Shoe couplers

Two things. You can super glue the shoe to the base of the coupler frame. That will make it clear the switches. If you want to use it later, a twist with a pliers will pop it loose.

You can convert to magnetic couplers on cars, but I do not know about engines. Lionel made a kit to do this. It's a coupler with a plate that attaches to the axles. Someone else will have the part number.

I know that i can change trucks on the cars to the magnetic style. Its the F3"s with dual motors that I hope to find a way to make theses  work or converting  them. I enjoy running a switch yard  (6-8 track thru yard)  The trains are NOT shelf Queen's.

Looking for ideas

I read that there is a way to shim the shoe's up slightly so that it clears switches but will still operate on operation track sections like on like the milk car and log car.  I'm sure it would be the same for the F3's but I've never had any success trying it.  Maybe someone who has had success will leave a comment or a few pics to help. 

Paul

There have been, I believe, articles/postings concerning this problem with various modern switches, and how to address the issue by slightly modifying the switch (small plastic ramps; filing a bit off the end of a rail; small pieces of black electrical tape in strategic points) rather than the car(s). 

I don't have the problem (no cars of this type), so I have unfortunately not paid a lot of attention to where I actually saw such. 

Also, when I saw "shoe couplers" I wondered if a new name for "shoelaces" had emerged.

I've had a couple of cars where the rivet holding the shoe on was just a wee bit loose and of course when it hung down, would touch the center rail on my O27 switches. I just peened the rivets tight and that fixed most of them.

Others were just sitting too tall in the saddle, i.e. the rivet was tight but actually stuck down below (or was even with) the two plastic edges of the shoe. The solution for that was some careful filing of the rivet head using the narrow edge of a small file. You could use a Dremel, but they tend to cut pretty fast - I was wanting precision, just enough off the top of the rivet to get it below the plastic edges, so I preferred to do it by hand. Doesn't take very long

I'm glad I still have 022 postwar switches. When they are in decent shape, I have none of these problems. Cars and engines with sliding shoes just slide through them flawlessly, and J happen to love the way they look although I admit they are not realistic.

I think you guys with modern switches should throw that junk out. LOL

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I think you guys with modern switches should throw that junk out. LOL

We have no problems with any/all of out Atlas O solid nickel silver track. But then, everything has been up-graded to Kadee couplers, which work perfectly ALL THE TIME!

Hot Water posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I think you guys with modern switches should throw that junk out. LOL

We have no problems with any/all of out Atlas O solid nickel silver track. But then, everything has been up-graded to Kadee couplers, which work perfectly ALL THE TIME!

My reply about throwing out the modern track and switches was made in jest. Trains run great on them.

I find the 022 switches very reliable and to have a charm all their own.

It's all about what you personally like to do. I like the technical challenges, so I will spend a lot of time to make something work, repair a board, mend an old, old coupler, fix my shoes, etc. That is where I get the most pleasure right now. I really enjoy learning and doing....

My theory is when I get so so doggone smart I know everything there is to know about model/toy trains (not predicting any time soon), I will quit fixing them and just run them!

And just to get back on topic, if the OP is running PW engines with electronic couplers, I would agree with others that conversion might be possible and would likely require a bit of effort. But frankly, when I see how magnetic (button) couplers get all hung up on diesel frames and front ends, and open themselves if they are running on uneven track (dips and rises), I totally prefer the older electronic version - they look and operate better IMHO. 

GeoPeg posted:

It's all about what you personally like to do. I like the technical challenges, so I will spend a lot of time to make something work, repair a board, mend an old, old coupler, fix my shoes, etc. That is where I get the most pleasure right now. I really enjoy learning and doing....

My theory is when I get so so doggone smart I know everything there is to know about model/toy trains (not predicting any time soon), I will quit fixing them and just run them!

And just to get back on topic, if the OP is running PW engines with electronic couplers, I would agree with others that conversion might be possible and would likely require a bit of effort. But frankly, when I see how magnetic (button) couplers get all hung up on diesel frames and front ends, and open themselves if they are running on uneven track (dips and rises), I totally prefer the older electronic version - they look and operate better IMHO. 

George, being able to fix trains and resurrecting some of them from the dead, must be very satisfying. I think learning and doing this is a combination of hard work and mechanical ability (talent).

I have taken a stab at this with very limited success. More than half the time, when I try to fix something, it turns out worse. I've watched others with mechanical ability fix things and they seem to instinctively know just what to do. Yes, they have fixed trains persistently and consistently for a long time, thereby having more knowledge and skill, but the talent is also an important factor. It's because of the talent, empowering them to almost always succeeding in fixing trains, that inspired them to do it regularly for a long time, IMHO.

Years ago OGR did an article on a possible fix to the slide shoe. The shoe was beveled at each end and the bottom was flattened a bit. This was all in conjunction with some turnout work.

I know on Ross turnouts, you can put track pins on the inner rails and push them down to make a ramp.

Coil couplers can often be activated on prewar 072 switches as well as some modern switches. Trimming the rivet so that it is near flush with the trough of the shoe cures the problem and still makes the coupler functional on UCS & RCS tracks. It can be done with a small file although I prefer a rotary tool as it is much faster. I have been using this technique for years.

To keep the shoes from snagging on the inner rails of modern switches, use the track pin technique described in a previous post or bevel the end of the rail by tapping it downward with a drift pin or punch. It also helps to bevel the shoe with a rotary tool.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

George, being able to fix trains and resurrecting some of them from the dead, must be very satisfying......

It's because of the talent, empowering them to almost always succeeding in fixing trains, that inspired them to do it regularly for a long time, IMHO.

Talent? Yeah, that matters, but I have seen some pretty bad work done on engines that despite its appearance, the darn thing ran good! And I would imagine the perpetrator of even that bad work was quite satisfied when it ran - what more can you ask for? 

Dave Drake posted:

Coil couplers can often be activated on prewar 072 switches as well as some modern switches. Trimming the rivet so that it is near flush with the trough of the shoe cures the problem and still makes the coupler functional on UCS & RCS tracks. It can be done with a small file although I prefer a rotary tool as it is much faster. I have been using this technique for years.

Dave, what kind of bit do you use to trim the rivet?

George

I'd use the edge of a cut off wheel or grinding stone.

 JB weld may come in handy building ramps, setting pins, building up shoe area etc..

   If you are willing to give up your mobile horns/whistles, you can use the whistle/horn relay and uncouple anywhere. The Lionel steam switchers did this. Stick the horn in a building or behind something hooked to a #90 button. Or possibly use both and get a beep letting you know current just activated the uncoupler (and diagnostics of electrical vs a mechanical issue).

 PW relays trigger on a pos. or neg offset. A PW tranformer puts out only one signal(depending how you wired it, disk or diode direction regardless)  I think you might be able to use two PW relays and add a diode to make them both polarity sensative; your transformer would trigger one, and you could trigger the other with a diode set up (chain or single) giving horn and uncoupling at the loco near anywhere.

George,

As suggested by ADRIATIC I use the edge of a cut off wheel. Guide it very lightly back & forth over the rivet head.