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American flyer on Gargraves S gauge flex track

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  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: Highland, Mi
  • 582 posts
American flyer on Gargraves S gauge flex track
Posted by J. Daddy on Thursday, August 30, 2007 8:36 AM

Is anyone seeing the same issue I have been using S guage Gargraves flexible track?

If you run and older american flyer 322, 290, 293, or a  283, or 282, the engine waddles down the track like a duck not to mention the plastic shell atlantics.

especially if you have 6 or more cars tied to the rear. some times to the point of derailing itself. Is the guage of the  track right? Should I be shoring up the rail sides by spiking it down? At first I thought it might have been bad quartering on the wheels of the locomotive, especially on one specific 322 it literally shakes itself off the track. But then when I run the same locomotives on standard american flyer track it does not have the same problem. Am I using a the wrong track?

I like Gargraves because it is a cheaper solution than S helper and american models track (1/2 the price), however no sense creating a layout that you cannot run trains on...

When the men get together its always done right! J. Daddy
  • Member since
    November 2015
  • 3,584 posts
Posted by Sturgeon-Phish on Thursday, August 30, 2007 11:04 AM

I run all American Flyer original track, but you may want to check the smoothness of the radius bend and ensure the track is level side to side as well as lengthwise.  When I was attaching track to the flexable roadbed I had the waddle effect till I tweaked the track level side to side. 

Jim

  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: Highland, Mi
  • 582 posts
Posted by J. Daddy on Thursday, August 30, 2007 11:43 AM
Right now I have just a work bench type layout, with flat plywood painted green. All the radii are formed using sectional American Flyer track, the straight aways are 3+ foot sections of Gargraves. the radius curves are tied down but the Gargraves is not, how did you attach the track to your roadbed to achieve a proper level from side to side? Down the center of the tie, or along each base of the rail? Did you have to check the guage of the rails as you attached to the roadbed? Just wanted to know if the tweak is fixing the track guage or the height of the rails to each other. If the track has to be level does that rule out useing gargraves with a tipped bank through the curves?
When the men get together its always done right! J. Daddy
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Lake Worth FL
  • 4,014 posts
Posted by phillyreading on Thursday, August 30, 2007 2:04 PM

If this will help you out, I bought a box of GarGraves curves in 42.50 inch radius(close to 42 inch radius but just a little larger) and I have no problems with GarGraves and American Flyer locomotives.  I use GarGraves and American Flyer and K-Line S gauge track together with no problems, I don't like K-Line curves in S gauge because all I could find was the 54 inch radius  and I have 42 inch radius or very close to 42 inch radius curves.   

I have three American Flyer switches; two manual, one remote control, the A.F. switches are differant than Lionel because they have a small switch on the switch for one or two train operation which makes or breaks the circuit for one of the rails.

You are probally bending the flextrack too much!!  Your locomotives sound like most are 4-6-2 steamers and they need some wider radius curves or they will derail.  I don't bend S gauge track instead I cut sections off a curve and use it that way.

K-Line used to sell S gauge insulating pins and I bought two packs to use with my S gauge and O gauge GarGraves track.

Lee F.

Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading.

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