I just installed a couple of old Lionel 022 switches. All is good except for one post war passenger car (Clifton Dome) which seems to get hung up from time to time on the rear truck while passing through the turnouts. There are two other passenger cars from the same set which are navigating the turnouts without problem. Any thoughts on what I can do to elimate the problem??
Check the gage of the wheels on the bad car to a good one. they may be out of gage (too wide or too narrow) .
Jason
B&O = Best & Only
Thanks ... I figured that might be the problem. I checked the truck last evening and there is no movement in either direction. I''m a little concerned about damaging the truck if I force it. Do you know how I might adjust the width??
It's unlikely that the wheel gauge is too wide, since they are spaced by upsets on the axle. However, those upsets can wear into the wheels and let the gauge get narrower. If this is the case, you can fix it by putting washers on the axle between the wheels and the upsets. Number-two washers are about right for postwar axles.
Bob Nelson
It could be the switch swivel (the chromed part that shifts the rails from straight to curve) needs pressing down a bit-do it gently so as not to imterfere with the operation of the swivel, and then try running your car over it. If that isn't the problem, maybe the middle rail collector on your car needs adjustment, to that it rides over the swivel, without getting caught. Good luck.
I have had problems with cars derailing on the frog of 022 switches because the axle had end play because the truck was bent. Check the end play of the axles, and if there is any end play, bend the sides of the truck toward the middle of the car to take out the end play. I found several cars with this problem, probably caused by someone dropping the car.
Bruce Baker
I checked the truck last night and it appears to be in order. I'm not sure I mentioned this but regardless of which direction I run the car, it's always the rear truck that derails .... never the front. At times the car navigates the turnout without any issue then at other times it appears to "jump" a bit but stays on track and maybe once every 8 or 10 times or more through it will derail. Puzzling! Any thoughts on what might be causing it to jump?
Does the truck have a sliding shoe on it for uncoupling this may cause a jump on 022 sw. If it does adjust the spring tension on the shoe or put weight in the car over that truck, like a roll of pennies.
JoeJ
Where is the car derailing? At the points or at the frog?
It is unlikely that a sliding shoe would cause a derail. The 022 switches don't seem to snag a sliding shoe.
The Clifton doesn't have shoes for couplers. But it does have metal flaps for the uncoupling magnet to pull down. Could these be hanging down and catching on something?
Actually I thought I had the problem solved last night. I tried putting the truck with the roller pick-up towards the front of the train and it appeared to be running smoothly through the turnout about 20+ times through. And then .... it derailed a couple of times on subsequent passes. The "jump" occurs beyond the frog .... just as it enters the branch of the turnout. Again, this is the only car that has consistent problems. The engine has derailed (the front truck) once or twice but only at high speeds when I have tested it. I also put some light weight box cars on the train and they have not derailed at all. The other passenger cars in the set have not derailed at all. As I have mentioned, the truck does not appear to any loose or hanging parts. I'll try to add some weight to see if that helps.
It might help to oil the bolster. That is the bearing that the truck swivels on. Too much friction here can cause problems.
BB
Thanks for all the suggestions. I did lubricate the swivel and it seemed to work .... the train negotiated the turnouts flawlessly for about 5 minutes running but then they derailed a few times. I checked the turnout carefully and on one of them the metal rail appears to be raised slightly above the plastic where they join on the inside rail of the turnout. The other track is level at the same point so I'm thinking the track is not the issue. Is it possible for the truck to be catching on the rail where the plastic meets the metal?? Is ther any way to "narrow" the truck???
Make sure the truck is not bent. Turn the car upside down and make sure the trucks are level with the car body. If the truck or car body is bent and the truck is not sitting level, it can cause a derailment.
Whatever was causing the cars to "jump" a bit through the switches, apparently adding some weight over the truck has sovled the issue. Thanks for all the good suggestions.
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