Help on sparking

Welcome to the forum!

 If you have remote turnouts then sparking is normal as trains pass over them. The trains are completing a non-derailing circuit built into the turnouts, and slight sparking of the wheels is common. The circuit will automatically throw the switches to the proper direction if they are not set properly as the train approaches the switch.

Larry

Although the old O27 switches will spark a lot, it seems like the newer O27 should probably be like the 022 and other O switches that disconnect the antiderail circuit as soon as the first wheelset triggers the switch to the proper position.  Are the new O27 switches that "smart"?  Do they have external/aux power input connections? 

Hi thinkjp,

I believe I have seen a video of your layout. Do you use copper fittings to join the acrylic support tubes? Very nice, if it is yours.

"They each have power just before and after the turnouts"

This seems to imply that you have the switches powered by an auxiliary\separate power source or the accessory terminal from the Z4000.

Dale, could the two power sources be momentarily bridging when the rollers\wheels are straddling the switch and the adjoining tracks?

I had sparking with FasTrack switches with the controllers wired together to a single switching point in an SC-2 so that the switches would throw together. This was an interlocking between isolated loops. When I gave each switch a separate control point, the sparking went away. Apparently they were bridging the two transformers. I was using track power for the switches. It also happened when I tried separate power.

The MTH switches seem to require more amperage, but the concept seems the same. The motor control circuits may bridge the power sources when connected together to a hand controller or AIU ports.

So, not sure, but that was my experience.

I like the answer "bridging two transformers" if that's the setup.

Another thought is that the inside edges of the inside drive wheels of the engines can touch the center rail as the engine goes thru the switch. I had that on one engine badly and had to bevel the inside edge of the wheels to get more clearance. Some engines come from the factory with the inside edges beveled.

K-Line, yes... Lionel, no.

If "Think" really does have O-27 42R(sic) (21" radius O-42 in a O-27 profile) switches and they are Lionel, they are known to be prolific "sparkers" from both the non-derailing circuit and wheel contact with the large/wide center rail between the swivel rail points.

The K-Line 21" radius O-42/O-27 profile switches(K-275 & K-276) have external/aux power input connections and don't spark like the Lionel versions.

Here's an interesting thread on 027 switches with a lot of experience. This appears to be a simple try as a fix as the center short rail sparking or shorting seems to be a common problem with modern trains. Try some nail polish on the center short rail.

Replie by Kunde:

"AMS

Your question asked about manual switches.  I have 2 older manual 027 switches that I use for sidings.  I have no problems with them.  They have a very low profile lever action, so oversize rolling stock goes right over the top.  I also use 6 of the 042 remote ones on the rest of my layout.  The problem I have with them is the wide center rail comes so close to the wheels that short circuits can occur.  I solved this with nail polish on the side of the bulging center rail to insulate from wheels that might touch it."