Derailment Issues

[Matty]

First of all a Very Merry Christmas to everyone.

I have just given this morning my son The Polar Express O Gauge train set for his Christmas and have it all set up. Up until this evening it had ran very well with no issues and my son having a great time. However his Grandmother this evening had bought him the Lionel Fast track outer passing loop add on for it and since then everytime the train tries to turn on the LH and RH Manual Switch the front axle pops out derailing the train.

Now I have tried it at various speeds even turning the train in the opposite direction and everytime it happens...is there a problem with the front axle? or is it the track, any ideas to rectify this would be greatly appreciated. My son is upset he cant use the full track....and this new loop is where he wanted to put his new Engine Shed.

Thank You!!

[TRAINCAT]

I am not familiar with this engine, but do the main drive wheels have gear teeth that extend all the way to the edge of the wheel flanges? Maybe that is lifting the engine up off the rails?

Roger

[8ntruck]

The gears on the Polar Express locomotive do clear the track on the switches.  Some of the old Marx brand locomotives have gears that do not like Lionel switches.

Check the moving part of the switch to make sure it fits completely into the depressed area of the rail in both the straight and curved positions. If there is a gap there, it can cause derailments. 

I had one Fastrack switch that would de-rail one of my locomotives when the switch was in the curved position.  I had to gently bend the flange on the moving part of the switch to close the gap.

Good luck.

[Charlie's train]

Have you had any luck resolving your issue? My little boys does the same thing an I'm sure it's engine related. We have roughly 40 feet of Fastrack on a 4X8 with. 6 switches and it only seem to do it randomly, but a couple switches are worse. I've pretty much determined it was engine related, but have yet to figure out what causes the derailment  only on a curve. I can't see any contact between the gear train an the track, I done feel any real aggressive transisitions or unusual gaps. It's about twist my shorts in a knot trying to figure out if an investment in a nice desiel locomotive would be worth it if that derails in the same way. 

[Matty]

No I havent been able to fix it, but I have figured out what is happening with the swithces on mine...when the switches are running straight the train runs fine and will run all day, but when the track is switched to move right or left the train comes along and the front axle/wheels turn just fine but when the big wheels get there the track switches back to straight!! so in short the front wheels are turning left/right and the rest of the train is trying to go straight, so it derails..so my issue is now, is it the track or is it the train thats the problem.

I have my fastrack  on hardwood floors so I put something under the switches just in case it was a vibration issue but it still does the same, ive ran the train backwards and it still derails, so im at a loss on what to do.

[Matty]

Hi everyone,

My sons Polar Express derails everytime it hits a switch on the track. We bought my son the Lionel Polar Express along with the Outer Passing Loop add on which comes with two switches (All Fastrack) when the switches are running straight there is no issue, train runs fine, but when the switches are changed to turn right or left the front wheels on the train follow the curve fine but as soon as the main wheels (its a 2-8-4) hit the switch the switch changes back to straight so the train derails....so in short, the front wants to turn but the rest wants to go straight.

Anyone else had this issue and do you know how I can fix this as I dont know if its the train or the switches thats the issue

[phillyreading]

I had a problem with some other Lionel switches, can you run your engine over the switch from the opposite direction? If the same problem happens when you enter the switch from the other way, the switch is bad. This used to be a problem with Lionel's switch #6-23010 & 23011 in O gauge track when using Williams engines.

[Matty]

I actually have it sort of working now..."kinda" I actually bent the rail a little bit and the end broke of...about 1/8 of an inch and now the train goes round no problem.....however, If believe correctly  if the tracks at the switch are set to go straight and im coming in from a turn then there shouldnt be a problem and the train should  continue....well not with mine, it derails the train. so I have to keep moving the track all the time, which becomes a real pain..........I think im at the stage of just calling Lionel and seeing what they say!!!