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Turnout trouble

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  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 8:21 AM

PKRobbins,

You will find this link useful. They make manual ground throws for all scales. Click on link:

http://www.cabooseind.com/BasicInfo

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

  • Member since
    November 2014
  • 14 posts
Posted by PKRobbins on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 8:03 AM

Thanks all. I'd only used snap switches in the past. I'll have to find some manual throws. 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,592 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 7:08 AM

If you do not have a switch motor or a ground throw attached, then the points are free to move. Railroads will spike such switch points. Hesk, *I* will spike such switch points until I can get a motor mounted for that switch.

If you are still "picking" the points, Inspect them! you may need to file down an offending burr or some ballast or debris on the tracks. Happens on the railroads too.

 

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
    December 2011
  • From: Northern Minnesota
  • 2,774 posts
Posted by NP2626 on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 6:26 AM

PKRobbins

So I've got one of my loops up and running with a DC pack to test things out.  I'm having trouble with one #6 turnout.  The train will open it when aprroaching and go onto the siding uninvited.  At very low speed it does not happen, sometimes it will take 2 or 3 passes through it before it misbehaves.

 

Need to know who is the manufacturer of the turnout your using and if it you have used a switch machine; or, ground throw?

NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"

Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association:  http://www.nprha.org/

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 1:01 AM

What Jay said unless it's a Peco turnout. They have a holding spring that keeps the points in position. The spring can be removed if you use a swicth machine with the turnout so it doesn't have to fight the spring's tension. If it was removed or omitted in assembly, reinstalling it will fix it  so it holds the position you choose.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: S.E. Adirondacks, NY
  • 3,246 posts
Posted by modelmaker51 on Monday, January 5, 2015 7:51 PM

It's not misbehaving, you need some kind of device to keep the points of the switch in position, either a ground throw such as a Caboose Industries # 202 for manual operation or a Tortoise motor drive or a double solenoid. These are just 3 options of many.

Jay 

C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1 

Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums 

  • Member since
    November 2014
  • 14 posts
Turnout trouble
Posted by PKRobbins on Monday, January 5, 2015 7:21 PM

So I've got one of my loops up and running with a DC pack to test things out.  I'm having trouble with one #6 turnout.  The train will open it when aprroaching and go onto the siding uninvited.  At very low speed it does not happen, sometimes it will take 2 or 3 passes through it before it misbehaves.

 

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