THANKS JERRY!
I'M DEDUCING THAT THE 153C WAS EASIER TO MORPH INTO COMBO S / O TRACK THAN THE 696.
MY INTUITION (OFTEN FAULTY) HAS ME LEAPING TO THE HOPE THAT FOR ANY SPEEDS, LENGTHS & QTYs OF CARS, THAT MORE FREQUENT FLASHING WILL OCCUR? THAT RAISES THIS QUESTION: WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE LIGHT? MINI - INCANDESCENTs OR LEDs? IF THE FORMER, THEN THEY'LL BLOW OUT SOONER THAN THE LATTER. THERE'S NO WAY THAT WITH MY HANDS SHAKING, I COULD OPEN THE BASE & SEE.
FOR OUR PURPOSES THE GILBERT S DESIGN'S THE 'WAY TO GO'. F.Y.I. OR A REMINDER: CHICAGO & GILBERT O HAD SORT - OF - COMPARABLE SNAP INTO THE TRACK TRIGGERS. WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD 'EM FOR THEIR 'WIDE GAUGE' (REMEMBER THAT THE LIONEL LAWYERS WERE ALWAYS ONE THE LOOKOUT FOR VIOLATIONS OF THAT "S" WORD).
OH, YOU MIGHT NOW HAVE NOTICED THAT I'VE FINALLY FIGURED OUT (WELL, REALLY STUMBLED INTO) A WORK -AROUND FOR MY INTER - LINE SPACING ISSUE: JUST DELETE AT THE END OF THE PRECEDING CAUSAL LINE.
EPIPHANIES & ACCIDENTS CAN BE WONDERFUL. JUST ASK T.A. EDISON, SPENCER TRACY, A.G. BELL, DON AMECHE & A HOST OF OTHERS...
SHIFFY