I've been chasing a problem with Trainmasters tripping the breaker when traversing a 112 Super O switch at low speed. I eventually traced the problem to the pickup roller touching the swivel rail when entering the switch from a curve. I confirmed this by placing scotch tape over the swivel rail to insulate it for a test, but obviously, this is not a durable solution. Has anyone else addressed this in the past, and come up with a more robust fix?
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Black electrical tape works well for me. Stays put and is easy to fix if needed.
You could replace the roller assemblies with narrower one. MTH would have suitable replacements.
Thanks for the inputs. I'll try the black electrical tape.
Try this - works great
Just clean the swivel rail with alcohol - let dry - “paint” the top and side area of swivel rail wear rollers may touch
Not sure where I read or heard about this fix but I’ve never had an issue since using clear coat
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PS - My wife told me what to buy - I found this brand at CVS and it was really cheap
Gee, I would never have thought of nail polish.
Have you tried to raise the center rail frog? Place a large slot screw driver with tape placed around the tip under the center rail frog but on top of the swivel rail and give it a slight twist. This should raise the center rail frog enough to allow the roller to pass without shorting out, regards Rob Wachter
Since we are discussing Super O - could someone send a picture of Super O curve
track that has be bent to O72 ? Need to see configuration of outside rails and center rail. Thanks in advance. Art
Attached is a photo I snagged from Super O IO- group that Gene Becker once made. If you want to keep the "tabs" (slots and cylinders) for O72 you have to add a short piece of outer rail on the inside of the curve. I have made O54 not to bad for a weekend project. Regards Rob
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Wow, that was simple - just raising the frog slightly solved the problem. Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
I’m glad the fix worked. My I suggest you look at my videos on You tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxuzW89Hwr4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gt35MHYOFI&t=1s
I filmed off the cuff so they are not that polished however I touched on all the problem areas. If you buy a clean pair of switches, they will most likely work without any problems; considering the last ones made were from the mid-sixties that’s not bad. However, with a little love you can bring back the well-played with ones. regards Rob
Good info in your videos. Most of those that I bought were cheap and in horrible condition. It took quite a bit of effort to clean the rust and restore reliable operation. I converted to LED bulbs, and all are working fine now. I run them from a fixed 12VDC supply, and they snap into position. I also added a thermal protector in series with the 12V supply to prevent damage if one gets stuck.
It's great when you bring bad old stuff from the heap. I know the guys in the Io Group were talking about some of the LEDS being fried from coil induction after in use for a while. Placement of the components is crucial within the circuit. I am using the old stuff; I try not to get too involved with anything pass the eighties, regards Rob Wachter