Does anyone have any first hand experience / sucess running Marx 034 switches with their PostWar Lionel trains.
I'm considering them for a new layout I am building and want to be sure they will work smoothly with my roster.
Spud
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I ran some a number of years ago. The trains ran through the switches rougher and lumpier than I would have liked.
My last layout and my next will rely heavily on Marx 034 curves/switches, along with a limited # of low profile 042 K-Lines. The Marx can be a little bumpy, but IHMO not near as bad as Lionel 1122's (and no sparking, since they aren't auto non-derailing). Being powered separate from the track you won't burn one out parking a train on it, and they don't require a massive amount of juice to operate reliably.
One "must do" item is to add a guide rail on the turnout side, or derails will be constant occurrences. I use Atlas controllers in place of the original tin or plastic controllers.
034 switch w/ guide rail added
027 switch w/ guide rail added
The 27" switches are great to use as well - no clearance issues as with Lionel 1122's or K-Line's with the big honkin' switch covers - as long as you can live without auto non-derailing.
Warning - shameless promotion: I have a manual pair for sale that I've added guard rails to - postwar Lionel goes through reliably and fairly smoothly. $18 shipped.
Thanks but I'm looking for powered switches.
Spud
Topic re-opened as requested by member "ACE"....
Thanks,
Alan
RoyBoy posted:I ran some a number of years ago. The trains ran through the switches rougher and lumpier than I would have liked.
Marx O34 switches have sprung parts in the frog which allow "fat wheel" locos to pass, and they don't have guard rails opposite the frog for the same reason. I've made them work better by super-gluing the sprung frog parts and by adding a guard rail for the diverging route. I don't run fat-wheel locos. I like the fact that these switches are a wider radius than standard O27 or O31-curve switches.
Ace posted:RoyBoy posted:I ran some a number of years ago. The trains ran through the switches rougher and lumpier than I would have liked.
Marx O34 switches have sprung parts in the frog which allow "fat wheel" locos to pass, and they don't have guard rails opposite the frog for the same reason. I've made them work better by super-gluing the sprung frog parts and by adding a guard rail for the diverging route. I don't run fat-wheel locos. I like the fact that these switches are a wider radius than standard O27 or O31-curve switches.
Hi Ace, love your posts btw,
On the O34 switches, do you just cut up a chunk of comparable O34 curve and then glue? EDIT: Just saw another posters picture earlier in the thread. Pretty close to what You've done?
Just picked up a few of these since all I have are the Lionel O27 switches and want to make them work a bit better on my stuff.
Next step if this doesn't work is ripping it all out and going to O gauge and O22 switches.
Make those Marx switches non-derailing:
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/0...iling-marx-switches/
My dad set up several pair of prewar Lionel 0-27 switches in the 50s to be non-derailing, just as the link shows you can do with Marx switches. I believe the old Model Railroding paperback that Lionel sold in the 50s spelled out the process (which is most likely where my dad learned how to make non-derailing switches for his board).
I finally got around to adding the guide rail. I sacrificed one of my worse for wear O34 curves for the mod
A few of my engines were still derailing on the turn so I added the pin into the end and now everything works great. Interesting side note, when I looked closely at these, someone had already tried the same thing with a piece of plastic. It was so good I thought it was a part of the actual switch.
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