Stiff operating turnouts

[torikoos]

A trick I always use when ballasting is to put tiny drops of plastic compatible oil on all of the moving parts of the turnout and any ties that the points slide across, but only in the area where the points actually go over. I do this before ballasting and then the glue won't stick the points. Be careful not to let the oil go anywhere that you want the glue to glue down ballast. I've never had a turnout stick when I used this method.

Russ, that's the best tip I've come across in ages, a 'why didn't I think of that before' kind of tip! :-) You should submit that to hobby magazines, and get some credit for it. This sticking turnout after ballasting is plagueing/has plagued most of us here at one point or another I'm certain, but never have I read about using a drop of oil, so simple, so effective, and indeed, 'why didn't I think of that before'! :-)

Cheers!

Koos