Lionel Switch vs. Ross Tubular Switch

I use Ross switches, the regular ones not the tubular ones, with Lionel tubular track. Looks great and works great. Not a drop in replacement, but worth the work. You need a shim plate under the switch to raise the height and use transition pins. Take a look…

The K-Line Super Snap switches, also branded as RMT and O-Line Reproductions, are compatible with traditional tubular track. No shims are needed, and the switch machine's footprint is much smaller than the old Lionel switches. The challenge is they haven't been produced for several years, but they do show up on the secondary market. I have over 30 of them on my layout and they work very well.

Thank you so much. I have looked all over the internet and only able to find 2 k-line super snap's. I bought them and then found 2 more. But the one's I bought were 6-21398/7 and looked just like the Lionel 022's. The other 2 were 0763 & 0764. I cannot tell from the pic's if they are the same as the one's above. If anyone is familiar with the Atlas 0763/4, please let me know.

Also, I have looked at the Atlas o-scale, 3-rail 0-54 & 0-36 switches. They also would work but they look a lot like the Ross switch profile. Does anyone no if they are directly compatible with tubular (post-war) track--same height and same pins.

And by the way Blue Comet, if you ever decide to get out of model RR, you have a customer for your switches. And if anyone else has k-line snap switches for sale, please post here and I will respond.

Thanks again for ur help & suggestions,

Ken

Ken,

When you connect the Super Snap switches to tubular track, you'll need to do one of 2 things:

1: slide the tie closest to the switch back about an inch so it clears the contact tabs on the switch

2: cut off the metal contact and plastic connector tabs on the switch

If you don't do one of these, you'll get a short when the tabs on the switch contact the tie on the adjoining section of tubular track.

Thank you very much. I have 4 of those switches on order and only need about 20 more.

Ken

My Ross Tinplate 072 switch is the same as my K-Line Super Snap switch and mates up to tubular track perfectly.

Thank you Darrell

Does anyone have the Ross 031 Tinplate switches. I just received 2 K-line Super Snap 031 switches and they are perfect from a fit and appearance standpoint--can't understand why they were discontinued. I will be testing them functionally tomorrow. But my question is: Are the Ross Tinplate's just like the K-line both in physical configuration and function. I need a lot of these switches and the K-line's are almost impossible to find.

Ken

Ross in the tinplate line only has 072 and #4 switches.  In the 072 size the only real difference between the two brands are the switch machines.

@ken's trains posted:

Does anyone have the Ross 031 Tinplate switches. I just received 2 K-line Super Snap 031 switches and they are perfect from a fit and appearance standpoint--can't understand why they were discontinued. I will be testing them functionally tomorrow. But my question is: Are the Ross Tinplate's just like the K-line both in physical configuration and function. I need a lot of these switches and the K-line's are almost impossible to find.

Ken

Currently, I’m transitioning from the 022 switches to the RCS #4 and tinplate 72. I cannot speak to the K-line but I’m fully satisfied with the products. Originally I purchased 4 of the tinplate and created an interlocking and it works flawlessly. Plus, when you call RCS you speak directly with Steve.

Jay

Thank you both. I have 3 Lionel 072 switches that I may want to replace with the Ross tinplate--if I don't run out of money.

Ken

I have been dealing with some health issues and finally got around to looking into replacing the Lionel switches with the k-line. I now see the problem with interfacing the k-line with tubular. Moving the tie is not an option for me, but removing all the snap connectors on 20 switches is something I had not fully understood (might have passed on those switches--too late now).

Bigger question: With more reading I understand that the controllers are matched to the switch (i.e., left to left and right to right). Does that have any impact on whether or not they will work with the TMCC remote controller?

Thanks for your help.

Ken

Well I modified one of the k-lines and put it on my layout (replaced one of the Lionel switches which was connected to a TMCC controller). The k-line switch seemed to work perfectly with the remote control.

Ken

@ken's trains posted:

I have been dealing with some health issues and finally got around to looking into replacing the Lionel switches with the k-line. I now see the problem with interfacing the k-line with tubular. Moving the tie is not an option for me, but removing all the snap connectors on 20 switches is something I had not fully understood (might have passed on those switches--too late now).

Bigger question: With more reading I understand that the controllers are matched to the switch (i.e., left to left and right to right). Does that have any impact on whether or not they will work with the TMCC remote controller?

Thanks for your help.

Ken

Sliding the tie back away from the switch a short distance will prevent the short I mentioned above, and it will enable you to keep the K-Line switches intact; no removal of the snap connectors / tabs. I suppose another option would be to put a strip of electrical tape on the tie closest to the switch.

I sure would like to see these switches produced again; they are fantastic if you're running both modern and prewar trains as just about everything rolls right through them; I say just about everything because the older Marx locos with the giant gears on the drivers are the exception. Other than that, they are the best switches I've ever used.

Thanks Blue. I agree with your assessment about the switches--they are great. I could probably just make some tubular track pieces where the ties are not close to the end. I will still probably remove all of the snap stuff since I am not planning on re-selling the switches or using them with snap track and they will then fit in my existing layout (which is very tight in many areas). Either way it's still going to be a project.

Last point about these switches: They include a short curved piece that can replace the existing curved piece that is part of the switch. This shorter piece does not have snap stuff on the outboard end thus eliminating the need to modify the switch (on the curved end). Why didn't they do the same for both straight ends--then the switches would be truly tubular compatible; just saying. Are there any straight sections out there like that?

Only the O-31 switches came with the extra curved section.

What a shame!