MTH Realtrax issue

jjmmagoo:

 

The inside of both the straight and curve portion of the switch's tracks are electrical switches for the anti-derail function of the switch. When the train rolls over the the junctions of those track sections and the adjacent track sections, the circuit is closed to position the switch for the engine's travel direction. So those two section of track must not touch the adjacent track rails, There must be a gap. On every one of my seven then new RealTrax switches, the gap was not there or insufficient. Check them out.

 

If you have this problem the switch motor will be on all the time. Anything else connected to the the power source will be dim or lacking sufficient energy as the switch motors act as near dead shorts when activated. They are only suppose to be momentarily activated and will over heat if on all the time.

 

LDBennett

Have 25 MTH switches. Over the course of 12 years only one acted up and had to be replaced.   Joe

I have a pile of Realtrax with several switches that get redesigned into a new Christmas layout every year. Yes, I have had a couple issues with the switches over the years but they are all working at this time.

Seems like some folks just have more trouble than others with any given item.

One switch pulled a magnet out of the connection where you swap the motor to the other side. Super glued it back in, works fine.

A couple switches would not pull the points tight one way, opened them and found the little spring was popped off the post. Put it back and glued a bit of flat paperboard on the end of the post to prevent a re-occurance, no more issues.

Switches not throwing one way has always been a short to the inside rail of the next piece of track. These joints must be FLAT. any angle here will cause the rail tops to touch and throw the switch. This can be avoided by sticking a bit of electrical tape or other insulator on the end of the rail at the switch. I came up with this solution when my Big Boy would press the switch into the carpet and short / throw the switch under the engine. That is a derail every time.

 

I do not have any Fasttrack switches but the Maine 3 Railers club has no issues and we make a new layout every month with them. Too bad we have so many now that the command control ones are available.

My switches are not older ones but new last years. MTH may have lost some quality over the years. I had to take everyone apart to adjust the mechanism and shorten the anti-derail switch rail sections on every switch. It seems products don't always stay the same over time.

 

The biggest mistake I made on my layout built over the last year or so was choosing RealTrax track and switches. I was warned but I stupidly did not listen. Both the track and the switches have been problematical from the beginning. One of my MTH engines when going through one switch in one direction shorts out the points and creates arcs and sparks. If the train is going slow enough it trips the circuit breaker. Both the track of the switch and the contact roller on the engines show signs of welding going on. You would think that MTH would make sure all their products were compatible with each other (???).

 

LDBennett

 

C'mon, Dad. You can't get too angry about his willingness to reach. Show him the right way to run the trains. Then, remind him he should ask first.

 

I have had my grandson on the layout since 1 1/2 and he's now three +. His adventures have taught me how to leave the layout dead except for his train. When he screws something up, I show him what he did wrong and tell him, now we can't run trains. He gets more upset about that and has grown more careful. Thankfully, parts get here quickly to get the layout up before the next visit.

 

He likes to play with the cars and creates shorts. I have had to be very aggressive with circuit protection for the layout. One time his arm was across the rails and he got a little tickle. He doesn't lean on the rails anymore!

 

I suppose my patience has grown over the years, so I understand your frustration. I am only suggesting to see it through his eyes and not dampen his confidence to try things. Better to cultivate that and teach him that there are consequences. No trains to play with now.

 

Please excuse my stumping. Just a grandpop enjoying children again. You'll laugh about this and tell it as a family story.

I agree 1000 percent with Grandpa Moonman above.  I am a very proud Papoo (Greek Grandpa) and I can't think of anything my almost 5 year old Grandson would do to make me react as the original poster.  To be noted, he has done some show stopping things, but to punish and put to bed.  Ridiculous!!  I am not saying I enjoy when things don't work, but I do enjoy the challenge of fixing things knowing life goes on.

 

Over a year ago I was not able to walk or think, talk, etc. had NPH that was corrected with a 'overflow' valve placed in my brain, anyway, folks would go down to the basement and run the trains.  One thing after another happened and soon nothing worked, I mean nothing.  That nothing worked helped made me internally fight to get better and resolve everything.  Now, over a year after my surgery, I am fine, trains all work and the love from my family is unreal.  I have it all.  

Hold on George and Moonman.  It's not like I beat the kid!  I think the yelling stemmed from knowing that he is not to use the layout unless someone is there.  He knows this.  He has no idea how to run the DCS.  Yes I yelled.  Cause when I returned from work I found pretty much every engine derailed sitting there the circuit breaker tripped, my model of electrical plant demolished and some cars sitting on its side cause he tried to reenact a derailment he saw on tv.  I think it was pure frustration I yelled cause what was once running flawlessly is now not.  Forgive me for my frustration.

chipset said:

 

"RealTrax also does not always match up evenly with each other, and causes alignment issues on the rails causing derailments."

 

INDEED!!! My trusty file was necessary to remove the track rail misalignments on my screwed down RealTrax layout. RealTrax has no alignment pins in the rails (like conventional Lionel tubular track or their FastTrack). In the worst case the rails misalign causing the train wheel flanges to bump at every misaligned juncture. RealTrax track is a very poor design along with the RealTrax switches!

 

My next layout (if there ever is one) will not use sectional track. I'll need to do some real research to find the best track. I have used a little Atlas Flex track and it is pretty good but more research would be required before I would invest so much money into a new track system in the future. I really screwed up with my choice of MTH Realtrax!!!

 

LDBennett

Don't lump me in with George. All I was suggesting is to take a different approach. I probably would have reacted the same way with my son. So, now I am more seasoned and have the patience to roll with those events.

 

They are only toys, but he's your son. This will not be the first time he will surprise you. Don't pass the opportunity for a lesson with a quick brush of discipline.

 

You'll get the layout fixed. I really didn't mean to criticize you or offend you. Just offered some words of experience.

 

Ok, back to the switches.

Due to some physical limitation I chose sectional track (obviously the wrong one!) to minimize crawling  under the layout and the ballasting work. But that choice was a mistake, I guess. Next time (if there is one) I'll just have to grin and bear it and do it right.

 

One of the most disappointing things to me was that one of MTH trains would not run on the layout made of MTH RealTrax. That should never be. So the train is relegated to a simple loop for the Xmas tree rather than running on the layout as I had always envisioned and planned for. 

 

Don't get me wrong, my layout works fine 99% of the time now but the effort I had to put into it to get it that way was way more than it should have been.

 

But in the process I learned a lot about track layouts, track systems, pre-ordering from MTH, MTH, and Lionel. Inexperience makes for many disappointment, it seems. MTH is on top of the list for disappointments.

 

But it is another day and I have what I have and it works for now.

 

LDBennett

 

Ok, after playing around with the switches and trying to unscrew or screw the them the same issue is there.  the one switch the track seems locked in the "switched" portion and the other switch every time i throw the switch it makes the anti derail and sounds like its trying to work but doesn't.  I am at a loss.  I don't think the switches need replacement.  There is power going to the switch but nothing seems to be clearing them out.  Does anyone know what to look for within the switch to rectify this?  Or is it hopeless???

From the post above I am not sure what you unscrewed and screwed.  I don't think the switch machine/motor is the problem, but presume you verified that by exchanging one switch machine for one on a switch that is working.  These just "plug" and "unplug" from the switch. 

 

It has been a long long time since I have been inside one of these switches.  So can't recall if anti derailing "circuit" is wire(s) or a small circuit board of traces. But my guess is the derailment caused a short that drove power up and fused/welded wire(s) and/or traces.  So you will probably have to replace the switch.  But I would first take it apart when removed from layout and see what there is to see.

 

Ron

 

The points might have semi-welded themselves to the rails.

So they can stick.

 

Use some emery cloth to buff that out.

I am following with interest as I am involved in reconstructing a layout with RealTrax and all 054 switches. We haven't reached the point of powering it up yet.

 

There may be something under the connection points that may have fried. I think it will have to come out so you can see what you can see.

 

I won't be able to look at one until Saturday. I haven't seen any photos on the forum of the underside of a RealTrax switch.

 

It may be worth a call to MTH service. They may be able to suggest possible solutions from experience.

There are delicate little MicroSwitches inside the switch. The points mechanical change the flow of power to the switch motor. There is one MicroSwitch for each direction of the switch. It is a maze of wires inside these terrible switches. 

 

If the power to the switch motor was on and the train was parked on the anti-derailment short section of track then  the switch motor will position the switch for that direction. If you then try and change the switch then the switch will get confused and buzz away. They are designed to be momentary and that could easily burn them up. The high current (my 10 amp meter on that circuit pins whenever a switch is thrown) could also burn up or weld one of the tiny MicroSwitches contacts.

 

With the power off you should be able to determine if the points are welded to the track by manually switching the switch.

 

Also make sure that there is a gap between those anti-derailment short section of switch track and the adjacent sections of track. If not then that will hold the switch motor in one position, not allowing you to change the switch. If that is the case then buzzing will be heard while the switch motor fights to change but can't.

 

I have seven of these MTH RealTrax terrible switches, all bought new. I had to disassemble every one to adjust it to work the points correctly. I also had to shorten the anti-derailment short sections of track as all were too long forcing the function to be working all the time.

 

I truly feel for anyone who has RealTrax track and/or switches. All are very problematical in my experience. I overcame my RealTrax problems but it was more frustrating then it ever should have been.

 

LDBennett

Well, after the replacement of two switches, all is well with the layout.  I even was able to repair the part of track that had a gap in between sections.  So all in all it was a good day. The layout is back to the way it was, my son is happy that he knows not to do what ever the heck he did.  I kept the old switches and plan on doing a sort of autopsy to see if and where the issues maybe hiding.  Thanks everyone for your support and if i seemed frustrated in my responses i was.