Totally Tubular

I have amassed a fair amount of tubular 3-rail O Gauge track over the years as well as several O22 switches. Changing to some kind of fancy modern track system was definitely not in our budget. Let’s just say I have enough Scottish blood in me to turn me into a rip-roaring skinflint at times...

Because the track and switches we used had been in storage for almost 25 years, there was a fair amount of surface rust to contend with. In addition, all of the O22 switches would need to be serviced.

The first thing we did — and we should have done this earlier in the process — was to build a temporary workbench to have a place to clean the track.

Constructing the workbench was simple: We took an old kitchen counter
we had stored in the basement and balanced it on two sawhorses.
The first batch of dirty track is lined up and ready to go.

After we had a clean, sturdy place to work, we went about disassembling our prototype layout and arranging everything into neat piles for cleaning and servicing.

This is one of those points in the project where you find yourself muttering
“Things will get worse before they get better...”

We also assembled all the necessary cleaning fluids, lubricants, and a thick pack of fine grit sandpaper.

It’s not a Lionel #5C Service Station Test Set, but it meets our basic needs...

After a brief primer concerning the “why’s” and “how’s” of cleaning track, the girls divided hundreds of pieces into piles and got to it.

From top-to-bottom, Jane, Claire, and Megan clean track. During these times,
I reminded the girls that hundreds of years ago, families used to have lots and lots of children
so there would always be an adequate supply of labor on the farm.
This was not a popular line of conversation....

As it turned out, daughter Claire is an expert track cleaner. Her track consistently turned out looking shiny and new. Claire was quick to point out that the track she cleaned was “even better than her father’s”.

Claire demonstrates her flawless track cleaning technique.

While the girls were busy cleaning track, I set about cleaning and servicing the twenty-two O22 switches required by our layout. The service time for each switch ranged from 30-60 minutes. Because I could only spend 2-3 hours in the evenings, this turned out to be a long project.

The girls pretty much monopolized the workbench to clean track — and believe me, I didn’t want to interrupt them — so my switch cleaning activities were relegated to a piece of brown paper on top of the layout table.

There’s no real glamor in cleaning and servicing switches....
Just hands coated with lubricant, a mound of dirty Q-Tips, and a lot of patience.

I’m not sure how others do it, but my approach to cleaning and servicing O22 switches is pretty simple:

Verify that the non-derailing feature works (in both directions) before disassembling the switch
Disassemble the switch
Clean all moving parts inside the switch motor (use track cleaner and Q-Tips)
Polish all electrical contacts until shiny
Lubricate all moving parts with graphite
Test the switch motor at 14 volts (Repeat Steps 3-5, if necessary)
Remove any rust from the track rails and polish the black plastic base using Endust (or another non-wax equivalent)
Polish the switch motor cover with Endust
If the non-derailing feature is not working (as determined in Step 1), remove the metal cover from underneath the rails and make sure that the sheet-metal connectors are not broken or detached. Solder any loose pieces back into place.
Reassemble the switch, test the non-derailing feature, and ensure that the switch snaps into place at 14 volts.

The most satisfying thing about this approach, is that the results are quite striking, as the following before and after pictures demonstrate.

Here’s the “before” version...

...and the “after”:

When comparing the two photos, notice the difference in the amount of rust on the rails and
the shininess and overall presentability of the plastic.

Making sure that all of the switches are in first-rate operating condition is a critical job. Since the majority of derailments occur over switches, every extra bit of effort here will pay off in less time spent crawling across the tabletop untangling an Addams Family-style pileup.

These side by side “before and after” photos below show how effective Endust is on the
phenolic plastic switches and covers.

After all the switches were serviced, my daughter Jane and I tested them again individually and rated them on a scale of 1 to 3:

1 – Snaps crisply at 14 volts
2 – Operates correctly at 14 volts, but may slide, not “snap”
3 – Operates correctly, but may require up to 18 volts to close fully

We took all the “Number 1’s” and put them in the “high usage” points on the high speed mainline. When running our trains at speed, we don’t want to have to worry about balky switches slowing us down and/or causing derailments.

We then took the “Number 2’s” and placed them on the mainlines, but at points that are likely to be used less frequently (e.g., the small spur that connects the two tables).

Finally, all the “Number 3’s” were used in the freightyard or for sidings. When backing a train onto a siding, all other operating action usually stops. At that point, the operator is better able to make fine adjustments to things like train speed, switch voltage, uncoupler track operation, etc. Through careful placement on the layout, the balkiness of these “Number 3” switches will be overcome through extra operator attention.

It took a few weeks, but all of the track got cleaned and all the switches were serviced. The girls’ hard work was met with a timeless reward: grubby paws.

Ahhh, there’s nothing like the smell of tinplate and track cleaner in the morning...

With one of the hardest parts of the job done, it was time to go back under the table and bring up all the accessories that would fit!