Ross switches and Sliding contact shoes

[servoguy]

I suggest that before and after any modification, that you run a car through the switch by hand and observe the action of the shoe as the car goes through the switch.  Don't just make modificatiions and assume they are going to work.  Recently, I used a truck with a shoe that has been removed from the car to check 022 switches and 1122 switches.  I found that there was a way that the shoe could hang up on the 1122 switch, and possibly get broken.  However, to get the shoe to hand up, it required me to turn the truck in a way that probably would not happen in operation.  You need to make sure that the shoes do not hang up on anything or they may get broken. 

Bruce Baker

[Bob.M]

 Thanks for your help. I have more questions:

1. I will order some adaptor pins to mate with the Lionel O-31 track, but do I need fiber pins as well for the non-derailing feature?

2: They require a 5mm shim to match the height. That is 0.1968". They have some "Pads" listed on the Ross website. Is that what they are for?

3. Where do you buy Ross switches? Any discounts available? I tried CTMcCormick in Pennsylvania, but they charge the same as the Ross website. Most of the links from the Ross website direct you to vendors who no longer list Ross. 

[Roger Bielen]

I'd peen them all.

[Bob.M]

 Thanks for your replies. Which of the elements in the picture need modification?

1. The Guides

2. The bent center rails.

3. The extra center rail.

There are more than one of some items per switch. I left one un numbered pointer because I am not very familiar with Photoshop, and could not figure how to erase it.

Also, are the O31s better or worse than say, the O42s?

[mikemc52]

I have Curtis switches (which I believe are nearly identical to Ross switches) and have had problems with the sliding shoe on a milk car and tender.  There is an article in the October 2000 issue of O Gauge Railroading that describes a modification to the sliding shoe that may work for you.  It does, unfortunately, involve beveling the sliding shoe.

Mike

[stuartmit]

I like the Ross switches and use only them, but they pose an operational problem. First off, unwanted uncoupling of coil couiplers. What I generally do on passenger cars is disconnect the coil; I don't generally switch my passenger cars in the yard. Further I have had problems with the shoe hitting not only the guide rail, but on the o72 054 double curved turn outs, the slider shoe on the trailing truck on a 3472  milk car hitting the shorter of the two power rails in the middle of the turnout ( there are two positioned nect to each other so the that there is a wide contact area for the pick up rollers on the loco). In this case I inserted another brass track pin as described above and bent it down so the slider shoe rides up it. I am away from home as I write, so I cannot check other aspects of the geometry of the turnouts but I believe straight turnouts may pose the same problem.

[Roger Bielen]

There have been a few fixes suggested over the years:

1.  Insert an extra rail pin into the open end of the guide rails and bend it dowm slightly;

2.  Using a nail set/punch peen down the open end of the guide rails;

3.  The one I least recommend, modify the pick-up shoes on the cars by grinding the ends to a greated angle.

For me #2. is the easiest.

[CB&Q]

I have used ross switches for about 10 years now and have some slide shoe equipped cars and engines nary a burp from any of them. try the regular switch I think the # is 100-101 depending on if you need a right or left switch thats all I have and they've served me well also have the original dbl crossover and the 4 track yard switch setup but have tortoise switch machines not sure how well the newer ones that come installed if you buy them pre-wired. I don't think you'll be disappointed with that purchase.

[Bob.M]

I am revising my layout which presently has 13 Lionel tubular O22 (O31) switches.
I need to buy some additional switches. I would like to try Ross, due to the stories I heard about how smoothly engines and cars go over them. But in searching this forum, I find there may be a problem with the slider shoes of some cars.

I have the following items with Sliding contact shoes:
Lionel 2332 postwar GG1 with coil couplers
Lionel 3361 postwar Lumber car
Lionel 3461 postwar Lumber car
MTH 30-7648 Log car
MTH 79139 Dump car

Here is a link to what Ross says about the problem:
http://www.rossswitches.com/faqs/faqs.html#slideshoespic


Does anyone have experience with these cars with either Ross or Gargraves switches?