enginear joe Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Does anyone have problems with the newest Aristo #6 switches? I replaced several older ones thinking they may fail and now I'm having more derails than ever before? Engines and cars are picking the points, engines in consist are jumping at the frogs. WTH! I see they made the guardrails longer and differently shaped. I think they should work the same overall. The points look like a new shape and maybe a problem. I will try to level and support the switches better underneath and hope for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman4449 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I don't have any of the new ones but jumping at the frogs is something I always had problems with on my Aristo #6 stainless switches. The solution for that was to move the flange guides in so that they would actually function as needed and guide the car wheels through the switch. Original switch: Flange Guides modified: (requires bending the ends out and grinding the rail base on the inside so you can actually move the flange guide closer to the outer rail) On the picking of the points perhaps bending the tips out just a bit will help. The best way to fix is to grind out the side of the outside rail so the switch points will recess into the side of the rail as ive seen with LGB switches but grinding Stainless Steel is really tough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 You know, I should remember those pics of yours. Back then I only had the wide ones. So I never needed to make that modification. The wide ones only needed the plastic frog cut deeper. I forgot about these. I will take a look at this. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman4449 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I hope it helps some. I debt with the flanges riding the frog point and derailing for a long time before I looked into it. Im glad I took the time and fixed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 It appears there's something in the gap of the frog? Is that to help with wheels dropping into the frog? I remembered your posts about removing the micro switch and that's the first thing I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman4449 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 At the time I had some heavy duty outdoor adhesive in the bottom to smooth out wheels going through the frog and reduce wear on the frog but I later purchased some metal frog spacers from aristocraft that just drop right in and serve that purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Miller Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 At one time Train-LI sold the drop in frog spacers and also did Aristo...................Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 I swear I bought something from Aristo years ago for that. It's stored away because I didn't own those switches back then. I'll have to go dig them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted June 4, 2016 Author Share Posted June 4, 2016 I found some ss inserts that must lay into the bottom of the frog to help with wheel dipping. To be fair here, I noticed that these switches are not supported after my ballast has settled again. It appears that I skimped on ballast around the working parts of the switch to prevent debris from hindering switch throw. I now re-leveled the switch area ballast to see how they do. It also appears that Aristo may have viewed Ray's pages and have modified their switches. The guard rails have angled ends and appear to be moved in closer to do more work. I will test further to see if it's cured now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNSF 828 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 If that's true, Aristo should provide Raymond some form of stipend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I place my switches on flagstones to help support them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 Well, things are improving now. I placed concrete mix on the ballast and flattened out the area under each new shed crossover switch. That worked for those two that were acting up. I believe the frog's area were left unsupported, and were dipping. That allowed the wheels to derail. My modified MTH B40-8's two axle trucks seem to pick a certain switch only in one direction. It's an old switch they're picking! I replaced it with a new one and it stopped. These trucks are now free as I body mounted the KD couplers. When running in reverse, it seemed to hug the siding's switch points and the front axles picked them. So the rear axles went straight and the front took the siding. Well that's over I believe and I will have to grind the old switch to match the new. The same engine jumped the tracks at another switch and caused the train to derail as it slammed to a stop. I took everything off and just ran the engine. Sure enough it jumped every time. This engine used to run great? At closer look the sliders were catching the frog so well the engine would jump in the air and off the tracks she'd go. So I remember reading Ray's advice and bent the sliders level with the track. Now she runs great......... for now? My triplex picked another older crossover set and I'll have to look at that set next. I don't know how you guys run those heavier engines? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman4449 Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 When saying 'picking' do you mean wheel flanges catching the switch points or frog points? Not sure what that crossover looks like but I've never seen any engine pick a crossover frog/guide. (I'm trying to picture how that would happen) Do you mean a slider catching on something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 Two different issues were being described by the same engine on two different switches. The slider was catching on the frog and making the engine jump. & yes The wheel's flanges were picking the points or switch rails and derailing (one truck went straight, the other took the siding!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 I got this switch direct from Polk's Gen Next. It has two bang marks on the rail right at the point, and the point looks bent a hair on the straight direction. Maybe someone at the factory tried to adjust it by force? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 another view of the train... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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