Monorail switch jam ... a little help?!?

[Pierre_Cochereau]

Hi, I'm not sure exactly where to post this topic, but since it's related to Trains & Town I thought this would be an appropriate place. I apologize if there's another place where I should have posted it.

Anyways, I have a slight problem with the LEGO Monorail system. I own a couple of monorail sets, as well as lots of monorail track and switches. However, some of the switches tend to jam in the "straight" position. In other words, it's not possible to actually switch tracks by sliding the switch control at the side of the points. Somehow the mechanism inside the switch seems to be jammed. The only way that the switch will move to the sidetrack position is if one pushes the middle section of the moveable monorail section (i.e. one has to push the "teethed" section of the track).

Here's my question: Has anybody else experienced the same problem? Do you have any solutions as to how to make it work properly again? Or has anyone opened a monorail switch, or knows if one can fix the whole thing by opening it without destroying it completely?

I hope that someone can help me out here. Thanks in advance.

[CP5670]

I think by "switch," you're referring to the track splitting points and not the stop/reverse switches, right?

It's common for those points to develop this issue. One of mine is a little stiff too, although it isn't too bad. People have apparently had success with lubricating the inside, but I don't know how easy it is to open it up or reassemble it. This post came up with a Lugnet search and may contain some ideas.

[Freddie]

CP5670: I think it's the track splitting segment he's referring to as "switches".

BTW; I bought some used monorail track in Skærbæk last year, and have myself discovered the same problem with both of the switches that I bought, so I too would be interested in hearing what solutions people have come up with.

[Pierre_Cochereau]

Yes, I mean the switch points and not the stop/reverse switches. Also, I must add that while having to push the monorail segments instead of using the switch control may not seem all too bad, it becomes a real problem if you have a monorail train coming from the other end; usually, there is a mechanism which will slide the correct monorail track segment in place semi-automatically if the train pushes the little stub. With this jammed switch point, this will no longer work, and if a train arrives from the other end while the correct track segment is not yet in place, it will either derail, or the motor will just keep going and thus damage the teeth on the monorail b/c the metal cogwheel on the bottom of the motor will keep spinning ... and metal beats plastic anytime, sadly

I have tried to open up one of the switch points; however, I am afraid that I'll break something, and as you know, they're quite hard to come by these days ... so again, any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, CP5670, for the link to Lugnet; I see confirmed what I thought before, i.e. that the points are somehow glued together and that it's not possible to open them up without at least some minor damage.

Edited March 13, 2009 by Pierre_Cochereau