Help: Hot Fastrack switch(s)

Chipset,

    This same thing happend to me before I got rid of my FasTrack switches and returned to the old Lionel 711's. With your FT switches you need to power your switches from their own transformer, take them off of the track power, the low voltage switches work better adjusted with their own power supply, I used my old ZW so I could adjust the required power needed to run the switches correctly, and yet not over heat them.  I even did this with my old 711's, they were just the oppsite and drew massive power to opperate correctly, when using track power.  Your FT low voltage  switches have a reverse problem, they require only a little power to operate correctly,

over heating them is definitly not a good idea.

PCRR/Dave

I have all Fastrack switches, and they are all room temperature everywhere, I've never experienced them even getting warm.

Show us exactly where they're getting hot, I suspect some wiring or poor contact issues.

runrunner,

    John if you are running track power and upped your power more you might experience the same problem, if your FT switches are powered remotely with correct power this never happens.  This happened with 2 of our FT switches when using track power, I could not turn down the track power, cause the old 711 type switches would not work at all, with so little power.   Discovered using both kinds of switches on the same track power was not really a good engineering idea.

PCRR/Dave

I run them on track power with 18 volts on the track.  I don't have any other switch types, but the Fastrack switches take so little power that it's not worth the effort to power them independently.

John,

   I am still looking into the Command Control FasTrack swithces, they look to be real nice stuff, we will see if I need to independently power them or not.  I was actually hoping they would run well on track power.

PCRR/Dave

I only use 6 remote switches currently. The switch should operate just fine when powered through the track. Over the years I  have read a few times that some people had had issues with heat. But since I do not power through my track I can not give you any first hand information.

I do power mine with a separate power supply. I did this mainly because my layout is set up to run both command and conventional. While the switch should work just fine between 8 and 18 volts sometimes running conventional I am below the 5 volts.

Another thing I like is that by powering them separately I have more power for those longer passenger trains with all the lights. A little positive is that when I am just looping the trains and not doing any switching I do not have to power up the switches. While the LED should last the life of the switch I feel not powering them when they are not needed is just a plus.

I have command Fastrack switches, they work just fine from track power.

I too have all command control FasTrack switches that run from track power. I have experienced no problems at all with them. They just work perfectly. 

Here is an update, I did some re-arranging and although some switches are still "warm" in places, none are "hot" like before.

Some are hot on the metal middle piece? Not sure what its called, others on one end or the other on the actual tracks, but like I said "warm" but no longer hot.

I will take some pics and post asap, remember this is a Legacy/TMCC and DCS set up.

The fact they're getting how different places on the switch screams out poor connections, either internally in the switch, or at the pins.  After several hours, I can't find any place on the switches that are more than very slightly warm, that's over the PCB inside, but it would be hard to quantify how much.

Here is some interesting information. I do not know how this applies to your problem but at least it is some info tho think about.

http://lionelllc.wordpress.com...or-constant-voltage/

I guess I should try "RailZip" or whatever that stuff is called that cleans the connectors and cools them down?

I thought I read about that somewhere in this forum.

Nicola,

   Your exact experience with the Command Control FasTrack Switches is exactly why I am now looking at them, very seriously.  This will be a big investment for me because I am total DCS right now, and will need the TMCC/Legacy light in addition to the Lionel CC switches.  If I were Chipset and ran both control systems already, I would definitely be looking into them big time.  I run a lot of Tin Plate trains and from my understanding the CC switches accommodate most all Tin Plate which is why I started looking at these switches in the 1st place.  Now just where to purchase is going to be the next question.  Do I purchase at Bill & Walts my local LHS or purchase on line.

Would like to hear some feed back on where I should purchase, for the best price and

replacement guarantee.  Things are changing so fast in our hobby now that keeping up with this kind of stuff is, starting to get away from me.

PCRR/Dave

Are not the CC switches a lot more money?

Like over $100 for each?

The CC switches are about another $15 or so over the standard remote switches, easily a good deal.

John,

   That maybe true but FasTrack switches are already expensive, and slightly different than the Command Control FT Swithces, for me the $15.00 per switch makes a lot of sense, for others maybe not so much.

PCRR/Dave

It's a no-brainer for me, I love the idea of having all the switches command with no extra wiring!

1) You said the tracks are powered by both Legacy and DCS thru a Z-1000.  Any possibility that the 2 different voltage sources are summing the voltage?  Do they get warm if you just use Legacy/TMCC or just use DCS?

2) Besides the switch remotes are any other wires connected to the switches?  Like an AIU to parallel control the switches?

Intrigued....

Ed

I have not tried one at a time, that would be a good test.

No AIU.

Dave,

We've been buying our Fastrack CC 072 switches from CharlesRo for roughly $89 ea. I believe.

Not cheap by any means but about $40 less than sugg. retail.

I have about 20 Fastrack switches and they are built like a rock.  No problems

graz,

   Thanks buddy that is exactly what I wanted to know, now I can see if my LHS will price match CharlieRo.   Now how about the Legacy Light or TMCC, who has the best price and replacement guarantee, right now.

PCRR/Dave

They definately hold up better than my RealTrax switches!

PCRR/Dave,

    I just researched pricing on the TMCC switched and forum sponsor Patrick's Trains has the best price. Yes, I ordered 1 from him.

Bradfish1,

   Thank you sir for the research and the input, were you talking CC Switches or TMCC/Legacy system or both?

PCRR/Dave

Does anyone know which is the correct wiring for aux power?  This doc says remove the jumper and connect the hot wire only, while the manual for the ft switches says remove the jumper and connect both the hot and common wires.

Dave,

  I was talking about CC Fastrack switches. My order is supposed to arrive today.

          BradFish1

One presumes the common is common all around for that wiring.  Obviously, if your aux power doesn't share track common, you'd have to wire it as well.

On my layout (26 Fastrack switches) my aux power common is connected to track power common and to each switch, along with the aux power hot.  Works great with no issues.

Ed

I have 11 remote fastrack switches on my layout all powered by track power and none of them have gotten warm or hot ever.  I run mostly 18V CC and sometimes conventional with post war.

If running command control where the power is always on everywhere, it just doesn't make sense to not use track power since they draw so little power for a split second when you activate them.  I can see the argument running conventionally where you may have a line or spur powered down and thus a turnout can't be thrown in that situation, but its just way easier and less to wire using the track power with fastrack.

They even throw with only minimum of power on the track as well.

Gentlemen,

   These are more of the reasons why I am looking seriously at the CC FasTrack switches, they work great no matter what engineeering way you want to use them.

Thanks Paul for your comments on how your CC switches are working.  It pushes me that much more toward investing in them.

PCRR/Dave

One thing to note.  If you do decide to power them off aux power so some reason, there is a jumper you have to remove on the fastrack turnout.

Out of the box, Lionel assumes most people will want to power the turnouts via track power especially for the newer command control turnouts...