway that I could maybe use one.  

To install it without taking it apart you have to pull the main post up and out of the gear inside.  Then break or cut the supports for the stand. Then you simply push the new switch stand into the switch stand post hole  lining it up with the gear. Then press the new switch in firmly. I have placed it with the switch cover in place no problem.