Can you use a lionel o36 manual switch without a switch stand...or will the switch not hold its location and cause a derailment?
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I'm talking about fastrack...
I built a small layout for display use, and the Fastrack manual switch stand broke over time, but the switch seems to hold either straight or curved without it.
FasTrack switches hold their position mostly by means of a spring loaded lever/gear mechanism inside the switch. It's under the frog. The stand and its roadbed assembly can be removed if desired. The switch points will remain in the last position until moved either by hand or by wheels of a train passing thru the switch from the divergent end, if the switch was previously set to the opposite route.
The picture below is of a remote switch, but the manual switches are essentially the same mechanically, just without the motor and other electrical circuitry.
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Thanks guys! I'm frequently amazed by the amount of engineering that is involved in making a toy...lol...
