The 5 Minute Marx Switch Fix

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I use Marx turnouts (switches) throughout my O27 layout. I like these because they are compatible with virtually any locomotive and rolling stock ever made that is designed for O27 curves. I find that all makes of trains travel through these turnouts smoother than on modern designs, especially at high speeds or when backing up. These turnouts are also easy to find, durable and inexpensive. All that is required for nearly all locomotives and cars is a simple 5-minute alteration to the original Marx design.

What Is The Difference?

A typical Lionel O27 turnout. Note the guardrails.

The main design difference between old Marx turnouts made between circa 1940 and circa 1970 and those of other companies is their "frogless" design which eliminates the need for guardrails on the turnout. Modern turnouts operate much like the prototype (real railroad) designs with movable "points" at one end which lead the wheels of the train to one of two routes. The spot where the diverging route meets the inside straight rail a v-shaped rail, called a "frog" is created. Also, a gap must be present in the inside straight rail and the inside diverging rail to allow the flanges of train wheels to pass. To prevent the train from derailing on this gap guardrails are required on the opposite side which keep the wheels from falling into the gap.

A typical Marx metal turnout. Note the movable rails.

On older Marx turnouts, both the diverging rail and the center rail swivel as a single unit from route to route. Thus there are no frogs and no gaps, and therefore no guardrails are required. This creates a smoother passage for the train as there are no gaps to "bump" through and no chance of wheels derailing on such gaps. So, while more modern turnout designs for O27 trains look more realistic, the old metal Marx design offers several operational advantages.

"Fat" Wheels

So why did Marx design their turnouts differently than other manufacturers? The main issue is the so-called "fat wheel". On many early O gauge and O27 locomotives the spur gear from the locomotive motor turned the drive wheels directly via large gears attached to the back of the drive wheels themselves. The diameter of these gears was often the same or only slightly smaller than the drive wheels themselves. This created a "fat wheel" that could not pass through guardrails or other track obstructions. While most manufacturers abandoned the "fat wheel" prior to 1942, Marx maintained the design on all locomotives until 1950, and continued it on many Marx locomotives until the end of Marx production in the 1970's. Therefore, Marx kept the frogless design to accommodate their contemporary line of locomotives.

Fat Wheels on a Marx #400 Steamer

Pick 'Em Up Right

The other difference between Marx products and other, and the one that requires our "fix", is in the design of the electrical pickups on the center rail.  Marx locomotives, as seen in the top photo on the left, use a long copper strip that slides along the center rail. This design maximizes the contact area with the center rail and also prevents the pickup from catching on any gaps that may exist in the center rail due to crossings, turnouts or other special track sections. These pickups, which are also used on Marx's "small gear" locomotives, have no trouble passing through turnouts made by any manufacturer.

Smaller Gears on a Lionel #8141 Steamer

The Catch

Lionel and most non-Marx locomotives use small roller wheels to contact the center rail. These wheels reduce friction with the track but have a smaller contact area and are susceptible to snagging on small gaps in the center rail. Lionel turnouts are designed so that these gaps are small enough to prevent snagging by these pickups. Marx turnouts, however, are not designed this way and some roller pickup locomotives, but not all, may catch on these gaps in the Marx turnout and derail. This is why many O27 operators believe that Marx turnouts are not compatible with Lionel and other locomotives. We will see, however, that this problem can be easily corrected.

Getting Pinned

Center rail gap on unmodified
Marx turnout when set for straight
route.

Center rail gap on unmodified
Marx turnout when set for
diverging route.

The photos above show the locations of the two center rail gaps on an unmodified Marx turnout. These gaps are sufficiently large that roller pickups on some locomotives and cars can drop into the gap, snap the rail, and cause a derailment. The fix for this is to bridge these gaps with simple rail joiners - any O27 brand joiner will work. Simply insert a track pin into the fixed center rail so that it rests as close as possible - but not touching - the swivel rail on either side. This provides not only a physical bridge but an electrical one as well, improving the performance of roller pickup equipment through the turnout.

Friction does well to keep the pin in place, but a drop of ACC cement or a quick touch with a soldering gun will make the fix more permanent.

Marx turnout modified with track pins.

Marx turnout modified with track pins.

And thus, your Marx turnouts may now accommodate not only your Marx locomotives and rolling stock, but that of Lionel and other manufacturers as well! Please note that this trick works only with the metal Marx turnouts. The plastic Marx O27 and O34 turnouts are different in design and are not recommended for use with the locomotives of other makers.

**Note: I have an eclectic collection of postwar and modern locomotives by a variety of manufacturers. To date, I have found only one locomotive for which this fix does not consistently work. That locomotive is a "Beep" diesel by RMT. However, I have found another simple solution that works for that locomotive - and any other that shares its difficulty with Marx turnouts. I will share that solution in a later post. Until then, Happy Railroading!

Product News: RMT "Beeps" on Sale

Ready Made Toys is once again accepting orders for the newest batch of their popular "Beep" diesels. For a limited time they are on sale for only $99.99. Check the RMT Direct web page for details.

A Simple Christmas Tree Layout

Here is the 2015 edition of my family Christmas tree, train and village. The village and train took me about an hour to construct from start to finish. Below are the materials I used and tips for your own display.

Laying The Foundation

Many hobbyists build a solid platform for their holiday trains and reuse them year after year. I have always intended to do this, but honestly I have just never had the time. Therefore, this year's layout, like all before it, is simply laid out on two snow blankets on the living room carpet. The blankets are 30" by 8', and I simply laid one on each side of the center line of the Christmas tree. Don't worry about any lumps as these just represent snow drifts or hills. The ski hills on my display are simply spots where the snow blanket must pass over the tree stand. In past years I have substituted a simple white bed sheet for the snow blankets with good results as well.

Choosing The Track

Unlike my permanent layout, I do not use tubular track for my Christmas display layouts. I use MTH Realtrax sections instead. Since I do not have any turnouts or crossings on my Christmas layout there are no compatibility issues with my Marx and Lionel trains. The MTH track is great for temporary floor layouts because the pieces snap together and hold together well and the molded roadbed helps keep stray carpet or blanket fibers out of the trains. Lionel's Fastrack would also be a good choice if you have that on hand. These track systems are more expensive than traditional tubular track, but I believe in this situation the advantages outweigh the costs and on a small layout the expense is not so great.

My track plan is a simple oval. There are no turnouts, crossings or other special track sections. Only simple straight and curved sections are used. Make your oval large enough to completely encircle your tree, but small enough to avoid your trains being stepped on or encroaching on the living area of the room. In my setup only eight curves and six straights are required, but your layout may vary based on the size of your tree and stand.

Some other innovative layout designs may be found at Thortrains.net.  This site was established by a long-time O27 operator and offers many great tips about many O27 train topics, although it has not been updated in quite some time.

Powering Up

Just about any transformer will work for a small display layout such as this. I am using a Lionel CW80 this year. This is a modern power pack that was commonly included in Lionel starter sets of the 1990's - 2000's. I am using only a single pair of feeder wires to the track as solid electrical connections are another advantage of the RealTrax.

Structures

There are literally dozens of brands of ceramic and porcelain Christmas village structures on the market in a wide variety of price ranges and scales. Some are as small as HO scale, while others are larger than O scale. Most, like mine, are slightly smaller than O scale, which makes them just right for traditional O27 trains. My village was purchased at an after-Christmas closeout sale more than 20 years ago but similar ones are available today at various craft and collectibles stores. Choose the style that works for you.

Another option is to use plastic structures like Bachmann's Plasticville line or old Marx plastic buildings - or the K-Line structures made from old Marx molds. These,too, are undersize for O scale, but look great with O27 trains. Plus, these structures can be used after Christmas on your permanent railroad as well.

Still another option is to use do-it-yourself cardstock structures.  A great variety of neat and easy to build Christmas structures is available for free download from Thortrains.net.  These structures can be downloaded for free and printed from your home computer. Simply print, cut out, and paste together. These buildings are fun and whimsical, and look great with O27 trains. My sons and I have made several of them for their layout.

Choosing The Trains

The choice of trains for your display are a matter of taste and reliability. I like to choose smaller O27 trains that have reliable engines and good-running cars that require very little attention. In the past I have chosen everything from Marx battery-operated sets to premium Lionel passenger and steam locomotive sets. My goals this year were colorful, whimsical and kid-friendly trains.

My choice of locomotives this year is the Christmas-themed North Pole and Snowflake "Beep" by RMT trains. The "Beep" is a fantasy 4-wheeled miniature version of a GP-9 locomotive. Its small size looks great with my Christmas village and its two modern can motors give it reliability and plenty of pulling power. It is also geared to run slowly, so even at full throttle the train will not leave the rails. When we tire of diesel power the back-up locomotive is a Thomas The Tank Engine by Lionel from the late 1990's. With forward-only operation, this locomotive is easy for my little engineers to control.

The rolling stock for this year's display makes up a "mixed" train - one featuring both freight and passenger cars. The freight cars include a Lionel MPC "Lifesavers" tank car from 1978, which looks like a giant roll of candy on wheels, and a red Southern Pacific gondola car by Lionel MPC from 1977 which has been fitted with a Santa with sleigh and reindeer that I recycled from an old Christmas decoration. The passenger cars are Annie and Clarabell from the same Thomas set as our back-up locomotive. These cars add to the whimsy and fun of the railroad, and give my boy engineers a reason to stop the train at the passenger depot from time to time. Pulling up the rear is a red Western Maryland "safety" caboose, also by Lionel from the early 2000's. This is a lighted caboose that adds to the overall fun of the train.

Don't Forget Sound!

Nothing adds to the fun factor of a holiday train display like a whistle or horn on your train. If, like me, you have selected locomotives lacking on-board sound, you can use my BLUETOOTH speaker trick to add horn, whistle, chugging or even Christmas sounds to your train at a very reasonable cost.

Ready For Action

A train around the Christmas tree is as common a holiday tradition as pumpkin pie and sugar cookies. You don't have to spend a great deal of time or money on a fun and functional Christmas tree train. Plan ahead with reliability and fun in mind, and you are sure to have a wonderful time running trains around your tree.

Christmas BLUETOOTH Sounds

Just a quick note for those who are using the BLUETOOTH speaker trick to add sounds to your trains. If you are looking to add Christmas sounds to your holiday train display, the Christmas Sounds Soundboard App is a great, free download. It features a number of songs, sound clips, "Ho, Ho, Ho"'s and other holiday favorites that make great additions to a Christmas train.

Re-Construction Update on the FUN Lines

As many of you have noticed in my recent videos, my model railroad the FUN Lines (Fantasia, Utopia and Northern) is undergoing a remodel. Here's a little bit about my layout and future plans.

Layout Design

The overall footprint of the FUN Lines is a 12' x 8' "L" shape. In fact, it is constructed of two 4' x 8' sections with a small 2' x 4' outcropping. My current effort is actually the fifth layout to occupy this benchwork - in three different buildings - over the past eighteen years. It began life as a Christmas display in a retail store.

There are currently two main lines, with a third planned. The outside main follows the perimeter of the benchwork and features O42 (42" diameter) minimum curves. The inside main is a simple oval with a diagonal reversing line featuring a mix of O27 (27" diameter) and O34 (34" diameter) curves. The O34 curves were made by Marx in the 1950's-1960's. Several industrial spurs are planned on this inner loop. These two loops are connected with two sets of crossovers to allow trains to move back and forth between them.

The third line - not yet constructed - will begin as a spur off of the middle loop. It will then loop around the "L" shaped portion of the layout and climb up to an upper line, crossing over the middle oval via a Lionel drawbridge from the 1970's. This upper line will be a loop-to-loop design featuring a mix of O27 and O42 curves.

Track Choices

There are many wonderful and realistic track systems available from today's manufacturers and the modeler is faced with the dilemma of this choice. My choice was to avoid them all and stick with O27 profile tubular track. Why? First it was an inexpensive choice because I already had lots of it on hand. I have accumulated both Postwar (1946-1969) Lionel pieces, Lionel MPC (1970-1986) pieces, Marx and even K-Line tubular track. All of them work interchangeably, although some Marx straight pieces measure 10" in length instead of the customary 8 1/2" of the other brands. Also, replacement tubular track may be found inexpensively at almost any train show or meet, and even on eBay (but be careful of shipping costs).

I use O27 profile track as opposed to traditional O31 "O Gauge" track because I like the smaller rail height, which I think is more realistic, and because it is cheaper and more abundant than the larger-railed standard O31 track. I say "O27 profile" because while the standard curve diameter is 27", track with this rail type is also available in 34", 42", 54" and even 72" diameter pieces. These larger radii are becoming more difficult to find, however.

Turnouts (Switches)

The area where my railroad deviates most from common practice is my choice of turnouts (or switches, as they are commonly called). I use Marx old-style metal O27 turnouts thoughout my layout. First, I choose them for compatibility with other trains. All Marx trains and nearly all Lionel and other manufacturers will run though Marx turnouts without major issues - and the minor issues can be fixed with a 5-minute modification. Many believe that Lionel locomotives absolutely will not run through Marx switches - this is FALSE. My Lionel trains do it every time I operate my layout. However, most Marx and some prewar Lionel and American Flyer O gauge trains will NOT run through Lionel turnouts or those of other modern production.

Second, I find trains run over the frogless Marx design with fewer bumps, bangs and derailments than with Lionel and other modern turnouts. Modern turnouts have gaps in the rails that are protected by guardrails, but these gaps are opportunities for wayward cars to derail - especially when backing or at extreme speeds.

Third, these old Marx switches are a great bargain. They are durable, reliable and cheap. I often find powered turnouts for as little as $10 a pair.

A note of caution: I use the Marx metal switch design - NOT THE PLASTIC. I have found the later production Marx plastic turnouts to be unreliable for use with Lionel and other trains.

More To Come...

 

Adding Sound To O27 Locos With A Bluetooth Speaker

I have found an inexpensive, quick and easy method for adding sounds such as horns, whistles, "chugging" and anything else one can imagine to O gauge locomotives.  In fact, this method will work for any scale HO and larger. The secret is using your smartphone or tablet (or any other BLUETOOTH-enabled device that can play sounds) to a small wireless BLUETOOTH speaker placed inside the locomotive or in nearby rolling stock. The best part? The whole project can cost as little as $10!

Here's how it works:

Selecting A Speaker

First you need a BLUETOOTH speaker small enough to fit inside your train. I found one called a Groove Cube at my local Wal-Mart for $9.99.  This speaker is shaped like a cube and is just over 1.25 square inches in size. This is small enough to fit inside an O scale tender, boxcar, locomotive cab, and even a Lionel gondola canister. It will also fit inside an HO scale boxcar. Despite its small size the speaker is rated at 2 watts of output and features excellent sound quality. In my testing I have found the volume of a typical diesel horn sound to be comparable to the output of a Williams "True Blast" horn. In web searches I have found other speakers that are slightly larger with up to a 3 watt output, but I have not yet tested any of these.

Speaker Placement

You probably will not want to permanently install your speaker in your locomotive or rolling stock. This is because you will need access to the speaker to recharge the battery via USB cable, and to access the power on/off button. So far I have been successful just sitting my speaker in place loosely, but I imagine I might use Velcro tape to make some mounting positions more permanent. The speaker does not need to be located in the locomotive itself for satisfactory sound results, but may be placed in the first car behind a locomotive instead.

Selecting Your Sounds

Your options are limitless for providing sounds to play in your train. Many sound files are available on the internet as free downloads. You can record your favorite locomotive with your camera and create a sound file from that as well. The easiest option, and the one I have chosen, is to utilize sound collections already provided by other model railroaders. For an Android device, visit the Google Play Store online and search under "Model Railroad Sound" or "Train Sounds" and you will find a number of great apps that provide steam and diesel locomotive sounds - and most of these are FREE! Similar apps are probably available for Apple users as well.

Summary

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to add sounds to your locomotive fleet - whether you want a simple horn or whistle, or a sound to replace an old Lionel "Mighty Electronic Sound of Steam" unit, or you want to play Grand Funk Railroad sounds from your Marx 999 - THIS is a cheap, quick, easy and effective solution!

O Gauge from Menards

Home improvement retailer Menards continues to expand its line of O gauge train offerings, including rolling stock, structures, vehicles, scenery and even traditional O-31 tubular track. Items may be purchased in stores or online. The line also includes assortments and multi-packs, like this cool 14-piece boxcar set!

Introduction

Fun With O Gauge, 3-Rail Trains

Have you ever thought about getting started with O gauge three-rail toy and model trains but thought they were too expensive? Today's offerings from Lionel, MTH, Atlas O and others feature amazing advances over the traditional trains we think of from the 1950's and 1960's, but the price tag can be equally impressive as well. Sometimes a single high-end locomotive can rival the cost of a typical mortgage payment! However, if you are interested in trains that are fun and durable, but not necessarily high-tech you can still have a fun, affordable O gauge layout.

A Great Time For Traditional Operators

While the high-tech, high-detail segment of the O gauge market has been the focus of most manufacturers in recent years, there has rarely been a better time for operators of "traditional" or "conventional" 3-rail trains in terms of variety, quality, and budget. While the high-tech digital command control systems are amazing, they come with the disadvantages of cost and compatibility. One manufacturers' trains may operate on another's operating system, but often not with with the full complement of features without costly and complicated system upgrades and fixes. Meanwhile, with conventional control the trains are not only (usually) less expensive, but a train built by Lionel in the 1930's can run on the same layout as a train built by Marx in the 1950's and Lionel MPC in the 1970's. Meanwhile, when a command control locomotive malfunctions it usually requires an expensive trip to the local dealer or back to the manufacturer for repairs. Conventional locomotives can generally be maintained and repaired by anyone with a basic knowledge of how electricity works.

Variety, Variety, Variety

The name everyone associates with 3-rail trains is Lionel. This is for good reason as Lionel has represented high-quality and highly-desirable toy and model trains for over a century. With few exceptions other than coupler types, every O gauge Lionel train made is compatible with every 3 rail other O gauge Lionel train. Lionel's "Postwar" trains (1946 - 1969) were once the most coveted by both operators and collectors for their high quality and the nostalgia of the Baby Boomers who were the main collectors of these items and in previous years commanded equally high prices. Today, as many high quality new trains are available and the Boomers are liquidating their collections for retirement cash, Postwar prices are more affordable than ever and even operators of modest means can acquire these well-built models. 

Likewise, trains of Lionel's MPC era (1970 - 1986), though generally of lesser quality than Postwar trains, commanded high prices because, at that time, Lionel was the only mass manufacturer of 3-rail trains. Today, with many manufacturers making quality new trains and the reputation of poorer quality has made Lionel MPC prices plummet. However, there are still some gems to be found in the MPC line for operators to acquire and enjoy at bargain basement prices.

Another name to know for 3-rail trains in Marx. The Louis Marx Co. made many inexpensive but durable trains from the 1920's to the 1970's and they are all compatible with one another. Also, with the proper choice of track systems and accommodations for different coupler types, Marx trains and Lionel trains can run on the same layout. Better yet, Marx trains are inexpensive, durable, and easy to repair. I used Marx as the first trains my young boys operated as they were simple, durable and inexpensive - in short, PERFECT for kids to play with!

Other names to know in the 3-rail train world include Auburn Models (AMT), Kusan, K-Line, RMT, Williams (and Williams by Bachmann), American Flyer (pre-WWII) and others. In short, there is a whole WORLD of O gauge fun out there!

The goal of this blog is to provide inspiration, information, tips, tricks and strategies to making your journey into 3-rail O gauge railroading a success. I hope you enjoy it and come back often!

A Small Layout for the Kids

A Small Layout for the Kids

Here is a 4' x 4' layout I built yesterday for my twin boys to run their trains on. I already had the table, so I added some extruded foam board to help deaden the sound, painted it green with some acrylic paint and a foam roller, added the track, wired it, and added the trains. The boys then added their own vehicles and structures to make a great layout for play. The track is a mix of Lionel, K-Line and Marx sections I had on hand. The switch (turnout) is an old Marx manual, and note that the Lionel steamer has no problems whatsoever running through the Marx switch - something many say is not possible! I hope there is some inspiration here to get you started.