Gargraves derailments

Here is a picture to show just where the derailment starts. I am thinking I need to remove some of the straight rail to the left of the movable part.

Try taking a pair of long nose pliers and bending the point a bit tighter to the rail.  Sometimes the movable rail doesn't get tight enough against the fixed rail and the wheel "picks" the point.

Roger Bielen

Try taking a pair of long nose pliers and bending the point a bit tighter to the rail.  Sometimes the movable rail doesn't get tight enough against the fixed rail and the wheel "picks" the point.

Thanks for your reply. That does seem to be the problem. Comparing with the the O-22  switch, Lionel notched out the straight rail so the curved point is nestled inside the rail, and not exposed to oncoming wheels. I find that it is not only the AMT cars, but also a Williams diesel switcher engine that derails, and probably several others.

I am a little concerned about trying to bend the points, as I think they are die cast. Has anyone tried this?

Bob,

Have you made sure that the track is level to table surface? I have found that Gargrvaes switches are very fussy about being level to the adjacent tracks. From the photo you posted on here; the next section of track next to the switch is Lionel O gauge, you wil have problems if the switch isn't shimmed up on the bottom. Gargraves to Lionel on a straight surface has caused me some problems, and Gargraves to Lionel at a switch just don't work for me, needs to be three feet away from a switch to go from Lionel O gauge to a Gargraves switch. At least that is my experiance with Gargraves switches  and Lionel O gauge track. Gargraves switches and 027 track is no problem because the two track sizes are very close to each other.

Lee F.

Two other things to look for:

Is there sufficient tension holding the points in the curved position? I have had trouble with some of those switch machines not throwing the points far enough, and then and engine or car "picks the points" and goes the wrong way.

I have also had trouble with prewar Lionel flanges going on the wrong side of the right-hand point. That is, the gauge of the wheels is too narrow, so the flange hits the point which is not connected to the rail in your picture, rather than going between it and the outer rail like it is supposed to. That forces the car to go straight and drives the other wheel up over the curved point.  You can fix that by installing a little guardrail at the end of the points.

I would first check the wheel spacing on the de-railing cars and adjust as necessary.  If you still have the proplem, file or sand the inside surface of the movable rail to sharpen the point so the wheel flange doesn't catch on the rail.

Earl

Thanks, Earl. In searching around for other posts describing this problem, some people mentioned "Filing", but they did not say where to file. One common theme was "Why doesn't the manufacturer fix it?". My sediments, exactly.

The leading part of the "point" does have some width, maybe about 1/32", if it were truly a point, maybe the flanges would not ride up.

Problem solved !

I had to grind away part of the straight rail to allow the curved point to "Hide" inside the rail. Here is a picture of a Lionel O-22 showing a similar notching of the straight rail, and the modification I made to the Gargraves switch. Hope this helps someone else who has this problem.