I am missing all the insulating pins for these switches. Does anyone have ideas for making homemade substitutes? Thanks. Rick
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toothpicks, match sticks, dowel rods, 3D printing; plastic rods
Any of those things suggested by Ogaugenut will work. At one time of another we all used them. The real thing is #011-11, or 11-11. Almost everyone has them for about $0.25 each.
Air is an insulator. You don't really need pins unless there is an alignment issue.
I found a great substitute for insulating pins, especially if the track ends are a little farther apart that can be bridged with a standard insulating pin, or if the track ends are slightly askew so that you need to be able to bend flex the pin in a slight curve.
Find an old standard BIC medium point pen, the kind with the very clear, very hard, octagonal barrel.
A used one is best, because the plastic tube inside will have most of the ink gone out of it.
Cut off the end of the plastic tube to the length you want, making sure there is not ink in it.
This plastic tube is almost a perfect fit to go inside the track pin holes. All you have to do is very slightly compress the ends down just a bit (all of the way around) with the flat portion of a needle nose plyers. This gets the end compressed just enough to fit in the pin holes. Then push them hard into the pin holes. They will go in without too much trouble.
These plastic tubes are super tough and will flex a great deal without collapsing or bending! And, the car wheels ride over them like a charm because they are almost exactly the size of the tops of the rails.
Hope this helps.
Mannyrock
A thick weed Wacker filament is also a possibility. Mushroom one end to act as a buffer.
I have made them from a round tooth pick and less than 1/16th inch length piece of wire insulation, from a wire about the diameter of the tooth pick. I make them this way when over seas, in 1977, and I did not have access to getting store bought ones when I needed them.
Charlie
