I bit the bullet today and bought a Kato Unitrack Switch in HO. It was their number 4 switch which I intend to use in the yard. I was prepared to write off the loss if this switch did not pass inspection on the workbench and choose another switch to use.
Now I installed thier switch into a set of Kato Unitrack straight sections to form a simple siding off one track. It did come equippted with a wire set for using the electrical motor to switch the points. It was also equippted with a manual lever hidden in the side which actually provided some spring resistance to hold the points in place.
I placed a BLI NW Switcher B&O Number 9550 and a set of 4 Branchline 40’ reefer cars which were built recently as a set of Monarch Foods reefers. All 4 were equippted with the Kaydee number 148 whisker couplers while the BLI unit came with a set of number 5’s. I put two reefers on the “Main” (18" towards a brightly lit workbench does not a main make) and put two on the siding to switch.
I inched the BLI switcher at a very low speed. Somewhere between 3-8 mph across the switch which was set for the main. It traveled from my left to my right. The switch divirging route was placing the siding to the left of the main. (Left hand switch) with the points against the Switcher.
I approached the reefer on the main, hooked on and backed across the switch until I was clear of the points to put the car into the siding.
I crossed the switch at the speed step one, points were fine, the frogs were fine… before the first axle reached the switch’s joiners a wheel lifted and derailed just past the frog plate.
AHA. I spent some time running it back and forth until I understood why it was derailing like that.
The Frogs are gapped by Kato with very small plastic on the rails. The siding rail (Or dirvirging rail) just past the frog were not in gauge and was curved into the path that the wheel would take. The guide rail to the other side was fine.
Out came t