# Fastrack Switch Reliability Upgrade



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

While we're talking about Fastrack switches, here's another set of things I do to them when I have occasion to open them up. I solder all the points that carry power or are connected to internal switch circuits. Also, for track power, which I find very convenient for command operation, I add a 22uh choke in the power feed from the track for DCS compatibility. This has helped a bunch for my switches.

The green arrows are all the spots I soldered, the red arrow is the 22uh choke that replaced the jumper that comes with the switch. Obviously, if you choose to power these from aux power, this isn't needed. I like track power as a command switch then needs no wiring at all, just pop it into the track layout and you're done!


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## L0stS0ul (Feb 6, 2015)

So are you just soldering the tabs to the bars to make sure they have good conductivity? 

What does the choke do and do you have a part on digikey? I've been seeing these chokes referenced a lot lately but I'm not sure what it does. Would something like that help with the LED lighting circuits for passenger cars for instance when used with DCS?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Yep, just soldering the simple crimp, which is notoriously unreliable, same as the old 022 switches. The choke is something I have on hand, but I get them from Digikey. If you have lighted passenger cars that affect the DCS signal, the 22uh choke is the silver bullet for those as well.

Here's a good 22uh 560ma RF Choke, this is suitable for most passenger cars and stuff like the Fastrack switches. 

Here's a 22uh 4A RF Choke, this is suitable for TMCC/Legacy locomotives that are killing the DCS signal.


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## Bob B. (Feb 7, 2013)

*Fastrack Command Switch: One Direction Only ?*

Why would a Fastrack Command switch line in one direction only? The switch responds via TMCC command to line for the curve, but will not respond to the alternate command to line for the straight-a-way. Could this be a symptom of poor connections inside the switch as has been commented on previously? Thanks for any help anyone can offer. I have the same problem when trying to line with the manual controller: the switch lines in one direction only (curve). It does. however, produce an audible click when already lined for the straight and the remote lever tells it to line for the straight. ? ? ?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Usually, I've found this is to be the limit switches. They're at the end of the travel for the pie-shaped gear and tell the motor when you've reached the limit. I had several that I had to put a little lump of JB-Weld on them to "adjust" them. I could have replaced them, but this was easier and they're still working.


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## Bob B. (Feb 7, 2013)

*Fastrack Switch Limit Switches*

Thanks for your advice John. I did open up the switch and observe the limit switches. They are both being closed completely by the mechanism. However, one of them emits a nice click when it opens. This coincides with the light changing color. The other limit switch does not emit a click nor does it effect the position light as I think it should. I suspect this limit switch might be bad, but I'm not sure. This is a brand new TMCC 036 RH Lionel switch and it is under warranty. I guess I'll have to send it back after getting a return authorization. This is the price I pay for buying online instead of locally. Maybe I'll learn this time to buy locally, eh?
Thanks again for your help.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That sounds like the switch is bad. With power off, you can check it with an ohmmeter by manually moving it.


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## Bob B. (Feb 7, 2013)

*Switch under warranty - Sending it in to Lionel*

Thanks for your generous advice Gunrunner. You deserve praise for all of the sage advice you offer to us less knowledgeable hobbyists. In this case, to remove and replace that contact switch would cost more than the postage ($12) to ship the whole back to Lionel and let them repair or replace it under the terms of the 1 year warranty that came with my purchase of the item. I have another Fastrack remote switch (not Command) that is DOA. After much testing, I believe the main circuit board is bad. Lionel won't sell one of those boards. I'd like to replace the main board and upgrade the switch to command using ERR's upgrade kit.
If anyone knows of a source of the main circuit board in a Lionel Fastrack remote switch, I'd sure like to know about it. Cheers!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Best advice is to look for someone that has torn out ballasted switches that are a little grungy and get a cheap price on them. Use the board and toss the rest.


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## L0stS0ul (Feb 6, 2015)

Hi John,

I'm finally looking to do this upgrade and I have a question on the choke. I bought the choke from digikey

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/B78108S1223K/495-5557-1-ND/4245839

and they look like this:









Do these things have a polarity or are they like resistors?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

They're like resistors, no polarity. Just connect them in place of the power jumper.


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## L0stS0ul (Feb 6, 2015)

Awesome, thank you.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Somewhat old thread... but is it safe to say Lionel does not sell the circuit boards? I've a dead switch. The motor runs -- I connected to a 9 v battery. I jumped the resistor. I even fixed a mounting issue with the pin and the "wedge" that makes the switch go -- but his has nothing to do with power. Nothing. No light. No motor car. Not a single luxury. Door stop I guess...


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You can replace the motor driver board with the TMCC version, it's the Lionel recommended substitution.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Maybe the best thing LIonel makes. I've never had a Fasttrack switch fail. I had up to 22 at one time, and one pair on a reversing loop that did an estimated 80,000 auto-operation operations with only one de-railment in all that time. I run atlas track now but fit Fastrack switches in where I need them.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

It is safe to assume I could combine the above board with the receiver for CC operation as well as throw actived?

691FTSWB01 -- I believe.

It's funny. I'm increasingly negative about fastrack. I've 14 switches, say half are CC and half are toggle/throw -- and 2 I think are mechanical. 
I'd had all sorts of minor troubles with mainly in my bad wiring -- save the one which is dead which I now recall was something someone just gave to me ("can't make it work, you try it!"). So it's my fault but somehow this make me less liking fastrack!
My big issue though with it remains the connectivity or issues with it. But again, this is really my use of it outside the norms -- I'm building up and taking down, rinse/repeat.
I don't think it was really designed for that kind of use ... so my fault, yet my opinion of it goes down again!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I don't know if that's "safe to assume", I'd check with Lionel to see if you could simply add the TMCC receiver to make it a CC switch. I've never had a board fail in these, I'd just had a couple of the cheap push-buttons for the command ones die.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Not to worry, if I "just do it" ... it's on me.

Slight detour -- i've been using zip ties and/or paper binder clips to hold my increasingly loose fitting fastrack together. Both work but the clasps are more convenient.

And I've discovered that some fastrack have metal straps on the bottom such that the length/shape/position of the clasps (which seems to vary a bit by mfgr) can lay across it such that ground & hot are shorted, sometimes intermittent in nature.

Which is my fault for not paying close attention to it when I was putting them on...

Yet now I want plastic clips if such exists.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Don't know of any plastic clips, but so far I haven't had any issues with shorting of the metal ones.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I think unfortunately I just paid very little attention to what I was doing and the clips have longer handles than normal for the size... given them more changes maybe of intersecting metal underneath in unhappy ways. And I tended to put down the track, then go back and slide them on sight unseen ... which means they weren't always on nice and even ... but I think I've got that all sorted now. Kinda frustrating for awhile...
I came close to selling the whole lot of it!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I used the smallest clips that I could find that would just barely go over the two ends of the plastic.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

It all makes sense now. In my case I just went to Office Depot and bought the cheapest "case" of them... without further consideration. But now I know, it's possible to inadvertently make a short when applied on some track pieces.

Maybe in the coming months I'll get some time and 3D print something for this little problem.

Shapeways claims a new process with "strong" plastic, etc... Not sure it would be springy but cheap enough to print a few ...

Problem is, not cheap enough for the dozens I (think I) need ...


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