Hi I have Lionel 027 profile 042R 6-65167 and 68 switches on my layout and they are junk right out of the box IMHO using the hindsight I now have. [D)] Many of my trains and their cars have problems crossing these switches. I have 10 of them on my layout. Most of them are okay if you run straight over them but boy do they give me fits when running through their thrown postion.
Who makes something better that will work with my 027-profile track. What choices do I have? I would like to find something to get these off of my mainline loop but I have never seen or used anything else. I live in the middle of noplace USA. [:S]
Finding another is always an option, but, at $70 or so each, and you have 68 of them, it’s probably a better move financially to see what’s wrong with them. If they all do it, and it’s the same issue…
We do need to eliminate points or frags. Gonna take some close up watching and see.
I am guessing it’s the check gauge on the frog, from wing rail to guard rail. Might be a good idea to make a shim, brass would work, slip it in and bend it around the ends of the guard rail. .040 or so should be a starting point.
One problem is the electrical shorting - this can be remedied by strategic application of some insulating tape on the sides of the big wide center rail.
For operational issues, you may need to extend and/or raise the molded-in guard rails to keep rolling stock tracking better through the switch.
The K-275 and K-276 K-Line switches have the identical footprint if you can find them. Do a web search to find pictures of these and study the guard rails and swing rails to compare, as I have had very little trouble with the K-Line units. It is possible that Williams or RMT may produce these again some day. RMT has reissued the old K-Line SuperSnap in “O” already.
Gargaves switches are O-27 profile I have some on ebay right now if the winner don’t take all 4 I’ll get with you. I have the option for the winner to take just 2 there bidding on or adding the other 2 to the win. You would still need to get the adapter pins
I used a couple of those Lionel turnouts also and they were useless, of course it doesn’t help that most all of my stuff is pre-war Marx with the extra-wide cast-in geared driver wheels that will quite literally “bounce” off a newer Lionel switch.
My solution and it might work for you is to use older Marx pre-war O-27 turnouts they have extra wide gaps between the rails/center rail to accommodate that huge geared driver wheel, sorry I don’t have a # number for them but they come up on Evilbay quite often,
vsmith, and SJ, tks, and yeah vsmith now I have over $350.00 of useless and I gave away all of my Marx to a friend but they were 027R.[:(]
Good idea but I need 0-42R switches. Not 027 but 042 in 027 height profile.
I would like to see one of those K-lines or the Gargraves RT was talking about. I was worried that a Ross was at O guage profile and would need to be raised.
I would love to see one of those K-Line 027 / 042R ones. Are any of you using them??
Rob, It seems you have the market cornered on those switches but I did win one on the bay so I can look one over.
SJ, can you PM me on what kind of spring you are talking about to fix the K-Line ALCO S2 switchers? I got them from Chief so it maybe some of his Rebel sabotage. So I need to hunt for grits in it. [:-^] Funney the RMT ALCO S4 don’t do it.
RT, Let me know on the Gargraves, I would like to see one of them up cloose too.
