MTH Realtrax switch issue

Which side of the switch loses power, the entrance right next to the frog or the exit side next to the turnout?

Check out this thread that references a burnt trace in the switch. https://ogrforum.com/...332#7906207209221332

I wire my switch to run from a separate aux. power source and on the realtrax switches I also wire them so that the switch can act as a power feed to the track. With power going directly to the switch for the center rail, it will help from the trace being burnt as noted in the link above.

The attached shows where we're losing power.   Thinking we might add a power feed on the turn piece just outside the switch...unless there is some other easier/quicker solution.

If I had to guess, the trace under the switch has been burnt and may need to be bypassed. Adding power where you indicated on the track would also resolve your issue.

There is a very short piece of center rail on the switch right before the frog. Use a jumper wire to see if you can transfer power from the frog to that short piece of center rail, that is a good way to test the power transfer. I've seen the frog soldered to this small center rail to resolve the burnt trace issue also.

Thank you!  Not sure that I'm fully understanding how to solder the frog to the rail so rather than taking a chance on screwing up the switch further will probably add the power feed...certainly doesn't hurt to add a little power to layout I would imagine.

Hey guys...following up on this switch thread, we added a power feed adjacent to the switch that got screwed up and that solved the problem...thank you for all the input.  One other switch that we're having issues with doesn't throw completely sometimes when switching to go into the curve...switches fine for the straight.  I believe someone once suggested adding a power feed nearby would give more power to the switch to throw more completely.  Is this true?  If so, which side is the best to add the power?  Attached is our layout noting all of the power feeds...number 7 is the one we added to fix the previous problem...number 8 doesn't exist yet but is where I was thinking of adding one to help the adjacent switch that doesn't throw well.  Is this the best location?  Will this really help or am I wasting my time?  All switches are powered from track power...I don't really plan to change that...I check the guts of the switch and the spring things look fine.  Thanks again!

The power for the center rail has to straddle the mechanisn that throws the points and in lieu of a wire, MTH uses a small PCB to send power from the entrance of the switch to the frog side.  If the lockon is on any one of the three legs of the switch and a derailment occurs on the opposite side, and you don't have a fast acting circuit breaker, the full current from the short fries the trace on the PCB.  In some cases, if it cooks too long, it will melt the plastic under the points causing the mechanism to jam.  You can solder the entrance center rail to the solid rail between te points or add lockons to the opposite side of the switch (or replace the PCB) to correct this problem.

Regarding the points that don't close all the way. There is a spring visible through the bottom window in the base.  It has to straddle the mushroomed pin that moves the points.  It is common that the spring flips off the pin if there is a derailment on the switch or if the points are forceably moved by hand.  If the spring is straddling the pin, look at the plastic under the points for melting.  It can be dressed with an Xacto knife or Dremel tool to prevent binding.  I've repaired over a hundred of these switches.

Thank you for the response Jon...I solved the first problem with the new power feed (No. 7).  For the other one, there doesn't seem to be any issues with the spring, melted plastic, etc.  I even took it to Ready to Roll and Bill couldn't find anything wrong either...but sometimes it throws all the way and others it doesn't...not having that problem with any of the other switches...but when it doesn't throw all the way there's always a derailment.  Will adding a power feed as I indicated (No. 8) help make it throw more forcefully so this doesn't happen?  I can't find the thread right now but I think someone suggested that but I don't know if it really helps...don't really want to go to the trouble of doing that if it isn't going to help but need to find some way to fix that thing.

Thanks again!