I have noticed that if you're using quarter inch high cork Road bed, the Gargraves rail head height is quite close, but apparently not quite equal to the railhead height of the 022 switch, and probably O gauge trackage generally. As a result, I find steam locomotives, which have a leading truck which is relatively lightly sprung and can bounce tends to lift slightly and then, when the following driving wheels, have reached the O gauge track the leading truck comes down, but not always landing perfectly on The track. This is particularly a problem on the curved branch of O22 switches as the rails begin to curve, but the leading truck is still going straight ahead above the rail head. The misaligned leading truck creates a derailment. I have had this problem with steam locomotives and also GG1's. They all share the characteristic that the leading truck has no weight on it or little weight on it, and can easily lift up above the rail head, and then not drop down aligned with the curve branch.
My solution has been to shim Gargraves track about 6 inches ahead of the joint between the Gargraves and the O22 switches. A shim of about 3/32 height seems to work well. I have now eliminated four different problem areas. It is interesting to me that I didn't have the problem and every single boundary between Gargraves and O22 curved branch. Is there any better solution?
seeing your still going to need issolations pins so your not going toget 100% smooth connections.
BeSide using the appropriate adapter pins, which I notice are machined so that one surface is even from one end of the pin to the other, what other techniques are there to make sure that you get smooth running across a boundary between Gargraves track and O gauge track, especially the 022 switches?
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