MTH RealTrax

I have solved this issue with adding power lockons after each switch.

the neutral is not carried over on both rails and when you invert them there is now no neutral. Take the bottom cover off switch and you will see the neutral is only carried on the right side and when you invert them the neutral rails connect to the left dead side.

I would add picture but I’m currently at 37 thousands feet flying to Dulles. I will follow up with diagrams and photos.

The sections of the rail highlighted in red below are not energized with common power. These sections are used to trigger the automatic derailer. When the common power jumps over an axle to complete the circuit, it automatically switches the track to prevent a derail.

It is possible that when an engine with the correct wheel spacing runs through two mating turnouts, it could lose power from the common rail just momentarily. This can be a bigger problem with locomotives that have traction tires only on one side of the truck. Your solution of adding a small piece of track in between the two turnouts would help, make sure that you solder a short piece of wire on the bottom side of the track to join the two outside rails together.

@H1000 posted:

The sections of the rail highlighted in red below are not energized with common power. These sections are used to trigger the automatic derailer. When the common power jumps over an axle to complete the circuit, it automatically switches the track to prevent a derail.

It is possible that when an engine with the correct wheel spacing runs through two mating turnouts, it could lose power from the common rail just momentarily. This can be a bigger problem with locomotives that have traction tires only on one side of the truck. Your solution of adding a small piece of track in between the two turnouts would help, make sure that you solder a short piece of wire on the bottom side of the track to join the two outside rails together.

Thanks better explanation than mine

Thanks much Michael. I am thinking the best solution will be to add a 3.5 inches between them and see what happens. Fingers crossed. All the best

I have this problem, sort of - I have straight to straight .....BUT my configuration won't allow for the short section. (on all other switches, I used a short section) Is there an answer to getting the two switches to "cooperate" and not use the short jumper track??? I have pretty much this scenario.

My thought is that the long straight gnd on the left switch (center track) , is touching the short straight ungnded rail on the right switch. The reason it is NOT happening on the other throws on any switch is that the two rails (gnd and none gnd) are NOT touching...view the large gap on the top in red, and second red circle - which is close but by a miracle, not close enough to make contact. I think that I will have to widen that gap/insulate it to insure no future problem. That large gap in the top red circle is not deliberate, that is the best that I can do with the track geometry that I laid down.

After viewing the original post, and looking at my picture, I am betting that when I get out there today, I will find separating/insulating the two rails in the black circle will solve the problem with the chatter when the light is physically rotated. Anyone have any thoughts?

Greg (at the moment, for tesing purposes, the switches are using track power for testing, when finalized, they will all use power from another brick.)

PROBLEM SOLVED.....NEEDED A GAP. THANKS TO EVERYONE. GREG