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Switch will not operate

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Switch will not operate
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 16, 2005 6:49 PM
I have a couple of MTH Real Trax )-42 Switches. I have had them trouble free for a couple of years. Yesterday, when my son went to sitch the switch using the remote, the power on the switch died. The lantern will not illuminate. I followed the Troubleshooting recommendations from the manual (to check that the jumper between the Track AC Out Screw terminal and the Auxillary AC Power In Screw Terminal is installed.). Everything is installed as required.

Has anyone experienced this problem before, or is there anyone that can assist me.

Thanks,
Craig
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:55 PM
I got it workiing. I e-mailed MTH and they had me take the gray box which I think has the motor in it with a red and green light on it. They told me to just pull it out and put on the other side of the switch. I did this and the switch works again. I wonder why it works on the one side but no longer works on the side that it was in for the past 2 years.
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Watkinsville, GA
  • 2,214 posts
Posted by Roger Bielen on Friday, January 28, 2005 6:43 AM
Sounds like they have a duplicate system on both sides. If they had a quick answer it sounds like a problem that occures often, a design flaw? They need to have a recall ala Ford.
Roger B.
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Southwest of Houston. TX
  • 1,082 posts
Posted by jimhaleyscomet on Friday, January 28, 2005 9:21 AM
Sometimes I find I need to just remove and reinstall the box on the same side. Sometimes it just pops loose and this can fix it.

Jim H
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Lake Worth FL
  • 4,014 posts
Posted by phillyreading on Saturday, January 29, 2005 9:06 AM
I have five Lionel series switches # 6-23011(right-hand), my problem is when I run any Williams locomotive or an older Lionel with a two position reverse unit this is what happens; the center piece that is attached to the switch solenoid goes crazy going back and forth almost 70 times a second. I have tried cleaning wheelsets & rails on track but
no help. The problem will happen when the locomotive is one or two track sections away from the switch.
I studied residential & commercial electrical work in high school so I think that my problem is electronic, possibly an eddy current occurring somewhere in the track.
If any one else has a cure for this problem please email me.
Lee @ cunninghamjd8394@aol.com
Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading.

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