Large Scale Central

More Flood Damage

Track and Trestles
#1

I’ve only just recently been able to fully assess the extent of our flood damage two weeks ago here in the wet and western UK.

The main area of trackbed was under 12 inches of very muddy brown water for the second time in as many years (“Flood of the Century” - Ha, Ha), so I have reluctantly decided to relay the trackwork in this area, moving the switches to somewhere less vulnerable. So last weekend I lifted all the trackwork to check the damage.

Our Aristo brass track is all OK once hosed down. But our Aristo Wye, No. 6 and Wide Radius switches are well and truly gunged up with fine sandy silt.

So my question is this - What’s the best way to clean switch mechanisms - wet or dry?

I’ve never been inside the switch mechanism box, presumably some horrors await! When I’m all done should I oil or grease and if so, where?

We’re all on-board battery and live steam, so I’m not worried about electrical contacts, just the mechanical reliability.

Any help would be welcomed - Many Thanks in advance.

Mike

#2

First with clean water under low pressure, don’t want to damage anything! Then once you have got the bulk of the dirt out, use the old shop VAC and suck them dry (the wet/dry type) and not the household unit!! Then let them dry out completely, some place warm and dry for several days. Then do a very complete inspection of the entire switch and clean out the remainder of any dirt. This is going to take some time, whlie you are letting things dry out work on track and roadbed.

Paul

#3

Thanks very much Paul

That’s just about what I had planned.

But I’m still anxious about opening up the switch control - am I right in rememberiig reading that there’s a spring likely to fly out?

Mike

#4

Just put a dish towel over the switch control and open it carefully. That way you shouldn’t loose the spring. When you reassemble, it is much the same as putting the spring in a Kadee coupler box.

Good luck.

#5

Of course, switches seem to work quite nicely without the box. Just move the points by hand.

#6

Thanks Steve and Tom.

Steve, that’s helpful but I don’t use Kadees so that’s also a bit scary. Do you know if the technique you mention is on their website - or even on LSC?

Tom, this may be the more radical solution that I was perhaps looking for! Is this what you have done? Are there any downsides?

Mike

#7

The technique is fairly simple. The trick comes in finding the spring after it has gone “Sproing!” That is where the towel comes in during disassembly. Just cover the assembly and your hands with the towel as you remove the last screw holding it together. The towel will capture the escaping spring as it “sproings,” which it might do, but probably won’t, if you are careful and pull things apart slowly.

Assembly is a bit different. Again, finding the spring after it has launched itself is the key. What I have found useful is to take a 3-4 foot length of sewing thread of a color that contrasts with the carpet and thread it through the lumen of the spring, then wrap it loosely around two or three coils before attempting to put the spring back in. That way, if the spring gets away from you, it won’t get far, dragging all that thread with it, and the thread is easy to spot because it contrasts with the carpet. Once successfully installed, the thread is easy to pull out because there is no knot to untie.

Good luck!

I was going to suggest putting the switch mechanism boxes in the post and sending them to Navin at Aristo to work his magic, but I see that you live in “the old sod,” so that might not be cost effective.

Courage!

#8

If I may suggest…get rid of those gawd awful switch throws that come with the Aristo switches, and replace them with a simple Barrel Bolt throw.

Go to the OVGRS website at : www.ovgrs.org/ for a few pictures of them…cheap and very fuctional.

#9
Tom Ruby said:
Of course, switches seem to work quite nicely without the box. Just move the points by hand.
I have several switches without boxes that I use this way. They certainly look much better and function fine. When time permits I will probably remove the boxes from the rest of my switches. Eventually I may do as Fred suggests and use the Barrel Bolt throws. Ralph
#10

Ric Golding worked his this way, but now has tenmille ground throws. I can’t switch the switch by bare toe any more. I have to say, those ground throws are pretty nice.

#11

Here’s the like for Fred’s Barrel Bolt switch throw. Very useful. Look about half-way down the page…

http://ovgrs.editme.com/Switches

#12

Many, many Thanks to you all.

I shall definitely try them without the switch throws - and look into a longer term solution this winter.

Mike