Lionel FasTrack switch question/problem

That looks like Gargraves track on either side of the switch and the engine has stopped when its pickup rollers are on the switch. I don’t know how you’d mate Gargraves track pins to a Fastrak switch that uses much larger spade pins but maybe a wired connection was made underneath the track rather than by pinning the rails together. This might have become detached on the side the engine is entering the switch.

Anyway this looks like a loss of power across the connection between one kind of track and another kind of switch.

Actually, it's Ross track next to the Fastrack switch, I can see the stakes.  However, same question arises, how was it mated.  Gargraves does make a Tubular/Gargraves mating pin, that will usually serve for Fastrack if you trim the ends of the track and remove the Fastrack pins.

Thanks, guys.  Could a jumper wire temporarily be soldered there to make it a go? 

Well, a jumper between the outside rails and the center rail would certainly get power to the switch if that's what you're asking.  As to fixing it, that would depend on it being as simple as it seems.

Looks like there are 5" Tastrak to tubular transition pieces on all legs of the switch which would allow Ross tubular pins to be used to join the two track types.  Disconnecting and reconnecting the Ross track, along with sliding the pins in and out of the track, may correct any oxidation that is blocking power.  Carefully tighten the rails around the pins using needle-nose pliers.  Work the leg that is providing power first.  If that fails, then the Fastrack pieces have tabs on the underside that take .110 female spade connectors for power input.  (I've added power to Fastrack, without the spade connectors, by wrapping bare wire around the tabs and taping it in place).

I have soldered power wires to the Fastrack tabs, but have not (yet) soldered to the rails on the topside.  With good technique, that may work without disturbing the track.  Worth a try.

It also appears that the switch lantern is missing and the LED is not lit, which would indicate that there is no power.  If we assume that her husband had this all working, there might be a switch not thrown or a broken wire somewhere.

@Tracker John posted:

Looks like there are 5" Tastrak to tubular transition pieces on all legs of the switch which would allow Ross tubular pins to be used to join the two track types.  Disconnecting and reconnecting the Ross track, along with sliding the pins in and out of the track, may correct any oxidation that is blocking power.  Carefully tighten the rails around the pins using needle-nose pliers.  Work the leg that is providing power first.  If that fails, then the Fastrack pieces have tabs on the underside that take .110 female spade connectors for power input.  (I've added power to Fastrack, without the spade connectors, by wrapping bare wire around the tabs and taping it in place).

I have soldered power wires to the Fastrack tabs, but have not (yet) soldered to the rails on the topside.  With good technique, that may work without disturbing the track.  Worth a try.

I can see the adapter sections now that you point them out. I’d guess that the failed connection is in the section on which the engine has stopped, and probably in the pins between that and the tubular track. If power was coming from the other end of the switch, it wouldn’t feed through if the switch was thrown to straight through? (Sorry, dumb question, but I can’t remember why not apart from anti-derailing wiring, and I’ve never understood how Fastrack switches are wired.) FWIW I thought that the bare LED was lit indicating that there was power at the opposite end but that may be just a trick of the camera lighting.

The switch's middle rail is contiguous through all three legs.  The short extension pieces that come with the switch have jumpers that can be removed to break the middle rail.  Danr posted a circuit diagram on this thread.

Have you checked the middle rail with an ohmmeter?  From the photo, I would think power would  come through the switch from either straight leg unless the track under the loco is a separately powered siding.  In that case, power likely comes from the left leg.

Note that a lot of Fastrack switch issues can be traced to the lousy internal rail crimps.  If I were going to lay Fastrack for a permanent layout, I'd do what I've done to a lot of them.  Open the back up and solder all the crimps that have to carry current or internal switch controls.  That will go a long ways to making them a lot more reliable.

Speaking of middle connectors, she says this:

"The FasTrack has one track on one end and 2 tracks on the other end , he has connectors on the one end but on the two ends only outside has connectors , no connectors on inside . My book does not say anything about connectors that I can see. "

Somewhere, there is no middle rail connector to the Ross track, I think.

Would it hurt anything to put a middle rail connector piece where missing??  That is her question.

Well, if you ain't got a middle rail connector, you don't have power to the locomotive in that location!