can i use light up 022 remotes with lionel brown 027 switches?

[lionel2986]

I have bought some 031 track because I like how the 022 switches light up. However, I have so much 027 track, and like the 027 more so I will sell the little O track I have on ebay. I was curious if there is a way to use 022 switch remotes with the brown lionel 027 65121 or 65122 switches. I have tried but for some reason both the red and green bulbs light up. I would like to somehow have a way to tell the switch position when the layout is in night mode. The standard 027 switches do not have lights on the remotes. Is my only option to go with 1122 switches if I want the lights?

[lionelsoni]

The lights on the controller are wired between the solenoid terminals and the common return (the outside rails). The 022 turnouts disconnect whichever solenoid has last operated, thus shutting off one of the lights. The 1122, like the other O27 turnouts, lacks the switch that disconnects the solenoids. The 1122 controller instead uses a single lamp powered from one of the solenoids and a mechanical shutter, which shows which way the lever was last pushed, but does not report the actual position of the turnout points.

I have added microswitches to many of my O27 turnouts for the purpose of switching power to sidings. Such a switch could just as well be used to mimic the behavior of the 022. However, the surgery was major.

[ben10ben]

Yes, you can. The biggest difference to note in the two is that O27 switches use one of the outer wires for the common, and O22 switches use the center wire as the common. When hooking up an O22 switch controller to an O27 switch, you need to connect the center wire to the post closest to the motor housing, and the two outer wires need to go to the center and outer most post.

I don't believe that the lights will work properly when the controller is connected to an O22 switch.

[lionelsoni]

Any of the controllers discussed will operate any of the turnouts discussed, with the allowance that Ben described for the different terminal arrangements.

However, an O27 controller with lights will go dark in one position when operating an O31 turnout. And an O31 controller will have the lights on all the time when operating an O27 turnout, as you have discovered.

On re-reading your post, I wonder whether you mean that you would resort to 1122 turnouts not for the lights on the controllers, but for the lights on the turnouts themselves. If so, you might consider Marx turnouts. They have a very low-profile switch machine and an omnidirectional light which changes color when the turnout is thrown. The advantage of that is that the light shows the same color to every direction, unlike the red-green lanterns of the Lionel switches, whose color depends on where you are standing.

[lionel2986]

so if I bought 1122 remotes i dont need to modify my new 027 switch tracks for the lights on the remote to work? just have to make sure the last position of the remote corresponds to the switch position?

where could i get these microswitches you speak of perhaps that'll be a less expensive route and I could use block signals i already own to tell me which position the switch is at when the layout is dark.

[lionelsoni]

That's right. But just be aware that the light on the controller just shows which way you last pushed the lever. If the turnout didn't throw, or if it got thrown by the anti-derailing feature, that will not change the controller indication.

[lionel2986]

"But just be aware that the light on the controller just shows which way you last pushed the lever. If the turnout didn't throw, or if it got thrown by the anti-derailing feature, that will not change the controller indication."

you bring up a good point. I thought the 1122 had derail features, lionel didn't consider this when they designed the remote? maybe the microswitch is a better idea i just hope there is not much modification required

[lionelsoni]

The switch is Microswitch V7-2B17D8-048. The Mouser number is the same with 6115 in front. It has a 2-inch lever and a .2 N (.7 ounce) actuating force. It is rated at 11 amperes at 277 volts AC. Mouser's price was $3.64, with price breaks to $3.31 at 10 and $3.13 at 25. I had previously used the very similar but now obsolete Microswitch V3L-2106-D8-BG.

I mount one on the switch deck, with the lever going through a slot I cut in the switch-machine cover, then into another, narrow slot on the plastic throw rod. I screw the switch to the deck; but you could glue it, which might save a lot of trouble. You do need to get the solenoid common disconnected so that you can switch the accessory or center-rail voltage between the two coils. With some luck, you might be able to do this from the top of the turnout, rather than having to take the bottom off, which is a big deal.

Here is a (blurry) picture that may give you an idea of my method:
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=1&TOPIC_ID=59523

[waltrapp]

Bob,

You gotta have more money tied up in ALTERing these switches than they cost!!!! [:D]

BTW: your fix that you helped me with let me salvage my 8 Lionel O42 switches - (to eliminate the buzzing, the one that I wrote the article about). Thanks again.

- walt

[lionelsoni]

Maybe not that much money, but a lot of work!

As for any help I've been, you're welcome.