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American Flyer Switches

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American Flyer Switches
Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 9:23 PM

I have been in the process of rehabbing my 60 year old American Flyer train set for the past few weeks,  It has been in storage for the past 35 years. 

Along with the rest of my train set, I have a pair of American Flyer switches that still work quite well. On each switch assembly, there is a clear bulb (#1447) mounted inside a metal housing and surrounded by an 8-sided plastic lens with alternating red and green color to indicate straight through and divergent.

I noticed that the light shining through the openings in the metal housing was more clear than red or green, so I removed the cover the on the top of the housing and examined the 8-sided plastic lens.  On the left switch, each of the four green sides of the lens has a circular hole in it about 1/8" in diameter, but the four red sides of the lens are solid.  On the right switch, each of the four red sides of the lens has a circular hole in it about 1/8" in diameter, but the four green sides of the lens are solid. 

I don't understand why there are circular holes cut into the sides of the plastic lens on each switch.  Were the lenses originally manufactured that way, or were the lenses tampered with (by my younger brother?) ?

Also, the plastic lens on the right switch appears to be partially melted at the top of the lens.

Can anyone shed any light on this situation?

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, January 15, 2010 5:38 AM

richhotrain

I have a pair of American Flyer switches that still work quite well. On each switch assembly, there is a clear bulb (#1447) mounted inside a metal housing and surrounded by an 8-sided plastic lens with alternating red and green color to indicate straight through and divergent.

I noticed that the light shining through the openings in the metal housing was more clear than red or green, so I removed the cover the on the top of the housing and examined the 8-sided plastic lens.  On the left switch, each of the four green sides of the lens has a circular hole in it about 1/8" in diameter, but the four red sides of the lens are solid.  On the right switch, each of the four red sides of the lens has a circular hole in it about 1/8" in diameter, but the four green sides of the lens are solid. 

I don't understand why there are circular holes cut into the sides of the plastic lens on each switch.  Were the lenses originally manufactured that way, or were the lenses tampered with (by my younger brother?) ?

Arggggh!

No replies to my question on the American Flyer switches.  I am making to much progress on my rehab project to stop now.

I see on the RFGco web site that there are possible replacement parts.  One is Item Number 7201 which is described as a Red/Green Light Filter Tape.  Also, there is Item Number 7201A which is described as a Plastic Lens Insert -3/16 round - 2 red 2 green.  However, I do not see any reference to an 8-sided plastic lens like the one found in my pair of switches.

Does anyone else with American Flyer switches have a problem like this with the plastic lens that projects red and green light as the switch is thrown?   Any help or advice would be most appreciated.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by phillyreading on Friday, January 15, 2010 8:23 AM

Not sure what type of switch that A.F. used but there are some modern day replacement switches that can be substituted for the original A.F. switch if nobody can help you with your switch problem.

Maybe greenprobe97(Jim) can help you or somebody else that knows A.F. quite well.

The switch you describe is older than most A.F. switches that I have seen. The switches that I have on my layout have four terminal screws that stick up and just a lantarn housing with a few screws that come off with a screwdriver in order to replace the light bulb. I have not tried to mess with the plastic lens. Also on the A.F. switches that I have is a switch for two train or single train operation.

Lee F.

Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading.
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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, January 15, 2010 10:13 AM

phillyreading

Not sure what type of switch that A.F. used but there are some modern day replacement switches that can be substituted for the original A.F. switch if nobody can help you with your switch problem.

Maybe greenprobe97(Jim) can help you or somebody else that knows A.F. quite well.

The switch you describe is older than most A.F. switches that I have seen. The switches that I have on my layout have four terminal screws that stick up and just a lantarn housing with a few screws that come off with a screwdriver in order to replace the light bulb. I have not tried to mess with the plastic lens. Also on the A.F. switches that I have is a switch for two train or single train operation.

Lee F.

Lee,

Thanks for your reply.  Your switches sound just like mine.  My switches also have the lever to change from regular operation to 2-train operation.  My switches have the four terminal screws and the lantern housing cover is held down by four screws.  When the cover is removed to expose the clear bulb, the bulb sets inside an 8-sided plastic lens with alternating red and green colors. 

The right switch is XA-9926 and the left switch is XA-9927.  The numbers are embossed on the underside of the switches.

The plastic lens surrounding the bulb has holes drilled through it, as I described in my initial thread.  This causes the light to be clear rather than colored.  I am trying to understand what is going on with that lens.

Any chance you could unscrew the top of your lantern housing and see if you have holes drilled in the plastic lens?  This is a  complete mystery to me.

Thanks.

Rich

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, January 15, 2010 10:18 AM

Correction on my last comment.

The lantern housing cover is held down by two screws, not four screws.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 15, 2010 10:38 AM

Rich,

        I have never worked on the early 720 switches like the ones that you have, but I have seen those lenses for sale.  The only Flyer switches that I am familar with are the later 720A which used a redisgned mechanism.

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Posted by Sturgeon-Phish on Friday, January 15, 2010 11:08 AM

I've got several of these older switches and have worked on them but it has been a while.  I am on my break at work so I do not have access to my references, but this I can tell you.  The tape is for the later shutter style indicator.  The earlier style with the  8 sided cover were prone to melting.  They are available from Portlines and RFGCO.  To prevent future melting reduce the voltage going to the lamp (the yellow wire). 

For the life of me I cannot remember holes in the pieces as described.  It way of been an attempt to release heat and the wrong sides were drilled.

Is the piece rotating back and forth corresponding to the switch position? Green straight and red to siding?

I will try and dig up some info.  This evening and Saturday is already booked up, but when I can I'll find out more.

Jim

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Posted by aflyer on Sunday, January 17, 2010 1:35 PM

Rich,

I have a couple of these switches also.  In fact I just removed the lamp cover on 10 switches and only found one pair that have these plastic lenses, they also have a manual switch lever in case you do not want to use the remote switches.  I have replaced the plastic color caps as mine were also melted.  The ones I removed did have the holes in them, the repros do not.  I checked the old catalogs, and the david doyle american flyer book and can't find enough information to determine the switch number.  But as others have stated the repro lenses are readily available.

Happy rails,

George

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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, January 17, 2010 5:21 PM

aflyer

Rich,

I have a couple of these switches also.  In fact I just removed the lamp cover on 10 switches and only found one pair that have these plastic lenses, they also have a manual switch lever in case you do not want to use the remote switches.  I have replaced the plastic color caps as mine were also melted.  The ones I removed did have the holes in them, the repros do not.  I checked the old catalogs, and the david doyle american flyer book and can't find enough information to determine the switch number.  But as others have stated the repro lenses are readily available.

Happy rails,

George

George,

Thanks for that response.  I have ordered new lenses on eBay.  In the picture, they have no holes, so problem solved, but it remains a mystery why there were holes in the first place.

Rich

Alton Junction

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