I am trying to find a smaller diesel that is of good quality to go with the 20' cars I have running on an auto-reversing layout at work. Any suggestions? USA Trains 20 tonner? USA 44 Tonner? Others? Also, I need to get a track cleaning car. Is the Aristo cleaning car in the caboose any good?Thanks for any help.
Tom Trigg
I have an Aristocraft 0-4-0 and find I have some trouble with the engine sliding past the diodes for the auto reverse. I run it with 4 20' cars and a caboose. I am wondering if the momentum of the cars is causing the engine to slide past the diode. My thinking is that a diesel with two trucks may have more luck. Also, I think the back and forth for hours at a time is rough on the side rods on a steam engine.
Regardless, thanks for the suggestion because I still may pick one up.
Jonfrompeds ... I have some trouble with the engine sliding past the diodes for the auto reverse. I run it with 4 20' cars and a caboose. I am wondering if the momentum of the cars is causing the engine to slide past the diode.
This, my friend, is the question that should have been asked in the first place. You engine is sliding beyond the diodes. This is a condition that can happen no matter how many trucks are in contact with the rails. Let's begin with a little diagnostic investigation.
1. Is the track flat and not going downhill at the end? This could cause sliding at too high a speed.
2. What kind of load are you running in the cars? If it is heavy enough it could "push" the train another few inches past the stop point.
3. Have you used an oil based cleaner on the rails and not properly dried them off? Slick rails are like a slick highway, skids will happen.
4. How fast do you have the engine running? If it is running too fast then slide it will.
In my case since my auto-reverse section is going up a severe grade what ever I send up the hill will stop about 1/64 inch beyond the rail gap with diode. However, on the downhill run everything wants to slide about one quarter inch. How far is your stuff sliding? Give us a better description of what is happening, maybe one of us has had the problem before and solved it. Given the dynamics of the situation I would guess that what ever is happening with you 0-4-0 would also happen with a small 2 drive truck engine. Also, which auto-reverse unit do you have?
Here is the bridge on which my LGB auto-reverse unit operates.
The track is at my job and is elevated at 8 feet.
1. Track is straight and level and indoors. I have not cleaned it all yet (been running for 3 months) and that is one of the reasons I asked the cleaning car question.
2. The cars are empty, but the Aristo 0-4-0 is very light. I have noticed a coating of black dust on the track that looks like it is from the paint on either the loco or from the black plastic wheels on the cars.
3. I have an LGB trolley that runs great. I never have problems with it. When I run the 0-4-0 after the troley I don't have the problem with overruning the diodes for about a day. I think the pickups on the LGB trolley clean the track and the 0-4-0 runs better because of it. Once again, that leads me to my request for a cleaning car suggestion.
4. I run it at a slow speed so I don't think that is the problem.
5. Any suggestions on cleaning would be greatly appreciated.
The Aristocraft 'Lil Critter or center cab diesel would be a good choice.
At Work? How do I get a job like that
We built up a couple of small railroads at work in the warehouses (G Gauge and HO )during our lunch hours a few years and management came by and really got a kick out of them and then told our project manager to get them the hell out of there.
As for the Aristo Track Cleaning Caboose, I quit using that piece of *&&^% a couple of years ago.
I'm using the hand method until I can find a trackman cleaning car.
RUDY JAGER, CEO OF THE LONE WOLF RAILROAD
TRUST ME--I USED TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT!
Jon
I think I see the answer to your problem within your response. The "black powder" on the rails is the culprit. You say that running the LGB trolley cleans the rails and that your 0-4-0 does just fine for a day. I have two suggestions which should solve everything.
Replace those plastic wheels with better quality metal wheels. Plastic wheels have been gunking up rails for many years in every scale. After replacing the plastic wheels you will need to wipe down the rails about once every two or three months just to get the dust off of it.
Purchase or build a track-cleaning car. A quick fix, depending what kind of cars you have. I use a box car for mine, built exactly the same way I made them for the N scale stuff. (Just LOTS BIGGER) Take a piece (actually two) of Masonite (pegboard) and two long thin bolts or nails. Drill small hole in masonite; push the nail (bolt) thorough the masonite so that the head is on the smooth side of the masonite. Glue and clamp the second piece of Masonite (smooth side to smooth side). Drill two holes in the bottom of the boxcar to fit the bolts (nails) and the boxcar will push the board around the track cleaning as it goes. Can be used dry, wet (Goo Gone), or with attachments (sandpaper). The rough side of the masonite is course enough to do a fairly good job of cleaning the rails. Send the "scrubbing board" down the rails a couple of times, take it off the boxcar, run the rest of the day without it.
One more quick note. The "black powder" will cause the same sliding condition to exist no matter what engine is doing the pulling.
Are the extentions after the diodes of the proper length to let the entire train pass the diode?? Could the trucks of the cars be letting the current continue to be fed to the extention? In short, is the train sliding or running on ! Are you using the tender with the o4o? If so, you may want to be going to the Aristo site and getting the article on making the tender be part of the power pickup for the loco.
That black powder could be the result of arcing between the o4o drivers and the track; I had that problem till I added the tender as more pickup!
By all means change over to metal wheels! They sound more realistic also!
For realistic 2 direction operation you might want to look at the RDC that Aristo made a few years ago (and is bringing out again this year) or the PCC Trolley that they expect to market this spring!
Where do I find replacement metal wheels for the cars? Is it something Aristo would offer or a third party? I went on the Aristo site and could not find anything there.
The 0-4-0 does not have a tender. I have been trying to find the tender with sound for the 0-4-0 for some time.
Is there any chance the metal wheels will cause the train to go past the diodes on the end where the engine is on the front and followed by the cars with their new metal wheels?
Thanks for all the help.
Where do I find replacement metal wheels for the cars? Is it something Aristo would offer or a third party? I went on the Aristo site and could not find anything there. Yes, Aristo has them, look under accessories in the on line catalog listed on the left bar of thier homepage. You can save a ton of $$$ by purchasing them from a dealer or an on line vendor. Aristo refuses to undersell the dealers, thus anything you order from them will be full MSRP! Some use other custom wheelsets, some use the less expensive Bachmann sets! I prefer the Aristo simply due to the sheer weight.
The 0-4-0 does not have a tender. I have been trying to find the tender with sound for the 0-4-0 for some time. I don't know if they are still available, but a look at the in stock list on the Aristo site will give you an idea; you may have to call around to some of the dealers who advertise in GR to find one if they still have them!
Is there any chance the metal wheels will cause the train to go past the diodes on the end where the engine is on the front and followed by the cars with their new metal wheels? If I recall correctly, the directions tell you to have about 1 foot longer track after the diode than the total length of the train you are running. If the train is 5' long, you need 6' of track after the diode. Even if it stops short on one end, it will work without wrecking!
Jonfrompeds …… Is there any chance the metal wheels will cause the train to go past the diodes on the end where the engine is on the front and followed by the cars with their new metal wheels?
Capt. Bob answered the first two parts of your question very well. I still do not know which Auto-Reversing unit you have. I have the LGB unit and I violated the instructions a bit at the top of the run. I put the isolated (diode) section where I wanted the trolley (or sometimes the engine) to stop. Once all of the power pickup wheels cross to the isolated section the trolley/train stops within about one eight of an inch. There are other units out there that allow a short "power down" for realistic stopping as opposed to the abrupt stop of the LGB unit. If you have one that provides "momentum stopping" (which I doubt you have from you previous notes) then that will require some tweeking of the control unit.
Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it and I am sure I will be posting more questions in the future as things come up. Nice to have such a friendly and helpful forum to go to.
Guess how we learned? Ask away! If one can't answer another will!
Capt Bob Johnson Guess how we learned? Ask away! If one can't answer another will!
Most of us here enjoy sharing or learned experiences with one another almost as much as going outside and playing in the dirt (drive trains). At some point in the not too distant future it will be your turn to help out someone just atsrtingout.
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