Large Scale Central

Switch is sluggish moving back

Track and Trestles
#1

I need some advice quick as the clan is coming over tomorrow for Christmas day. All of a sudden, the switch on one of the loops is not swinging back all the way which is causing the loco to enter the reverse loop from the wrong direction. the switches on either end are just spring loaded and have always worked just fine in the past. But the one now on the right side of the mainline, after a few loops through the thing appears to be very sluggish in springing back and is not spring back all the way causing the loco to derail.

Any suggestions on how to get this this to snap back as it has always done in the past or why this would be happening all of a sudden?

http://timothydehan.com/redmondcreekrr/images/2008ChristmasLayout/DaylightRun.htm

#2

Some dirt or carpet fuzz in the points or built up under the throw bar? A weak spring, perhaps. LGB or Aristo?

#3

i say try cleaning it you must have some crap in there

#4

Yeah…there is nothing visiable (at least to me). I took some alchohol and cleand the metal area that it slides back and forth on. I was careful to not introduce any threads from the QTip. The QTip was black!!. That seemed to do tha trick. Is there something else I should use here? Something to lube it or something like that?

#5

Try some WD-40…

#6

hmmmmm… I for some reason have been under the impression to ‘NOT’ ever use WD40 in any way around track

#7

Back in the dark ages when I was using track power, WD-40 was all I used for cleaning track. Took the gummy mess right off. Never noticed any ill effects to the track.

#8

LGB smoke fluid, also works as a good cleaner and lubricant, if you have some.

#9
timmyd said:
Yeah...there is nothing visiable (at least to me). I took some alchohol and cleand the metal area that it slides back and forth on. I was careful to not introduce any threads from the QTip. The QTip was black!!. That seemed to do tha trick. Is there something else I should use here? Something to lube it or something like that?
Tim, Don't lube it with anything! That will make it stick again as soon as dirt collects on the lube. Clean it regularly and it will operate better.