R  Roundhouse Rick’s RR Ramblings  t

Email Rick at Rick@usjet.net

Lakes & Pines Web address is www.tcalakesandpines.com

#68

Snow has NOT fallen in the Twin Cities but it’s STILL train time.  We welcome 2012 with Steve Sekely as our new Lakes & Pines president so everybody has to show up on Sunday, January 8^th and say “HI” to Steve.  Our holiday party was a great success.  The food was fantastic with pulled pork being the main course.  I went through the line three times.  I’ll be back for more next year.

It’s January so the next round of train flea markets start January 14^th with the Newport Model RR Club Show & Sale at Woodbury High School, 2665 Woodlane Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125.  If you want a table, the contact phone number is 952-200-9729.  On January 28^th we have the 21^st Annual La Crosse Great Tri-State Rail Sale at the La Crosse Center, 2^nd & Pearl Streets, La Crosse, Wisconsin.  If you want a table, the contact phone number is 608-781-9383 or 608-498-9522.  You can also visit their website www.4000foundation.com  On February 4^th we have the Greater Upper Midwest Train Show & Sale at Century College, 3300 Century Avenue North, White Bear Lake, MN.  For tables contact our own Tom Jefferson at 651-429-2885 or 651-894-2926.  Also remember that the Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum at Bandana Square is continuing to present NIGHT TRAINS every Saturday night from 6PM to 9PM through February. 

Lionel has released its Milwaukee Road #261 steam engine and everyone that I have talked to is just ranting and raving about how fantastic it is.  Did you miss your opportunity to get one?  I’ll let you in on a secret.  As of this writing, Scale Model Supplies in St Paul has one, and only one, still available.  If you are interested, call Doug at 651-646-7781 immediately.

  THE HISTORY OF THE INSULATED OUTSIDE RAIL

The use of an insulated outside rail to control train accessories has a history that starts with a 1915 patent.  Lionel introduced its first product operated by an insulated outside rail in 1921.  By electrically isolating one outside rail from metal track ties, three rail toy train track allows engines or rolling stock to activate a trackside accessory.  The wheels and axles of engines and rolling stock can be used to close an electrical connection across track outside rails.  By insulating one outside track rail from the other, a train’s wheels and axles will provide a useful electrical action that can be used for operating accessories when trains enter a designated track area.

The first track-actuated accessory made by Lionel was the 68/O68 Electric Warning Signal (a ringing bell), introduced in 1921.  The track section with an insulated outside rail that came with the accessory was a Lionel innovation.  By attacking a lock-on to the isolated outside rail and the center rail and connecting the accessory to the lock-on, the accessory was operated from train power when any engine or rolling stock passed over the isolated track section.  The O68 version came with an O-gauge track section, the 68 came with a standard gauge track section.  Otherwise, the accessories were the same. 

A cardboard insert packed with the track section read:  “Use this special section of OSS track with O68 Warning signal, O76 Block Signal, O77 Crossing Gate, O80 Electric Semaphore and O99 Position Signal Light.  Do not connect other accessories to this section or make current connections to it.  The red fiber pins in the envelope packed with this track must be inserted in the ends of the insulated outside rail.  Patented.  Manufactured exclusively by the Lionel Corporation, New York.”

Lionel used the terms OSS for a straight section and OCS for a curved section of “special” track, that is, with an insulated rail.  The instruction sheet ‘OSS and OCS Track’ shows how to operate accessories with an insulated outside rail using track voltage or a separate transformer connection.  The 76/O76 Block Signal came with two insulated rail track sections.  Lock-ons connected each insulated outside rail to a light in the signal.  The light would be on whenever a train was over the connected track section.  A brass plate on Lionel’s 77/O77 Automatic Crossing Gate (1923 vintage) includes the text “PATENTED SEPT. 21, 1915/THE LIONEL CORPORATION, N.Y.”  Patent number 1,153,922 was issued to Frank J. Hummel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 21, 1915 for a “Toy Railroad.”  This patent teaches using an isolated outside rail to control a semaphore signal or a crossing gate.  Lionel’s name does not appear on the patent, but corporate assignment are not prevalent on patents of this vintage.  Lionel could have acquire the patent from Frank Hummel before its introduction of the 68/068 Electric Warning Signal. 

Lionel offered the same train controlled trackside accessories in two versions, one for O-gauge or standard gauge track.  This may be why, even today, O-gauge block signals and other accessories are about twice as tall as the ¼-inch-to-the-foot scale would suggest. 

In 1936, Lionel introduced the 41 Track Connector which could be used with O-gauge or standard gauge track.  The 41 contactor replaced the special O-gauge and standard gauge track sections which no longer came with the accessory. 

The 154C (circa 1940) and 1045C (circa 1938) contactors clamp onto rail sections so that a spring-loaded metal plate rests on top of an outside rail.  The contactor plate is insulated from the outside rail.  When a train wheel rides over the contactor plate, an electrical connection is made to the other outside rail, and a connected accessory is activated.  The 154C contactor has two metal plates that rest on the outside rail, providing a “alternate flashing” capability for the Lionel 154 Automatic Highway Signal (sort of).  Today’s Highway Signal is called a Highway Flasher and a circuit is built into the signal to make the lights flash alternately and a simple insulated rail track will make it work. 

O22 switches use the insulated-rail technique to provide a non-derailing feature.  Insulated outside rail sections in each track path are connected to the switch motor.  A train approaching the switch activated the switch motor to throw the switch in the appropriate direction.  The instruction sheet for O22 switches includes a section which shows how to connect a 45N Gateman to the switch so it will operate when a train passes over one of the insulated outside rail sections of the switch. 

Marx trains came with their own way to make its signals work.  A Marx crossing gate came with a formed copper “over-rail” that fit over an outside rail and was insulated from it.  An attached wire connected to the crossing gate.  A lock-on was used to supply track voltage.  A Marx highway cross-buck came with two short sections of over-rail.  They could be moved around to change the way the cross buck lights flashed.  Unfortunately the over-rail sections would loosen up and get snagged by the train. 

The discovery of the insulated track section led to all sorts of tricks, including connecting some salvaged pinball machine relays to insulated track sections and using them to run two trains on the same track.  Does anyone else have any other smart ideas for using the insulated rail track?  Why don’t you email your ideas to me at Rick@usjet.net