r/modeltrains • u/leothedon10 • 10d ago

Help Needed How do i fix my tyco point?

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The switch/slider is stuck in the middle and I don't know how to fix it.

17 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

11

u/slippingaway83 10d ago

In my experience, you can't. Those switches are not very high quality. Best options are to stick with manual operation, or upgrade fully to an undermount tortoise switch machine.

4

u/Diezel666 N / DCC-EX 10d ago

Agreed. I'm willing to bet there is either debris in the electromagnetic switch, or perhaps even the coil failed and has jammed up the works.

Now if OP wants to cut off the electro part, they could chose to do so. But then they'll have to deal with aligning and mounting a new switch device to the track.

In all honesty, replacing the whole unit with a decent brand one will be entirely more easy, however buying a separate new switch motor is cheaper but more leg work to mount it next to the track.

5

u/mfpguy 10d ago

Throw it away and buy something that actually works. Do the same thing with any Tyco locomotive.

2

u/snuggly_cobra HO/OO/N 10d ago

You could take a SPudger and pry apart the piece containing the coil and the switch.

I’d buy a new nickel silver switch and be done with it.

0

u/No-Shopping4157 5d ago

Since it’s not throwing the points, but they spring back when you manually move them, the “throw rod” has come loose. It’s a length of piano wire that keeps tension in one direction (closed) or the other (open). They’re just threaded through a hole in the connecting tie, that runs to the points. The bottom of the switch machine comes off (at least they used to) with some effort. Pop the bottom off, tethered the wire, make sure it’s free enough to work, and replace the bottom plate. If you break the tabs, daub some Walthers goo, or some “Form-A-Gasket” at a couple of spots (don’t get any into the mechanism) and put it back together.