I visited a friend yesterday who is running a large prewar O gauge floor layout. I was struck by the quality of the prewar 072 switches compared to the 6-5165 and 6-5166 switches I have that were purchased in the 80s and 90s. Compared to the prewar switches, the points of the modern era switches do not fit as tightly to the stock rails and there is a lot more slop in the locking mechanism. I have filed the points on several of my switches to get a better fit but haven't investigated the locking mechanism. I pulled out some postwar 022 switches and found that the locking mechanism is tighter on those compared to the modern switches also.
Has anyone investigated the modern switch motor locking mechanism? I would like to tighten mine up somehow. Any hints will be appreciated.
I don't much about the new Lionel switches for 072 track but the newer switches(6-23010 & 23011) made for 031 in the 1990's were really horrible! Electrical failures and the micro switches inside burning out, and switch diverting rail flapping at a rate of 50 times a second when a Williams engine got near the switch. Those were my experiences with the 6-23010 series 031 switch.
I would rather use post war switches as these hold up better.
The 031 switches made in the 1980's had wiring problems; 5154(not sure of the exact nimber), the wire was too small in diameter and would burn up after a few hours of normal use. I replaced the inside yellow wire with a larger diameter wire and it was fine after that.
I have several of the modern 0-72 switches and don't care for them. I would replace them with Ross 0-72's if they were available before I installed the Lionel version.
Ross switches should be available in 072. I have 2 Ross switches and like them better then any other brand of switch I have seen or used. I will be replacing my Gargraves switches with Ross sometime this year. Ross has all metal rails verses Gargraves having plastic rails from the frog on one side of the 2 outside rails. However with both Ross and Gargraves be sure you have the flow of electric current in all your rails, Ross and Gargraves switches sometimes leave out the electric connection for the center rail, depends on what year & what size switch.
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