Problem: MTH 44 Ton Switchers issued in 2015 and again in 2017 stall on Ross 072, reg 11deg, and 072/042 switches due to loss of center rail power for one half inch of travel near the end of the center rail before the frog. I had 40 switches with this incompatibility between Ross & MTH. The roller wheel base of 4 7/16 inches combined with insulators at roller ends are the culprits.
Solution: Remove the black plastic insulator piece at each end of each roller using a box cutter knife to cut thru to the recessed part of the metal roller. The ring of plastic can then be easily forced off the roller with a very small screw driver. The resulting all metal surfaces will then allow contact with center rail power all the way thru switches in all directions at any speed including down to 1 smph. These rollers had groves cut in to permit the insulators to fit like tires.
MTH's design of rollers with narrow metal section and black insulated ends continues to mystify. Here adding rubber or plastic was a mistake but we should not forget Mike's double helix display in the old Yellow Hall where rubber tired Dash-8s pulled heavy iron loads up a steep incline, besting any competitors of the day such as Williams, Lionel, Weaver, Right-of-way etc.
