Newbie question about switches

[Anonymous]

I've recently inherited Dad's 1947 lionel 2025 and ZW transformer (250 watt version).

I've been buying parts off of ebay like mad the last few months and have recently set up an 8X12 layout in the basement.

I'm not totally done wiring it and yesterday I noticed that the frog of my 027 switches is extremely hot to the touch. Is this because I have a short somewhere? Looking at one instruction sheet I have I've put the insulating plastic pins in the "v" of the switch. In another instruction sheet it shows them both on the same side of the turnout(in other words, not on the same rail, but on both the "right" or both "left " rails). Which is correct?

Thanks for the help.

The Plastic Lizard (not my given Christian name)

[lionelsoni]

I can't imagine what is making your frogs hot. Are they all hot, or just one?

The 1122 (O27) switches made in 1952 are different from the later ones. The 1952 switches used sections of the outer rails for control rails, but had no need for insulating pins. See http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/swt/stc1122a.pdf . The later 1122 switches need an insulating pin in each of the rails radiating from the frog, which I think is what you called the "v" of the switch. See http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/swt/st1122e1.pdf . (Beware if you look at the links to the thumbnails that link to these pdfs: They are swapped.)

It sounds like you might have seen a picture of an early 022 (O) switch, which used insulating pins in the way you describe last. See http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/swt/stc022a.pdf .

[Big_Boy_4005]

Heat can be caused by resistance. Sometimes track joints can become hot enough to burn you. The cause is usually dirt or corrosion on a track pin, causing poor current flow.

If you had an actual direct short, the circuit breaker on the transformer would pop.

Electricity needs a good path to flow, just like water. A dirty track pin is like a partially blocked pipe. Another possible solution is to add a feeder wire, giving the electricity a smooth path around the bad connection.

I'm not exactly sure where the weak connection in the switch, but some how the flow is blocked, and the feeder solution may fix it. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

It turns out more than the switches were hot. The track sections themselves were getting hot.

I didn't relize I had both 1122 and 1122E switches. The insulating pins need to be in different spots.

Good answer lionelsoni

Thanks