Improving Bachmann E-Z Track switches

[@henrythesmallz]

ended up cutting a large safety pin, worked perfectly

[@Indigo-Orchid3]

Thank you so much for this. Super easy fix and worked for my n-scale !!! And it’s ridiculous they continue to sells them knowing the weak spring is basically a total design flaw.

[@Eclipse1988]

The majority of people would go "screw this, it's broken" and go buy a new one. And as a company, they probably know that so it secures "future purchases"

[@migilmor_trains_and_tips]

That's a great idea. If you have a Dremel tool and a fine cutting tool, I would suggest trying to make a notch in the stock rails to allow the points to tuck inside the flange. PECO make theirs with this cutout in the stock rails. However I had one that did line up and had to do just that with a PECO switch.

[@johnramirez5996]

You can get spring steel in pks at hobby shops and art supply shops. Bought 2 sizes to repair some of the railings on my diesels. Cheap to. $3 pk.

[@johnramirez5996]

Found the packaging. Still have some in package. It's called K&S precision metals. Have in cpl sizes. The size i have in front of me is .020 have it in .025. And more. They have it in brass aluminum copper and tin to. What i have is music wire. Shapes of metal sold comes in, tubing, rods, strips, and sheets. Great for all hobbies

[@The_Duggler25]

Hope you do more videos

[@LarsPW]

The hinges of the switch rails are primitive, they could cause difficulties to provide power to the locos after some years. And they do look very noticeable. Casting burrs might block the part which moves the switch rails as well.

[@Thomas-fp5xf]

Thank you for the tips! I just bought two pair of remote NS on Gray base. Don't know if they work, but for $30.00 the purchase was worthwhile for a static display. No controllers, but I have Atlas, from way back, in the workshop.

[@DJE2025]

Great tip! I have the nickel silver track, the turnouts are slightly better they still leave a lot of room for improvement. I will give your mod a try, thanks for the info.

[@bloakar]

I think it's a great idea. You did good!

[@amrail9163]

Thanks!

[@sgthostile]

Amazon has .020 and .025. Do you think .020 will be stiff enough for this? I tried the .032 like someone said previously and it's too stiff. There's not enough power to "switch" the track.

[@shihanjulio]

Where do you find the 0.021 spring wire??? I don't have a sacrificial printer. Very good video.

[@shihanjulio]

@Drew Smith Hobby Lobby has 0.025" wire. Is that too stiff for electrical switching of the turnouts?

[@amrail9163]

@@shihanjulio that should be fine, though I didn't find switching them electrically to be all that great. The switch "motor" is fairly weak and I think had trouble throwing even the stock mechanism with sufficient force to lock the points in place. I plan to use them as manual switches only, and if and when I ever build a proper layout I'll be using much higher quality track and turnouts.

[@amrail9163]

@Drew Smith copper might be a bit too soft depending on how it's alloyed, but it's probably better than the stock spring in any case.

[@chevymetalchad]

guitar string would be easy to cut and get several pieces from it if you have multiple turnouts to upgrade

[@MontanaNorthernRockportRail]

Wait a sec, thats a GP9RM and slug! awesome! 👍

[@amrail9163]

Thanks! Overland units.

[@garyforestier1118]

I had to do the same thing to all 7 of my Bachmann turnouts. I had to also file down the frogs because it was causing derailment issues

[@richardkammerer2814]

I had to file down as well. Sometimes the points work better if they’re filed as well. As you know, easy does it as it’s a science and an art.

[@garyforestier1118]

I just heat up the new spring steel, install it and the plastic will harden and hold it in place

[@DJE2025]

I went Hobby Lobby, they have discontinued the 0.025 wire. So I went with the 0.020 & 0.032 music wire I'll give each one a go...

[@amrail9163]

Please let us know how they work for you!

[@jennywise2962]

How do you get out the first spring out

[@amrail9163]

Grip it with some pliers, twist and pull. It's not stuck in there very hard.

[@garyforestier1118]

Pull it right out with needle nose pliers. I hear up the new spring steel and push it into place and it's worked great

[@richardnelson-ux1zz]

Bachmann makes the worst switches around kato switches are much better

[@garyforestier1118]

Agreed

[@ryans413]

The grey and black track are made the same the grey just has different rails I’ve never had any problems with these switches

[@barbedwirerat661]

The gray/nickel-silver standard turnouts (diverging 18 in radius) are just as bad. They should construct them the same as the gray/nickel-silver numbered turnouts where the lower flange on the rail is notched so the point tucks right in and sits flush against the rail. Only by the grace of God and hours of fiddling, bending, filing, and shimming have I gotten my standard Bachmann turnouts to work mostly reliably. Though it probably will not take much for some of my tweaks to get un-tweaked, and sometime a new locomotive might have issues on an turnout that works fine for all the old ones!