Another funny thing.

[Anonymous]

By funny i mean perculiar not ha ha.

I am really going through my layout trying to detect any irregularities hence the number of the minor problems.

I dont speak much about my area 1, it is a reversing loop (clockwise) and it is very twisty going through palms and ferns and general tropical situation as well it is based on Japanese Shinto religeous theme, with a Shinto Pagoda and alot of ornamental gravel..

My Mallet will not pull any of my American style rolling stock through it without an uncoupling. I only have three American style rolling stock, all LGB though. An old masters box car, and two tankers, Gramps and Intercontinental Oil.

No matter which order i put them in or which way they face or which direction they go through the loop, they get unscoupled from each other but more likely from the Mallet, Why?

The Mallet will pull anything else through ok and any other loco will pull the American style stuff through.

I thought it might be the articulated and ditinctive action of the Mallet.

Any idess?


rgds ian

[Curmudgeon]

Never, ever give me an opportunity like that again.

"Sell it all. Buy LGB. It always works, never have any troubles here on the Sunshine Coast".

So, exactly what part of "all I have is LGB" am I missing here?

I do suppose you have hooknloops.......

[bman36]

Ian,
Are you using hook and loop couplers? My experience has been that anytime a curve changes direction or reverses, a section of straight track must be used inbetween. This section of track needs to be as long as your longest piece of equipment. Otherwise derailments / uncoupling will occur at these points. You mentioned the line does a lot of twisting in this area. The track should be laid out in a manner where there is a curve followed by the straight section if the track will now curve in the opposite direction. Hope that makes sense. Rgds eh...Brian.

[ttrigg]

Ian

I had a similar, (I think) situation on a previous "N" layout. If all your cars are uncoupling as a unit from the engine, as in the "N" of mine, I found the problem to have been the couplers on the cars in suspect all had a matching height with each other but nothing else on the RR. Hence they came apart in a double "S" curve.

If however your cars are coming apart individually (not as a unit) then I have no bloody idea!

Another thought: As hard as we all try, parts and bits very rarely go on at exactly level. Check the angle of the dangle of your couplers! Even a 3 degree off level dangle can cause problems.

[tangerine-jack]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bman36

Ian,
Are you using hook and loop couplers? My experience has been that anytime a curve changes direction or reverses, a section of straight track must be used inbetween. This section of track needs to be as long as your longest piece of equipment. Otherwise derailments / uncoupling will occur at these points. You mentioned the line does a lot of twisting in this area. The track should be laid out in a manner where there is a curve followed by the straight section if the track will now curve in the opposite direction. Hope that makes sense. Rgds eh...Brian.

Exactly! On average the US style rolling stock is longer than European. I would think this is the solution all other factors (brand, couplers etc) being equal.

[oX)]

[RhB_HJ]

I'm with Dave G, but take a different tack

CAUTION:

It has nothing to do with couplers, cars or engines. The solution of the puzzle lies in the location: it is a Shinto shrine. Due reverence is to be observed, hence the train will not run through and Ian needs to get in a kneeling position.

END OF CAUTION:

[Tom The Brat]

The trick is always:

Run it slow, watch closely and see if you can spot what's going wrong. Once you see the cause of the problem, it's often easy to fix -- at least outside of a tunnel.

[John Busby]

HI iandor
check the springs on the couplings hooks.
I assume it was hook and loop coupling.
make sure the springs are still holding the hook properly.
I had uncoupling problems a while ago it took a hell of a time to find the cause which turned out to be prings that no longer sprung on some second hand stock I had bought.
regards John

[Anonymous]

Gentlemen;

What great suggestions.

2/ Torby and HJ I have already tried your suggestions; together even and it didn't get me too far, it is all shrouded in mystery!

3/Brian I have thought about what you are saying many times but i have no choice considering where it is. But everything else goes through ok including my big Golden Mountain carriages 600 mm or 18 " long pulled by the Mallet.

4/ Ctrigg mate i am in the same situation as you.

5/ Tom you are making sense as usual but it is very hard to see much in there it is an area of heavy under growth like you would only get in the tropics. Also this is a blind spot my my MTS controller.

6/ The idea of the spings and hook assemblies has some merit as well, I think it may well be a contributing factor.

7/ Does anyone know if LGB American style bogies, have less range of swing than European ones?

My little Styainz the one i just fixed, will pull the same three rolling stock through there ad infinitum with no trouble and the Mallet will pull any of my other rolling stock through again ad infintitum. Even my ICE train goes through there at speed (MTS speed8)

Anything making any sense will be looked at and I appreciate the positive comments so far!

Rgds Ian

[Curmudgeon]

Keep it up.
You're liable to get a digital visit.
We might just hold a going-away party for ya.

Remember, without calling anyone a richard cranium, YOU are the one who keeps espousing to sell everything, buy LGB, never any problems, yet, look at the stuff you post.

Yeah, you're probably right, I don't even have a garden railway.

[RhB_HJ]

Ian, aka "The Expert"

Has it occurred to you that all you need do is recreate the same track config in a flat spot i.e. your patio (no, patio is not an acronym!) and then run the engine/ car combo on that track to find out if it is the couplers or whatever?

BTW you are really pushing your luck with the remark listed in 1/ !!!!! That one could backfire very badly![:(!][:(!][B)][8]

[Curmudgeon]

And it did, as he now knows.

[tangerine-jack]

What about the coupler overhang dimensions? What is the measurment from the rear most wheelset to the end of the coupler? Is it a greater distance that your other locos? Could be a factor. I still think it has to do with the track curves. There is some merit to the idea of laying out a similar configuration in a more convenient area and see if you can duplicate the problem.


[oX)]

[amotz]

Ian:
The mallet, and many other larger LGB locos, have long wheelbases plus extended reach to the coupler which amplifies any sort of variation in the track. I find it necessary to be sure the first car of the train is equipped with the extra hook (symmetrical) coupling.