Wide Radius Lionel O27 Switch Tracks

[SchemerBob]

Many cars they advertise, like ones made by MTH, say they can negotiate O31 curves, but you buy the car and figure out that they can negotiate O27, an even tighter curve! But, there's one problem, and you've probably heard of it. Even if some cars can negotiate the curves they can't go through a Lionel O27 switch because they bump the switch mechanism box. I have nothing but manual switches, so I just took the switch boxes off, and that solved that problem. But, some cars CAN'T negotiate O27 curves, so you have to buy wide radius track. Not a problem, since Lionel has O42 and O54 switches in O27 scale. Except one thing...they're all remote! You can't take the switch mechanism box off of them. So, can longer cars get through them? You'd think they could since it's a wider radius, but I don't know.

[lionelsoni]

(It seems like I'm telling everyone lately to use Marx O34.) O34 has the same rail profile as O27; and the Marx switches have very low switch machines and are very well made. You do need to add a guard rail, to keep the Lionel trains from picking the frog, as was discussed in a recent topic.

[SchemerBob]

Where can I find Marx switches? How do you add a guard rail?

[Dr. John]

You might try Ebay on the Marx switches. They are often available there.

K-Line makes an O42 switch in O-27 rail with a low profile switch machine housing in manual and remote.

[3railguy]

K-Line 042 switches are a better choice. Marx are kind of finicky.

[lionelsoni]

Here is the Marx-switch topic:
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=1&TOPIC_ID=42324

[Anonymous]

why not just buy switchtracks from another company and mate them up?:"?

[spankybird]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Dr. John

You might try Ebay on the Marx switches. They are often available there.

K-Line makes an O42 switch in O-27 rail with a low profile switch machine housing in manual and remote.

I have to agree. The K-line are also much less expensieve than Lionel and much better, IMO.
This is an 027 and my RK Alleghany 2-6-6-6 [8D]


click on pic to enlarge
tom

[trigtrax]

Lionel makes an O-42 O-27 profile switch.. You can also go with Ross, who offers an excellent and complete product line

[SchemerBob]

I think K-Line switches would work fine with my track, because I don't have to buy a bunch of adapters and stuff. The regular K-Line track looks just like Lionel except with a K-Line label, so those switches would probably be the best choice.

[lionelsoni]

As I understood Bob's original question, he was concerned that models that couldn't do curves sharper than O31 in general would have trouble with the Lionel O42 switch. I suggested O34 because the switch machines are low, it takes less room than O42, and it will certainly handle anything that needs O31.

John, with the guard rail added, I haven't noticed anything "finicky" about Marx switches. I particularly like the Marx omnidirectional signal light, which I can read from anywhere in the room.

[ChiefEagles]

Original question as I understood it was, will the cars hit switch machine or go through. "Not a problem, since Lionel has O42 and O54 switches in O27 scale. Except one thing...they're all remote! You can't take the switch mechanism box off of them. So, can longer cars get through them? You'd think they could since it's a wider radius, but I don't know." Yes it can go through, if the radius is wider. I did find an 054 scrubbed a real long engine going into a engine storage siding but it went through. I took the switch stand off and operate it as a manual one. K-Line switches are better.

[Anonymous]

Bob, the O-42 curve/O-27 profile Lionel track switches will resolve your problem.

I used to have several O-42 Lionel switches on my home layout and all of the CTT test locomotives (those we review in CTT) that could handle O-42 curves could also handle the Lionel O-42 switches.

However, I operate lots of passenger cars. Over time I realized that the center pickup rollers on many of the passenger cars were consistently sparking as they went through the moving part of the switch (the rollers would momentarily bridge the narrow gap between the flattened center rail and one of the outer rails).

I tried pieces of electrical tape, "liquid" electrical tape, and even clear nail poli***o insulate the problem rails, but wasn't satisfied until I replaced the track switches with Ross switches.

Neil Besougloff
editor, CTT

[ChiefEagles]

Neil has a point. The one wide radius 027 type switch I have will stall engines when they cross real slowly and actually trip the fast acting breaker. I've got one postwar that will not cross it. Trips the EUnit. I see my hopper cars arching a lot when crossing that switch. I think I will replace it with a K-Line and see what happens. Bet it works better.

[lionelsoni]

I happened on a guy at a train show yesterday who had Marx switches, both O27 and O34. He is Terence (Terry) J. Dodson, 281-596-8888 in Houston.

[brianel027]

YOU CAN remove the switch solenoids off the electric switches... I know... I've done it so it CAN be done.

I'm currently experiementing with some more different alterations on 027 Lionel switches and will post results if positive. On my layout I chop have chopped the Lionel switches down to just the track size itself. The base and housing are eliminated completely. I've also chopped down the curve side so I can get cross over and yard tracks even closer together... and this works too though it does take some effort.

[Anonymous]

Neil,
I had the same problem of short circuit over some K Line O42 switches that I have. It started with a new K line caboose. On close examination I noticed that the pickup rollers are not tapered on the edges. They are wide enough to touch the hot and neutral part of the switch when the car crosses it. I solved my problem by grinding the pickup rollers to a taper in the center , with a dremel tool. No more short circuits. There are probably other ways to correct this, but this worked for me......Tim