I am planning on building layout using Gargraves Track; was also going to use Ross switches based on all of your positive comments. Do Ross switches have the non derailing feature that the Lionel swithes have? I do like that feature. Thanks
http://www.rossswitches.com/faqs/faqs.html#nonderail
The Z-Stuff switch machines can be wired for non-derail.
Built-in NO! You must add an extra wire from the switch to the switch motor to make it work as non-derailing. Gargraves and Ross are very close in features(use the same track pins, and same switch motors can be mounted on either) with Ross being hand made and better quality than Gargraves, Ross also costs more to buy, also Ross doesn’t have the non-derailing feature built-in. I have about 15 Gargraves 042 switches and the non-derailing feature is simple to add provided you know about basic wiring. I like the Gargraves switches because of the main reason that if the switch motor goes bad you just replace it and not take the whole switch out like Lionel or MTH.
cbtrainman, have you worked with Gargraves track before? If not you will find that all rails are seperated from each other electrically and may need to have an extra wire for common on the outside rail after a switch or two. Other quick tip, Gargraves makes adapter pins to go from 027 to Gargraves track and adapter pins to go from O gauge tubular to Gargraves. There are NO adapter pins to go from 027 to O gauge track, Lionel made these pins many years ago but no current production of them.
If you need wiring instructions on DZ1000 switch motors go to DZ Industrustries on the internet and download the diagrams.
Lee F.
thanks to you both…I knew I could count on getting an answer.
Dave
If you are using new Ross or Gargraves switches you should be rather happy with them. I have only seen Ross switches at a local hobby shop, not that familiar with Ross switches.
On some of the older Gargraves switches the center wire or rail is broken(terminates at the switch center) at the switch and you must provide center rail power to two outgoing sides of the switch, mainly 072 size switches, also check the outside rail to see if it gets power or not as that too may not always be powered on older Gargraves switches.
Lee F.
Keep in mind that, if you provide constant accessory voltage to your switch machines, you risk burning them out if a train stops on the control rail. Lionel solves this problem in the 022 turnout by building in an electrical switch that shuts each coil off after it has done its work. The O27 turnouts’ design, on the other hand, makes it very difficult to power the turnouts except from the track voltage, which is likely to be zero if the train is stopped–but not guaranteed.
One way to protect your switch machines is to power them with DC voltage from an electrolytic capacitor, charged through a suitably large resistance or a lamp so that little current is available after the turnout has been thrown.