0-27 42"switches

[Anonymous]

Hello, this is my very first visit to the forum. I am approaching retirement and want to enjoy my pre-war and post-war trains once again. I had several layouts as a child/teenager but have not had a permanent layout since, although I have set up Christmas and other temps for kids and grandkids. I have continued to buy various items thru the years, however, with the hope of getting everything together in a year to two.

Two main questions to begin:

1- I am thinking of a layout with 0-27 track, but wide curves 42 or 54, and want to know if my aluminum passenger cars will clear the 42" switch??

2- And I have heard the K-line 0-27 42" switch is better than Lionel, including the fact it does NOT have be powered from the track??

Any help would be appreciated, I don't even think I want to get into the TMCC situation, just my old ZW and KW and block wiring.

Bill S

[Anonymous]

You can power the Lionel O-42 switch from a constant volatge source with a little bit of surgery.

Re clearance. I just pushed a Lionel PS-4 scale flatcar through one. It barely cleared the switch motor. This is a replica of a scale 54 foot flat car. LOA is 15" coupler face to coupler face. Car is reported by Lionel as 13 1/2" long (end sill to end sill). I don't know the lengh of your aluminum passenger cars or their ruck placement. This will greatly affect their ability to navigate the switch.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I should have measured the car; I will go and do that! Your are talking about a Lionel switch? Does the K-line have more clearance?

[Anonymous]

I only have a Lionel switch. K-Line defnitely has more clearance from the catalog photos. It uses a lower profile motor (looks like a brown Z-Stuff) and is set back about 2 1/2"?. If clearance is an issue, the K-Line unit should do better,

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I could not find a photo of the K-line switch, just description. My passenger cars are boxed somewhere, but they are the Surfliner Set from about 1997???

[GPJ68]

The K-Line 42" switch with the low profile housing (almost non-existent compared to the earlier version) oughta clear virtually anything, and they are designed to be powered either by track or separately (the way to go). I've had to slighty tweek one or two of mine to get the swivel rail to mate smoothly, but otherwise I've been very pleased. Just be sure you get the newer low profile version - I think (??) the two versions share the same part number.

GPJ

[Anonymous]

Note, these are the newer ones, part numbers K-0275/-0276

[steinmike]

I've used both the Lionel and MDK 027 42" switches and found that after 3-4 years they just have too many problems. I rebuilt the layout using O31 tubular track in wider radiuses and once I got past the initial problems with the Lionel switches, I've had trouble-free operation for eight years now. I run Williams diesels that are nearly scale and a variety of 15" passenger cars and RDC's and have had no problems.

The 031 tubular track is more robust than the 027 track and has been very reslient - it just needs to be cleaned about once a month. If I was going to start again I'd use Lionel 072 switches with O31 track.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[ChiefEagles]

Those switch stands are usually in the way. Not sure about your cars. Temporarly using one on a temp layout. SD80 hits it so I had to take the swtich stand off. K-Line will work a lot better. You will have to change it [Lionel] to constant power or the TMCC will go wild [from experience].

[lionelsoni]

Are you aware that there is a curvature between O27 and O42 in the O27 profile? It is the Marx O34, which is no longer made but not that hard to find. Anything that needs O31 will obviously run fine on O34. The Marx switches are excellent and have a very low switch machine.