Need professional advice update

[Mr Mechanic]

I received the new decoder boards yesterday and installed them. Everything is working fine,both of the GP7s run good in a consist and was able to reverse the forward direction in one to run long hood forward. I installed one in the GP 38-2 and had no problems changing the address to 1. Happy with how everything turned out,no more hum while they are running. Now I need to work on the old Atlas turnouts to keep them from shorting out when switching tracks. Was thinking of grinding the track where they short out and use something like JB Weld to make new track where I grind it out.

[jward]

where are they shorting?

[Mr Mechanic]

From what I can see, it is across from the point or frog. I thought it was the frog and across from it seemed too far apart to short, but I can see little burnt sports where it is happening. I would only need to do a 1/4 in of track on one side to stop it. I have read of people using clear nail polish to stop it from happening, but I wanted to do something a little more permanent. Just running the trains straight through seems to be okay,it's when I switch the track or back through the turnout it shorts. 

[jward]

are these the type with metal frogs? if so, are the frogs powered? on some atlas switches there was an optional metal bus bar that was used to power the frog. this was intended to be hooked up to a snap relay. if your switches have one of these installed, try removing or disconnecting it.

[Mr Mechanic]

Tried to post a picture but it says it's too big, The switches are 40 year old Tyco and I think they are powered all the way through. They are glued and ballasted in place and I don't really want to take them up, be easier to grind a little and make the track up with JB Weld or body putty.

[Mr Mechanic]

I know that I am going to hear about "I should have done more research"  but I wouldn't have know what research to do until I have experienced the problems I am running into. So far the problems I am running into have been simple fixes. Other than the switch problem,everything is working good.

[jward]

you cannot post photos directly to the forum. you have to upload them to photobucket or flikr then post the link here.

try that. and once we know exactly what we are working with we can offer better suggestions on how to resolve the problem.

for what it's worth I don't think you'll have much luck trying to build a frog out of jb weld.

[Mr Mechanic]

http://s1361.photobucket.com/user/mechanicstan/media/100_3795_zpssuhee6rn.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
Hope this works. The short is where the screwdriver is pointing. I wont be building a frog,just grind and replace the part of track that is shorting,about a 1/4 of an inch worth.

[Hunt]

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The short is where the screwdriver is pointing. I won't be building a frog, just grind and replace the part of track that is shorting, about a 1/4 of an inch worth.

[Mr Mechanic]

Thank you for doing that. First time using Photobucket.

[jward]

thanks for posting the photo.

it looks to me like the guard rails are spaced too widely. they are supposed to guide the wheels away from touching where they do, by pulling the other side of the wheelset closer to the stock rail.

the obvious solution, to respace the guard rail to nmra specs, would require a lot of work, including removal of the existing guard rail and fabrication of a new one. you'd have to do this for each guard rail.

fortunately, if the widely spaced guard rails are not causing derailment problems there is an elegantly simple solution here. carefully cut gaps in the two rails at about the location of the screwdriver point. this will effectively lengthen the dead area of the frog past where the wheels short out.

my dad did this on the first area of his layout, placed in service in march 1978. he used atlas #6s in this area, and had similar shorting problems. he also for good measure cut gaps on the other end of the frog, just beyond the wing rails. you will have stalling problems with short wheelbase locomotives like the 0-6-0, but longer wheelbase locomotives and most diesels will run through just fine.

learning the lessons from this area, he handlaid the rest of the railroad, building his own switches. but to this day, slaty fork yard is still in service with the original brass atlas switches. 38 years of heavy usage is not bad.....

[jbrock27]

...the old Atlas turnouts

The switches are 40 year old Tyco and I think they are powered all the way through.

Are they Atlas or Tyco?  And either one comes stock as insulfrog and not powered all the way through.  Are these switches/turnouts, "Snap Switches" or numbered?

[jbrock27]

And to Mr. Ward's point, if you had a NMRA Standards Gauge, you could check several dimensions of the components of the turnout/switch.  Such as, the Guard Rails, Wing Rails, Frogs, gauge of the track... 

[K487]

Mr. Mechanic:

Just a note about clear fingernail polish.

A few years ago I was having some little movement hiccups at the frog area of a turnout.  I figured, like yours, at least one metal drive wheel on a diesel was momentarily touching and shorting out on the adjacent rail top, and I was correct.  So I cleaned the rail top area with some alcohol on a rag, borrowed my wife's clear fingernail polish, and with a toothpick or something applied the polish about 1/4" in length on the top of the offending one rail.  I let it cure for about an hour then did it again.

Well, it's been over four years and the fix is still working fine (and I run two engines with 63 cars over that fix about 10 times every two days or so.)  And of course, the fix is invisible.   Also, I'd bet that two or three thin applications on the side of a cleaned rail-head would work fine too.

K487

[Mr Mechanic]

Sorry about the Tyco Atlas mix up,have had wicked sinus headaches...weather change. They are definitely Atlas and I am not sure about "snap switches" but I seem to remember them being called that. They have power all the way through with a volt meter. Cutting a space in the track sounds like a good fix,will try one and see how it works. Another question I have is how often do I need to do maintenance on the engines,Lube them.I figure about 1 or so hours a day running time. I am using Labelle #107 for bushings and #106 for gears and when I do lube them I take them completely apart,wash the trucks out with Dawn dish washing liquid and warm water, use air to blow out the water and re lube them. Thank all for the advice.