switch tripping

No, bluetooth is not causing a switch to trip.

What specific switches are being used? Fastrack, Gargraves, Ross, K-line?

According to this previous post by you, I now think you are referring to fastrack switches https://ogrforum.com/...4#158111058904192424

I personally use Fastrack switches myself on both my home and at the club layout. I have a love hate relationship with them. When they work, it's one of the best and smoothest running switches. When they don't work- and looks like you had your share of the known issues, it can be hair pulling.

I've seen 2 specific causes for what you might be experiencing.

One is that due to the metal cover over the bottom of the switch, the contacts internally inside the switch under that metal cover have nothing but an air gap between them and that metal cover. Sometimes from the factory those contacts and the associated wires are bent up and so when heavier weight or the switch is screwed down to the table presses the switch against that metal backing, contacts can and do short out. The fix was to then put some form of insulator between the metal cover and that line of contacts.

The second one and one I'm fighting at the club on one switch, is that because fastrack connection pins are not perfect and loosen over time and usage, I think I have an ground loss situation again, from flexing and weight of certain heavy trains (our table has foam base and cork roadbed) so there is tiny flex. The problem is, then Lionel Fastrack switches do have power and ground contacts in the terminals, however, factory they are connected inside by the thinnest possible PCV coated wire. So if you connect that to solve your problem and a derailment happens and burns that wire up, it releases HCI which corrodes everything in it's path. What I'm saying is, you can connect a wire to the terminal, however, knowing that the wire is very thin inside, ideally you either replace with heavier wire internally or provide a fuse, PTC, or some other safety current device in the path to prevent the damage if a short ever happens.

Burned up yellow wire from a miswiring incident.

Resulting damage to the metal plating from the gas released when the wire burned. This will quickly turn into a nasty rust spot. The picture doesn't do justice to what this looks like in real life.

sorry fastrack.I han

d my issues with the left hand one.thats been corrected.now its the right hand one.it only acts up with my J1A.

thanks.luckily I have no hair to pull out.the J1A is a heavy beast.but why would it throw the switch?I am sorry I am so ignorant.sometime i want to give up the switches and just run my 3 independent loops.the switches keep it interesting.thanks for the reply

@kranky posted:

thanks.luckily I have no hair to pull out.the J1A is a heavy beast.but why would it throw the switch?I am sorry I am so ignorant.sometime i want to give up the switches and just run my 3 independent loops.the switches keep it interesting.thanks for the reply

Heavy engine rolls over switch. This presses the switch into the metal backer plate against the table. Factory- it's possible that the air gap between that back metal switch cover and the very contacts that connect to the switch controller short to the metal back plate thus making the switch think you commanded it to switch.

The fix- remove the metal cover and insulate those pointing up contacts cannot short to the metal cover.

Again metal cover on backside of switch

Inside contacts under that metal cover sticking up only protected by air gap.

Just to make sure I'm not misunderstood. I'm not advocating removing the back cover permanently and just slapping the switch on your table. That could allow something to intrude upwards into the mechanical space of the switch and jam something. What I'm saying is, the factory assumption was that the air gap between the wire terminal contacts and the cover is all that is preventing a possible short. When that back metal cover is pressed up into the switch by your table and the switch pressing down from being screwed down to the table or a heavy train rolling on the switch and pressing down then I have seen those contacts short and throw the switch or make it chatter- all depending on what shorted to what.

What I'm saying is, you ideally want to add a layer of some insulator- tape, cardboard, plastic, to either the metal cover or just over the contacts so the metal cover has no chance of shorting to any of those contacts.

Again, in this picture, you can see how they stick up nearly flush with the top of the plastic of the terminals. The metal backplate can make contact in this condition with nothing but air as an insulator.

kranky

You can prove Vernons cause by putting the engine on the switch and pushing down on it in attempt to make it trip.

Boy, those Fastrack switches have lot of parts, wires and connectors that could fail, of course I am comparing it to Marx 1590 switches which are very simple and reliable.

Charlie

thanks charlie

are all switches such a problem or is fastrack the problem?someday I must convert to ross and gargraves.any thoughts and opinions are welcomed.personally I give fastrack switches a D- for rating.

Where is the J1A when it trips the switch - anywhere on that loop; just before the switch; when entering the switch; or going through the switch, etc.  ?

Does it happen when the engine comes from all directions or just one ?

I fully agree that there could be other causes and more details more testing is probably required. I was just trying to give the known faults- and that's the tip of the iceberg. I didn't even get into soldering all the folded tab electrical connections. Again, I like and use Fastrack switches on my own layout. But each one, I disassemble the rear cover, solder all the folded tab electrical contact points, inspect the order and wiring of the aux power in connections, possibly upgrade the power and ground wire connections if they are to be used on that switch, insulate the wire and solder connection of the terminals, and then extensively bench test all operation including the anti-derail function sensing. It's a fair amount of work for each switch. One done though, then I find them highly reliable. I also use Lionel's LCS with switch monitoring which integrates nicely. Also- heck I even forgot adding a resistor to the lantern LED as another step in "bulletproofing".

Again,  there are all kinds of possible causes for your problem, I just tried to list a few given you are using a fastrack switch.

as soon as it enters the switch