saw som RYDIN switches on eBay a frew days ago, and was wondering if anyone had used them. The are wide radius.
I 've had problems with the MTH switches when running early large gear LIONEL AND Boucher.
Any comments?
Thanks,
JerryD
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A good friend has some Rydin switches
He says it is the best switch he has ever seen.
Sorry, we have no experience with original Lionel or Boucher
We only use MTH reproductions, these drive absolutely perfect on the switch.
Unfortunately,its very hard to get Rydin switches,because we are dependent on offers in Ebay US.
maybe they are easier to get Rydin to train shows
Here pictures of a meeting in a greenhouse where we used the Rydins.
In the background MTH DCS. Then original Lionel. In the foreground clockwork.
Sorry for my bad English
regards from Bavaria
Hans
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I have some experience with Rydin turnouts.
The Rydin turnouts have the same problem with large gear wheels as the MTH turnouts do, i.e. the check rail clearance is too tight so the gear bounces over.
The check rail on the Rydin turnout is secured with screws, so it is possible to move the check rail and create more clearance. With this modification they do work OK.
However, the Rydin turnouts have another flaw. The turnout points are made of soft white metal which deteriorates with use. The point ends will crack and the mounting tabs snap. I've had two Rydin turnouts fail that way.
FYI: I have seen a pair of 42 diameter Rydin turnouts show up on eBay a few years ago.
To date, the Ross STDG turnout, with it's moving frog design, is the best turnout choice for early equipment. The Ross turnout was developed with the help of STDG operators and it works.
As a side note, the MTH turnouts can be modified to operate with large gear locos by cutting a groove in the check rail for gear clearance. I've done this with success, but it is a bit of a chore.
Bert
Note Rydlin wide radius switches are 144" in diameter.
Rydin actually had switches in several radii; I picked up some of the "high speed" 144's and also some 72's. Great expectations, disappointed because they were unusable with the deteriorated points. My experience agrees with MrNabisco's post.
Next I tried Gargraves Standard Gauge switches, but the rails are not high enough so the wheel flanges bumped over the plastic ties.
I now have the MTH lionel tinplate switches for the 42 diam., and am gradually replacing all the 72 diam. to Ross.
Too bad there isn't some way to repair the Rydin switches, they really are magnificent, The rail points just did not hold up.
david
SGMA members have found the same problems noted above with the Rydin switches. Few members still use them since currently there are much better switches available, i.e. Standard Gauge switches by Ross Custom Switches.
SGMA members have found that MTH switches work OK in many applications but not in all. As noted above, they don't work with large geared wheel locomotives, which hit the switch's the guard rails and often derail. Unfortunately, many modern reproduction locomotives and trolleys reproductions have these problems but there are other clearance and electrical problems with MTH switches as well.
Initially, to overcome the problems associated with large geared wheels, SGMA members modified the MTH switches by grinding down the switch's check rails so that most large geared wheels could pass through the switch without contact. Unfortunately, that didn't solve all the problems SGMA members had discovered in the design of the MTH switches. So to solve these, SMGA members contacted Ross Custom Switches with the objective of convincing them to develop new trouble-free Standard Gauge switches. After a lot of work by Ross and SGMA members, the resulting new Standard Gauge switches by Ross produced dramatic results! Whenever and wherever a Ross switch was installed in place of a Rydin or MTH switch, all operational switching problems at that point were eliminated and all Standard Gauge trains passed through the new Ross Standard Gauge switch smoothly.
As noted above, the only remaining issue is the lack of a Ross "42" switch. I need to replace several MTH 42 switches myself. Hopefully Ross will correct this problem by designing and selling a drop-in replacement for the MTH 42 switch just like the drop-in replacement they developed for the MTH 72. To get the ball rolling, I recommend that all forum members contact OGR forum sponsor, Ross Custom Switches, and ask them to do just that!
Bob Nelson
Ask them to make 90 degree and 45 degree crossovers as well.
