Large Scale Central

How do you fix the Aristo craaft switches?

Problem Solving
#1

Ok I know some were, I just can’t find it, there is a answer to how to fix the frog I think on the Aristo switch. I have a few locos that don’t like how tall they are and it keep derailing them.

thanks
Geoff

O ya. they are the wide radius switches.

#2

I believe Aristo sells a replacement frog.
Ralph

#3
Ralph Berg said:
I believe Aristo sells a replacement frog. Ralph
I was hoping there would have been something quick and easy.
#4

I think if you go to Friar Fred’s club site…they have a home brew fix.
Ralph

#5
Geoff George said:
Ralph Berg said:
I believe Aristo sells a replacement frog. Ralph
I was hoping there would have been something quick and easy.
Quick and easy? Check this: http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips2/aristo_turnout_tips.html#frogs
#6

check with Gregg Elmaison google his name and his website will come up, I believe he has done this on his website. The Regal

#7

I grind the frog down with a dremel tool with a 9901 bit-

(http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/HomeDepotCanada/images/catalog/7fc27235-e62f-439c-af3e-c5daf093da5e_4.jpg)

I have done about 20 wide radius switches this way. Run the dremel at high speed with a steady hand at about a 30 degree angle. I keep a wheel set handy as a depth gauge. -Brian

#8

Geoff,
this fix has been around for about five years. The replacement frog does require the switch to be removed to access the retaining screws. the end effect is the same as modifying the frog with switch insitu. With a large fine or second cut file, gently file across the track in the vicinity of the plastic frog. The intention is to reduce the height of the frog back to adjacent railhead height. Some recommend small washers under the adjacent rail ends to raise the rail to frog height. To me this is putting the cart before the horse. Fix the problem first by bringing the plastic rail height equal to railhead.

     Once accomplished,  then using a small flat file,  the same width as the flangeway,  gently run the file through the flangeway with the file held at an approximate 45 degrees to the base of the flangeway.  This has the effect of using the tip of the file as a chisel point and smoothly removed material through the plastic frog.  It is personal preference to have a flange bearing frog or not,  depending on how deep you recess the flangeway.  By having the wheel flanges running on the base of the flangeway,  then one must ensure that there is no intermix of manufacturer's wheelsets as makers such as B'mann and LGB have deep flanges and so would ride differently through the frog.

     Of course,  prior installation of the switch when new,  one would have tightened all screw connections under the switch,  plus if it is your thing,  seal the screw heads and terminal wires to prevent corrosion,  particularly if in contact with the ground.  I also make throwbar covers from brass sheet,  that significantly reduce the amount of debris catching between the throwbar and adjacent ties.

     I also attach a brass strip (around 0.030" thick)  to the divergent guardrail to better direct the wheelsets through the frog to prevent the flange on the wheel directly hitting the tip of the frog.  The strip is simply bent through 180 degrees at the ends of the guardrail and attaches through slight pressure to the plastic guardrail.  At times I need to remove the strip as some manufacturer's equipment has too narrow wheelset back to back measurements and so the wheeel seizes in the narrowed gap through the guardrail and adjacent railhead.

      There is no easy no work required fix with these switches.  Total effort expended around 20 - 30 minutes per switch to be rewarded with a reliable switch that reduces derailments to zero.  I also recess the divergent point rail into its adjacent mainline rail to assist the transition to the divergent track on the outside rail in the curve.  The straight through point rail does not require 'checking' into its mating rail.  This significantly reduces the tendency for a loco to travel straight through a divergent selected rail with resultant derailment.

      I have around forty (40) wideradius electric switches (with ultra reliable LGB switch motors) with stainless rail and am pleased with their aftermarket modified performance.   A little birdie told me that a modified (from factory) switch is in the future,  that incorporates a lot of the mods we modellers carry out.
#9

Geoff, If you just want to replace the frogs with Aristo’s replacement frogs, they are easy to install… They cost a buck a piece…

Not sure if they are on Aristo’s website store, of if you still have to email Lewis Polk to order them…

As Tim said, they do require the switch to be removed to be installed, but they can be installed in about 10 minutes…

#10

Easier than grinding the frog down, then having shallow grooves:

Loosen the screws underneath and slip a #4 flat washer under the rail. That will lower the frog just enough.

#11

Or if you are going to bother to take the switch up and apart, invest a buck and get the new frog. It takes about 10 minutes to swap frogs once the switch is up from the layout. New frog completely fixes the frog bump problem but does not address the wing rail issues. My heavy locos still split them all the time.

#12

That’s what I’ll do if I ever get a place to put them besides a storage locker :wink:

#13
Jon Radder said:
Or if you are going to bother to take the switch up and apart, invest a buck and get the new frog. It takes about 10 minutes to swap frogs once the switch is up from the layout. New frog completely fixes the frog bump problem but does not address the wing rail issues. My heavy locos still split them all the time.
Mine too. I've read about either replacing the wing rails with brass rail, or gluing in a shim of styrene.

Fr. Fred has a description of his fixes.

#14
Geoff George said:
Ok I know some were, I just can't find it, there is a answer to how to fix the frog I think on the Aristo switch. I have a few locos that don't like how tall they are and it keep derailing them.

thanks
Geoff

O ya. they are the wide radius switches.


As others have said the replacement frog is best.

I have used a belt sander to level the frog and then either a hack sew blade or a dremel to make the groves the proper debth.

I also have ground down the stock rails a little on straight side to make the points slip in to prevent derailments at the points.

Slightly shimming the gaurd rail on the curved side also helps. I used a brass ship but I think the next will be to glue in a shim as Greg has suggested.

Stan

#15

They are all coming up because I am installing rail clamps, that is why I wish to fix them now.
thanks everyone for the info. I knew there was a fix I just could not find it so I took the easy way out and asked the question again. I will keep you all in formed as to how the fix goes.

thanks again
Geoff

#16

Train-Li has kits for both the Aristo wide and #6 switches.
#6 is a stainless replacement and goes for $9.95.
Wide kit is $29.95 and has more than just a metal frog.

For track powered users, the frog can now be powered!!

#17

I (will) have all my #6’s outfitted and I have the WR replacements for my mainline turnouts. Nice to have a metal frog that is made of something harder than plastic or pot metal.

There’s pix on my site under TRACK… Train-Li

Regards, Greg

#18

I know it’s a rotten thing to say but I have a quick solution – replace them with LGB switches,…,.

#19

Or replace them with Train-Li switches!!

#20

update.
filed them down and they are now working fine. can’t say it was fun doing it but I did not have to remove them and it works so I’m happy.