Bruce yes rail zip will work for the contacts, I add a few drops here and there on my walthers turntable and I have no problems
Would the light application of "rail zip" help restore contact?
73
Bruce in the Peg
Do they still make FOAM tipped swabs? Back in the day I used these to clean my tape deck. Cotton swabs, definitely a bad idea, they will leave bits of fiber and cause as many problems as they solve. The foam ones leave no fibers. Use with 90% isopropyl alcohol and it should clean things right up.
If the contacts are dirty, you should see flickering headlights, or sound cutting in and out as the bridge rotates. If it's completely dead, there may be other problems. There are multiple rows of contacts, because all of the electronics are inside the bridge - it would be unlikely for just the bridge rail contacts to be dirty and everything else fine, so you would probably see some erratic operation as the power and signal to the electronics fluctuated over the dirty contacts.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Gee... I should hope that the turntable is dead. It is an inanimate object, after all, and you would not want one that is alive. You would have to feed it, and clean its litter box. Imagine being awakined at night by a rampant turntable running though the house, bouncing upon the chairs, and climbing the curtains. That is what you have a cat for, the turntable should stay put on the train layout and move only when you move it.
A live turntable indeed, What you be thinking!
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I had the same problem with my walthers turntable, I applied some contact cleaner too the points on the bridge part, and works great.
Bruce, unless you feel confident in your macro vision, you might want to call a friend on this one. The contacts need to be wiped carefully with a metal cleaner and a Q-Tip. I would even try Dextron Mercon plastic/paints compatible ATF as a first resort since it has detergent properties. This must be done by someone who has good vision as you don't want to spread any contaminants elsewhere inside the well where the various concentric contact metal rails are located. This is as tricky as cleaning phosphor wipers...one error and "twang!"There goes a tine.
I would try the ATF of an appropriate type, and then try to wipe it clean with a clean, lint-free cloth...the concentric rings I mean. The wipers need individual cleaning with a controlled hand, good light, and good vision, and the same treatment.
The few times I experienced problems with my first generation model of the indexed modern version, it was dirt in the wiper mechanism, something that seems impossibly easy given my care and maintenance to prevent those problems. I even had to disassemble the drive mechanism on the one end of the bridge early, only to find it already impacted by dog hairs, crud, and bits of ground foam. I was completely shocked because I always vacuumed the pit before each use. I was religious about it. Or, so I keep telling myself.
-Crandell
Walthers DCC turntable has lost power to the bridge track. It is connected per instructions to use the track power to operate. The TT operates well but I have lost the bridge power. I suspect the contacts in the center of the pit may be dirty. The manual is quite vague as to how this is done. They just say to use a plastic compatible cleaner. These contacts appear to be very delicate. I hesitaie to use a cotton swab as it may leave fibers down in the center of the pit. How should I clean them without bending them out of shape?