#252 Gate Failure!

[phillyreading]

Jon,

I must have got five of the six switches you sent back as mine were all DUDS!!!   The first problem to occur was when running a Williams diesel locomotive through the switch, the next problem was a power issue inside the switch-it just went dead even though there was power at the correct terminal.  Williams Trains even sent me back an email stating that the switch in question was of bad design.  Lionel refused to help me on this problem, Lionel authorized repair shops never heard of this problem so they would not help me.

Went with GarGraves switches and track since then and have put the Lionel switches up for sale.  With GarGraves either the switch motor works or it don't work and can be replaced seperately from the switch without taking up the switch from the track layout.

Lee F.

[Kooljock1]

Lee,

I know this will be hard to believe, but if you get a set of those switches that work, they'll work almost indefinitely without any maintenence. The trick of course is getting the good ones. I find around 50% are duds. So I think it's a probelm of materials and assembly more than design. I've got five of them on my layout in daily use with never a glitch in ten years.

But I did have to send six back!

Jon

[phillyreading]

Jon,

Maybe you can find a post war part to fit in at a train show and replace the new one.  I too have had trouble with new Lionel stuff like switches for O gauge track part # 6-23011 & 6-23010.

Lee F.

[msacco]

Jon,

HOpe you get it fixed but you  shouldn't be surprised your postwar one still works. Overseas is modern stuff is just not of the same quality. I've noticed this with some other signals I've purchased based on Postwar models.

Mike S.

[Kooljock1]

Definitely the #252-4. I think the part was made from zamack and just failed. It's pretty soft stuff.


Jon

[lionelsoni]

With the old cam as a pattern, I would just try to make a new one, perhaps from brass.  (If you do, note whether the old one is a 252-4 or a 252-4X, with the hole rotated 45 degrees.)

[Kooljock1]

Wellllll...not really! I have an original Lionel Corp #252 Gate in operation on my layout. I picked it up at a train show on Long Island when I was 12. It was old then, it is older now. It still works like a champ!

My problem is with my "Mainline" die-cast #252 from a few years ago. It stopped going down. The lights were on, but no one's home!

I disassembled it (after first placing a Banjo Signal in it's place!), and found that the cam (part #252-4) had cracked and disintegrated. So here I have a circa 1952 plastic #252 that's still soldiering on, while the 2000 era die-cast #252 is busted!

I sure hope Lionel sells that part, cause everything else still works great.

Jon