Hi all,

I've just purchased a small layout for cheap. The layout has been so cheap because it's pretty old and has been stored for a very long time (I believe more than 20 years).

The track on this layout is M-track and there are 8 electrified turnouts with their corresponding turning lanterns. The lanterns get lit, and the visual effect is very nice.

The tracks were terribly rusty, to the point that no locomotive would move on them (even the BR44 with two pickup shoes and so many wheels did not move). I have cleaned the rails and the pukos with a special pad which has wiped all the surface rust off (this item is just great!), and now the locos can go around without stopping at any point (the work has taken a couple hours).

The turnouts, however, do not work properly. Most of them get stuck and won't change, if I move them by hand, or turn the lantern, they will change but they will either remain stuck in the new position, or change to the previous one and get stuck again. The electromagnets work, because I see the lanterns moving, or trying to move, at least.

It's a pity, because after cleaning, the layout is quite nice, and other than this, everything works. Any of you has found the same issue and know a solution?

Thanks and regards.

Edited by user 01 November 2011 00:37:51(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Why not change to C track. No rust and the running quality is way ahead of the old M track. M is OK if you have a lot of it in good condition. I have C track for years and it is now on its second layout and have not had any problems. A few have had problems with a batch of C track but as I usualy buy some every year I have yet to find any that has had faults.
Dont buy from ebay but from a dealer with a shop etc.
You could try K track if you like to ballast yourself.

dave

OK Brakepad,

Didn't know you meant "without removing them from the layout" ... this is more difficult, for sure, especially for a true aligned running surface ... M-tracks usually need to be bent back to their original form after kids step on them.

WD-40 works great, but doesn't take out the bends :/
From the top, you might also try something like KF-F2 (<-- link! FR only, sorry) or similar, its an aerosol to apply at electrical contact joints; gets the current flowing, really nice.

Plz let me know,

Yum

PS: Thanks for info on that scrub pad .. I'll look for it !

Ah, my kind of problem, I enjoy things like this.

A solution I found for a different problem might just work for you. Teflon Spray.

Have a read of my article here which also shows the product....

https://www.marklin-user...bmc/DisplayLayouts/0923/

... I would avoid using WD-40, it may free them initially but you risk leaving a residue behind which will just start sticking again. You could try something like CRC contact cleaner or Electro-Clean which does not leave any residue behind, but I suspect you have some rust that you need to get rid of first.

If it was my layout, here's some options of what I might do;

RUST KILLER - This works really well - basically it's Phospheric Acid, it disolves the rust and often leaves the metal quite clean. You should be able to get some at perhaps a hardware or automotive supply store, or a Gun shop. The normal use is to brush the rust killer over or into the area you want to clean, leave it to work for only a few minutes then wash it away with clean water.

For a turnout, that will be the tricky part, how to run water over the cleaned area without causing other problems? Frankly, if the turnouts are as bad as I suspect then you probably won't make them any worse. But to do it properly you will need to remove the turnouts from the layout because then you have better control over how to get water just where it's needed (and to dry them after).

If you cannot remove the turnouts, then try just doing one only and see how it responds.

After you have applied the rust killer, be sure to operate the sticky part to work the rust killer in where it's needed, and then just leave it to dry.

Next, apply a dose of the Teflon compound, either as a spray, or I have also heard of it being available as a dry substance. I just read that the other day but can't now recall where - it was a comment about my layout so it was either here, or on the B&G. It might have been a 'crayon' type of substance in which case you won't be able to get it where to need it. A spray or powder would be best.

Anyway, I suspect that once you can get rid of as much rust as possible, and can apply some Teflon around the sticky parts you might have some success.

Almost certainly it will be the rivet that the turnout blade pivots on, and the surface under the blade where the most friction will be, and also the hardest area to clean but do also pay attention to the Lantern mechanism, that may be sticking as well.

Quite honestly, it can take longer to repair or restore things like this than it's probably worth - many people will say 'just replace the turnouts', but perhaps that's not an option, either for cost, or availability. But there is immense personal satisfaction in making something like this work (again as my own success with the factory 0923 layout will prove). It's also often quite relaxing.

PS: If you do not like the appearance of the metal after it has been rust-cleaned, you can get the 'black' metal appearance back with some "Gun Blue", but for Gun Blue to work (and look good), the metal has to be REALLY clean. You might not be worried about this so it's up to you. Get "Gun Blue" at your nearest Gun shop. Again, you can see what I did with rusty solenoid covers using this product.

Oh, and one of my most valuable tools is a small wire (brass) brush on my hand power tool. I actually use a "Rotomatic", it's similar to a Dremel tool (see image), the wire brush is very good for cleaning away surface rust in tricky areas.

Good luck, I hope this helps and I'd like to know how you get on.

Cheers

Steve
Melbourne

Yum,

The problem with these turnouts is not that they have been bent or mistreated; the layout has been stored for a very long time and I'm assuming rust has been doing some work on them, unfortunately.

Steve,

Thanks SO MUCH for your long and detailed reply. I had not thought about any kind of "dry film", but I guess it will be a great help if I can find something like that over here. As I'm writing this, 3 of the turnouts already work perfectly (I mean: a short impulse will change them to either side), 2 can be changed by pressing 3 or 4 times the button (what I don't like very much) and 3 of them remain stuck. Making them work by hand several times has "softened" the stuck parts, but in any case they need some attention, and I will try to find and apply the product you mention even on the turnouts which already work OK.

I have to say that I had not seen your layout page, and have enjoyed the explanation, the pictures and the video as if I was the kid looking through a shop window back in the seventies (I was born in '74). One of the sides of this hobby that I like most is just "recover" things, whatever they are: mainly locomotives, but also carriages, signals, and in this case, the layout is a nice challenge, and your layout page awesome. Thanks so much for that as well.

Regarding "my new" layout...at the moment I only have one picture (from the seller), it's not very good but gives an idea about what we are talking. I will try to post some more when I'm able to take them. Some of the layout buildings are missing in the pictures, but most of them were given to me in a bag when i picked the layout up. There are 3 buildings, however, which were never installed in this layout. You will see that, in their places, the light bulbs are visible. It seems that this layout had been built little by little and was never 100% finished. It's 100% functional, though (other than the sticky turnouts!).



Thanks and best regards.

Great to hear that my tip worked for you. Can you give some details on the actual Teflon spray that you used?, picture or name of the product?, it will surely be helpful to others.

By the way your layout looks like possibly a Noch product (the mat), someone with a Noch catalogue may be able to confirm?, might also be Kibri, I don't think it's Faller.

Have fun with it, it seems to offer some interesting 'play' possibilities, shunting etc, it could also be expanded and you could even build a full length tunnel along the back for more effect.

Cheers

Steve

Steve,

Thanks again. The product is called "Quilosa Quilube Aerosol", but I don't know if this product is available outside Spain:

http://www.quilosa.com/p...p;navegacion=Lubricantes

There is a large sports retailer called "Decathlon", very popular in all Euro countries, which sells also a Teflon spray. I have not used it, but I assume that these products are quite similar, and the one from Decathlon is readily available almost everywhere in EU. I'm pointing this out, because Decathlon stores are everywhere. This spray is intended for "dry" bicycle chain lubrication. According to the specs, avoids that dust and dirt gets stuck to the parts which have been treated with it:

http://www.decathlon.co....182709.html#ancre-detail

Regarding to the layout, I'm very curious about its origin. It's obvious that it had been designed specifically for M-track, or it seems so, because the marks for laying the tracks are perfectly adjusted to the M-track profile, what is particularly evident at the turnouts.

I haven't found any brand or part number on the mat itself, so I have no idea about who manufactured it. I have noticed, however, that all or most of the scenery items were manufactured by Heljan, including:

The "Spanish railway station" p/n 151 (which actually reproduces the Avila station, it still exists):



The "pedestrian overpass" p/n 1736 (not visible in the picture-it was given to me in a bag and it's supposed to be located behind the platforms, I still have to set it up):



Two units of the "long passenger platform", p/n 1753, in front of the station:



The "watermill" p/n 1771:



The "suburban house" p/n 213:



The "village church", p/n 202:



The "gas station" p/n 908:



I haven't been able to find the other kits, they may either be from another manufacturer or just discontinued items from Heljan. I wonder if Heljan made at some point layout mats. If so, chances are that this one was made by Heljan as well. Any hints? :)

Thanks!