I have a left hand switch that does not work right. The switch keep switching to the straight position. It will not stay in the curve position at all. I have it wired up by fixed voltage. It does the same thing when running on just track voltage as well. Any thoughts on what might be wrong?? I had it working about 5 hours ago, but now it wont work. I cleaned the contacts, they seem very good. Any help will do. Right now I have it hooked up to a small transformer so I can try to fix it. Thanks.
You can't expect a left-hand switch to work right any more than you would expect a right-hand switch to work left.
Sorry. It sounds like a control rail is shorted to the outside rails or to something connected to them.
Bob Nelson
check on all your pins and make sure the insulated track pins are on the correct rail.
Yes, the isulated track pins are in the right spot. And the steel pins all look good. How do you check for a short in the outside rails?? Thanks.
I would pull the bottom plate and check carefully to see if the conductor strip which runs from the control rail to the switch motor is grounded out somewhere.
As a first resort, try it without the bottom plate in place.
With all power disconnected from the turnout and with the points in the non-diverging (straight) position, look for continuity between the straight control rail and the other outside rails. If you see a very high (infinite) resistance, there is no short circuit, and that is not the problem. If you see a low resistance, you have a short circuit. Then you just need to examine every bit of the control rail and the wire connected to it to find what is touching what it shouldn't be touching.
I took off the bottom plate, still nothing. I think its something with the control rail for sure. There is a short circuit. The motor wont stop trying to make the switch to the straight position. When I try to make it to the curve position, it switches back to straight. I will check the soldering job. Thanks.
Okay, I resoldered all the connections. Still no change. What else could it be?? I tried taking out all the steel pins, nothing. Cleaned the rails, nothing. It was working about 6 hours ago. But, the only thing i did to it when i received it, was i added some 3-in-1 oil to the gear that is inside there. Because the switch action was not smooth and fast. It worked after i did that. the oil must have done it, caused it to short circuit or something. Let me know what I should try next. Thanks.
Have you done the test I described above, to verify that it is indeed a short circuit and not some other electrical fault?
How do you check for continuity?? Not sure how you do this.
All the connections match like it is in the operating manual I have. I checked everything. I think It might be the curved outside rail. The one where the two rails that are curved on the outside, But in the middle they are not touching each other. When I run a screwdriver and touch those two rails together i get sparks and the switch goes all crazy. And there is one loose rivet holding the lamp to the base. Could that be the problem?? I tried tightning it, but it wont budge. The light flickers when i play with that lamp holder. But, When i hold it tight no change in switch action, same problem. Humm. This is a real bugger.
To check continuity between the straight control rail and the other outside rails, disconnect all power from the turnout and, with the points in the non-diverging (straight) position, connect your ohmmeter between the straight control rail and the other outside rails. If you see a very high (infinite) resistance, there is no short circuit, and that is not the problem. If you see a low resistance, you have a short circuit.
Okay, Here are my results. On the very outside loing curved rail. the multimeter beeped and read about 178 to almost 220. But the inner short curved rail read just 3 and did not beep. What do I do now? Which rail is bad?? Thanks.
I don't understand what you measured. What is the "very outside loing curved rail"? The outside curved rail has two sections. One is a normal rail and the other is the curved control rail. The control rail is at the end that you would put an insulating pin into. But why are you bothering with that rail anyway? You need to measure the resistance between the straight control rail and common. The straight control rail is the short straight rail between the frog and the end of the turnout. Just connect your ohmmeter leads between the outside rails at the straight outlet of the turnout. One of these is the control rail, the other is common.
When you make the test, be sure that there is no other connection to the turnout, particularly to a transformer or to other track, that the switch motor is attached, and that the turnout is aligned for the straight path.
It occurs to me that you should also verify that the problem is still there before or after the test. So connect the controller and transformer to do that. Then disconnect them to make the test.
So measure from the common center rail assembly to the straight control rail (the shortest rail)? Common in the online diagram from Olsen's say that common is the thick rail in the middle. i tried connect to the two outside rails on the straight end of the turnout, a low reading of 1. Is this right? Still does not work right. Measurement of the shortest and longest rails which is the control straight rail and the common outside rail is 1.
You made the right measurement. The reading of 1 ohm that you got does indicate a short circuit. Now remove the switch motor and see whether that reading (between the two outside rails at the straight end) remains the same. That way we will narrow the problem down to either the turnout itself or the switch motor.
(Lionel's terminology--"common center rail assembly"--is kind of confusing. That rail is I guess common to both paths through the turnout, but should not be confused with the electrical common, which is the outside rails generally.)
Yes, the same measurement of 1 ohm on same rails i did before.
I am guessing there is a short circuit in the rails. One of them at least. Any way we can narrow it down more?
Look at the bottom of the turnout, with the cover off. There is a metal strip going from one end of the straight control rail to the area where the switch machine attaches. It passes diagonally over two of the places where the outside straight rail is attached to the plastic base. There is, I believe a wire that connects that outside straight rail to one of the curved rails. It is possible that that wire or the tabs from the outside straight rail are touching the strip that connects to the straight control rail. They should not touch in either place. Are they touching?
Nope, they are not touching.
The strip opposite that long one, the one with the insulation strip on it, is that supposed to connect to the control rail on the curve on the outside or the same outside rail but the other part of it. In other words is it supposed to connect to the rail closest to the motor housing?
Because when I opened it up for the first time, that strip had come undone from the solder. So i resoldered it to where it was before. humm
Try wrapping a thin piece of cardboard around the strip connected to the straight control rail, at the places where it crosses over the long straight rail attachments, to be sure that there is not some hidden contact, like a bit of solder, underneath the strip making contact between the two.
Also look on the top of the turnout to be sure that the flange of the straight control rail is not bent outward and touching the curved rail near the frog. There is not much of a gap there.
The only other point I can see to check is the eyelet that attaches one end of the strip to the plastic, near the switch machine. Could that eyelet be touching the rail that is near its head on the top of the turnout?
Okay, I put some cardboard in place. I will give it a shot.
Each of those outer strips should connect only to a control rail at the very end of the strip. The other end should end in a pin that connects it to the switch motor.
Ok, Those strips are all soldered to the correct places. It did not work right when i put it on the layout. And that thin metal strip the is on the switch in the exact middle of the switch, where do those end tabs connect? I have one end to the Curve common rail and the other end is not connected to nothing, its just under one of the strips. What now??
It should be connected to the inner ends of the straight and curved center rails and, with a 4-36 x 3/16" binding-head screw to the "common center rail assy". Check out the pictures at Olsen's site.
Yeah, okay that strip is all okay.
I will test it one more time.
I just realized that you could open up another one of your 022s to resolve any questions about how it should look inside.
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