2035 derailing on 1122 switches.

[Anonymous]

I have a 2035 that derails when it hits the 1122 switches. The front wheels jump off at the point on the switch where the metal X is. I dont know, but perhaps my front wheels are too loose. They sway back and forth with ease. It looks right and it is all original so I dont know. Please help or is anyone else having this problem that has solved it.

Thanks

Expose

[Dave Farquhar]

It could be that the wheels are too loose or that they're off gauge--either too close together or not far enough apart. If you have a caliper, I'd measure the distance between the wheels on the front truck and compare that to one of the rear trucks (or better yet, compare to a locomotive that has no problems). I had a 2037 that derailed like crazy and when I took it to a repair shop, he found the wheels were off by almost 1/8 of an inch.

If you don't have a caliper, you can take a crude measurement with a ruler. If yours are off as far as mine were, you'd still be able to tell with just a ruler.

[lionelsoni]

Some Lionel steam locomotives, those with 2-wheel pilot trucks, oversteer on curves and will climb the rail on the inside if given half a chance, for example, a switch frog. The pivot for the front truck should be about halfway between the pilot wheels and the middle of the drivers; it is actually much farther forward. So, when the front of the locomotive swings to the outside of a curve, the pilot wheels steer sharply inward. I modified my 2026 Adriatic by bending the original pivot up out of the way and attaching the tongue of the pilot truck to a metal extension strip that now pivots on a screw tapped into the front cross-member of the motor.

[Anonymous]

Dave, I was wondering what you or the repairman did to fix the problem with the pilots being to close together. I have not measured yet, but I can tell you that they are very loose. Not sure if there is anything that can be done about that. It seems that they were designed to be loose like they are.

lionelsoni, thanks for the reply, I am going to see if there is anything that can be done with what Dave mentioned before I alter the design.

Thanks, Expose