Aristo switches

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,
On the ever expanding RR I put the first switch in on Sunday, I have had it for ages and tweeked the blades already. However, the GP-38/2 ran through it sweet but the Bachmann coaches fell off. [:(!] After much cursing and bashing with a pair of pliers everything now runs through it lovely. Can I expect this with every switch or have I just had a bad one?
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

Forgot to mention that I have a feeling of deja vu on this, if I have been here before, forgive me, senior moment.

[Anonymous]

Hi Kim,
Check out the FYI thread.I've just read a bit about aristo points.Might help.
Troy

[Anonymous]

I have an aristo set of points one only and Ihave had no trouble with it, but i do have several sets of LGB and this can be a complex matter with nothing to do with the switch itself. Which way were you going from trailing to facing or vice versa, this is not an idle question and which way were the points set were they from the prior crossing?

Also I have had problems caused by camber, you may recall my previous conern in other forum subjects. The fact that a heavy one goes through ok but a lighter one has problems indicates that it may not be all the fault of the sset of points.

By the way Kim you are a Pom and should be using Pommy terminology to maintain your Pommyness.

Regards

Ian

[RhB_HJ]

Hi guys,

Hmmmmmm where to start?

OK the problematic Aristo turnouts ("points" in Pom and OZ parlance) have been discussed on several forums. And then I spent some money, ordered one from the wholesaler and measured it out (it's one of my quirks, how can you say it's out of tolerance unless you measure! Right?!?).

Now keep in mind two measurements

• a) the track gauge is nominally 45mm which means 45.00mm and larger i.e. up to 45.30mm
• b) the G1MRA has a nominal track gauge of 1.750" (44.45mm) and the tolerance is "unknown" (thus far)

The following are the results of my measurements taken at .925" intervals



Now if a turnout has measurements that are in the range of 44.00mm to 46.17mm then some would call it "generous tolerances" and others would call it something else.
If you combine that with equally generous tolerances on the "back to back" dimension of wheelsets, then you're in for some "fun", but not the kind that model railroading is supposed to be about.

[toenailridgesl]

Kim,
the other thing to consider is most Bachmann wheelsets (especially the older plastic wheels) are notoriously undergauge. You can widen the gauge by gently twisting the wheels apart.

[Anonymous]

Cheers guys,
I shall check future POINTS as per HJ's point-nice drawing mate-and Ian I was switching the traffic through the point running from an 8'curve into the curved left hand switch of the point. When I switched the point to the straight the cars ran through ok. After bashing the switching part of the point with a pair of pliers I think the point got the point. Phil and Troy, thankyou for raising your valid points, I get the point and it's time to switch to some other point. What is the point[%-)].............
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]
Ian, by the way, we've made 13 degrees!!

[cacole]

I have encountered a similar problem with the Aristo Craft #6 stainless steel turnouts, which are the only ones I use. All of my wheelsets are metal replacements, but not all the same brand. Going forward is no problem, but trying to back a train through the turnout causes a derailment that seems to be related to the amount of weight being pushed through the points; i.e., it only happens on the boxcar nearest to the engine in an 8-car long train, and sometimes in the tender trucks on a Bachmann Consolidation with its original wheelsets. Since this is on level track, it has to be something related to car weight or wheels. I have a 2-foot-long straight section before the turnout, so I know that entering into a turnout from a curve cannot be the problem. I learned that lesson through HO modeling.

P.S. -- There must be 200 links in that FYI thread. Which one is about Aristo Craft turnouts? I saw only Aristo's Web site listed, and naturally there's nothing there about problems with turnout points.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Cacole for this, I am re-evaluating how many switches, I mean points!, I need until I sort this out. Had the railway going this weekend and my Consolidation did not like that switch one bit. I am going to start with Johns suggestion and check back to back measurements on the wheelsets. I had to adjust the blades because when it was switched onto the curve section the blade hit the straight track and bounced back open a touch leaving a gap big enough for a wheel flange. Bending the blade over seems to have removed this problem.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]