I just retired my first layout which was featured in O Gauge Railroading (but I like CTT mag too) and I have just built my second layout, and used MTH realtrax 054 switches. Of the ten on the layout, 5 will totally derail anything that runs through them in the facing point direction, apparently from some irregularities in the point blades. The other 5 cause the engines to lift up and slam down hard as they go through the switches.
I have also had problems with the spring arms slipping off the post, usually fresh out of the box. Just yesterday, another spring arm slipped after it had been on the layout for two weeks. I’m so glad I didn’t decorate and ballast anything yet, because I would have to pull the track up to do a 5 second repair. I also have 5 042 switches in place that give me problems as well.
I have had an email exchange with MTH for awhile, but I don’t think they realize how serious this problem is. They are willing to replace them with identical pieces, but I have learned my lesson after taking 3 of them back twice to the dealer and getting defective ones in exchange. These switches were purchased over a 6 month period from 4 different dealers. I took my video camera and photographed my F7 diesels going askew and my steam engines hopping and derailing, with sparks flying, and made a DVD and sent it to MTH last Saturday (3/1) so they could see their product fail first hand. For some reason, they haven’t received the DVD yet… hmmm … (I live about 60 miles away from them.)
I am mechanically inclined, and have watched these switches operate over and over. The action is solid, I am powering them with the 14 volt tap from the Z-4000, yet they can’t seem to stay together when engines pass through. I am so frustrated right now I feel like just taking it all down and forgetting about model railroading. I am being very patient with MTH, but it is wearing thin. I am giving them
Welcome to Mikey’s sorry switches. You will have them work great for a while and suddenly they just stop. I’ve got 22 of the 072 and 054’s. The earlier ones I bought several years ago, when I first started track planning, work a lot better than the new ones bought in the last 14 months. Poor workmanship. I’ve become a MTH Realtrax switch machanic. I now have a spare of each type to pull the bad one out, put in a good one and repair the bad one routine. I also find that you need 16V if you have two switches working “back to back” [like changing from one mainline to the other] or they will not slam. I am running my switches off of a separate transformer because of that. Had several replaced as could not be fixed. Had one switch machine magnet turn to carbon and became metal dust. Roughness, I’ve taken a hammer to some to level out the center rail portion as it stuck up so high. Most Atlas engines and some new Lionel arc real bad going through the switches. Someone from this forum mentioned it a York for me. MTH did not know what he was talking about. Best believe it will be discussed at York this year as I will be there. If you are going to York, maybe we can team up and “talk” to them. Thinking about slowly converting to Ross and building up the switch area to match the track. Wire the switches independently so not having to use a “mating” tack section. Lots of $$$$$ invested in a poor product. Also, MTH Realtrax center rails on track sections are thinner than a couple of years ago. Almost knife like. I chalk it up to MTH quality.
2 of my 5 switches will derail my F3. My speeder won’t pass through some of the better operating 0-54 switches. I didn’t even think that I had an option to get them fixed. Maybe I still don’t. My problem looks like the trucks simply stop turning around the curve as the train crosses the plastic crossover part of the switch. The front wheels on my 2-8-0 track ok, mainly because the front wheels can turn more freely. It’s not a great product, but I’m too deep into it now.
Sad state of affairs when a design and production snafu like this switch issue gets out into the market and then the problem persists for such a period of time. Makes you wonder how much testing was done on these.
Next time you go to the LHS, look at the back of the box of the 0-54 switches. On the example track diagrams, there is a typo in the track demensions. If I noticed it, it must be pretty obvious…just more proof that the QA isn’t up to snuff on these switches. It would be one thing if they were $40, but they were more like $80.
Small tack hammer. Tap the high “joints” lightly until they are level with the plastic. He is not joking. “Roughess” switches I’ve ever seen. Lionel’s manual 027’s are smoother. You’d think they would be the cheapest built.
MD…My layout was built before Fastrack or Atlas Track were manufactured. The first Realtrax switches and track were excellent. When I started my expansion, I noticed how much harder it was to put the track together and I found missing spring arms. My expansion included several new switches. I have one that I had to completely dis-assemble.
Friends of the Chief even discussed the problem with MTH rep at York and he stared at them like they had no idea what they were talking about.
I’m glad that my expansion is done and I would not use Realtrax again. I would look at Atlas or Gargraves with Ross Switches.
I am sorry to say that I have the same problems with my O31 realtrax switches. My entire Postwar Steam collection can not be run through these switches without derailments. And only some of my postwar deisels will go through them. My modern stuff seems to like the switches a bit more.
Thankfully, I have 2 loops on my layout. One is realtrax and one is fastrack. I have several fastrack switches as well, and ALL locos pass through…no problems. Its come to a point where I know exactly which locos I can run on which loop.
Guess the switch gremlin doesn’t live at just my house after all.
I was in touch with MTH today, and tomorrow I am going there to personally return the switches and talk to the customer service guy. I thought that was a nice gesture to offer to meet me there, and we will see what the meeting produces.
Just wanted everyone to know that I am taking your comments with me. Copied excerpts (no names included) so they could get a taste of how their customers feel about their track. Other than the cold solder joint problem on the wireless drawbar of the RF & P 2-8-4, I have had pretty good luck with their engines. I like the detail and DCS, although it has its quirks at times.
I will be at TCA show in York this year. Paid for the O Gauge Railroading tour of MTH (if they’ll let me in after this) and Tony Lash’s layout. The commemorative MTH/OGRR boxcar has the magazine cover on it that featured my layout. Maybe they’ll scrape it off before handing them out.
Gotta go unwire and box up some nasty switches. Thanks again everyone.
MD Mikey…You make sure you tell them that due to their poor product, some of us our watching and recording anything that we feel could be evidence of a fire hazard with these switches. The Consumer Product Commission loves to investigate “toy” companies whose product is supposed to be suitable for an eight year old.
I just got another 0-42 RH MTH realtrax switch that has problems right out of the box. The switch will move from straight to turn and back just fine, but the moving rails stick up too high against the permanent rail when the switch is switched to the straight position, causing a derail. It doesn’t tuck under the permanent rail like it should…QA at it’s finest. You can see it from across the layout…
Wes
I’m going to overlook Jim’s obvious prod to get me out of my corner, put on my gloves and start swinging in the “027 vs. FasTrack” bout. [:D]
But seriously Wes, I think these sorts of design and quality problems cut across the board with a wide swath and are not limited to just one company. From my operating perspective, here’s a couple of good examples:
The Industrial Rail cars. These cars are very nicely decorated and proportioned and are openly advertised as being 027 compatible. These cars so have some good elements, like the way the body attaches to the frame on the box cars.
Yet the coupler arms on all these cars are a 1/4 inch longer than that of any other similar type of car I own. Unlike the Lionel cars like the 027 passenger cars and the bay window cabooses that have longer coupler arms that swivel independently of the truck, the IR ones don’t. That extra length on the coupler arm, along with the design of the coupler knuckle and the open space within the closed coupler causes these cars to DERAIL constantly on 027 curves where there is an “S” or going through switches into curves.
I don’t have this problem on anything else except for the Industrial Rail cars… not postwar, MPC, LTI or LLC Lionel, MDK K-Line, Weaver (with plastic trucks no less) or MTH Railking or Rugged Rails. I’ve been ditching the IR trucks and replacing them with either Lionel, K-Line or Korean-made copies the problems immediately stop when I replace the trucks. Even plastic MPC trucks work better than the better looking IR trucks.
This is obviously a problem of poor engineering/design without adequate testing for the intented market.
The RMT BEEP. I’ve been defending the introduction of this product long before I even owned one. I still believe there is a strong untapped market for this sort of product, and there’s room for lots more. BUT they NEED to be MADE RIGHT! Again, the BEE
Seriously, though, there is one thing that I’ve observed - tinplate Marx trains will not go through modern switches, not even the tubular ones. I have several of these trains and they either derail or do the “jump” thing that was described earlier. I think it’s because of the guard rails in the center of these new switches. The tinplate Marx trains have a sligthly larger wheel on their powered trucks, so they can’t get through the switches. If you’re running modern trains, though, I don’t see why they would be jumping the switches unless there was a major problem. Hopfully you’ll get things worked out.