Switch Frogs

[Steelman65]

sorry I didn't catch the title

[cacole]

Atlas #4 Snap Switches -- ummm, are you talking about HO scale here?  You're on the Garden Railways forum.

[Steelman65]

the switches are #4 Atlas snap switches. The train and cars are from a Walthers train set a couple of years old. The wheels off one of the cars measure .368". If someone has an email address I can send the pics

 

 

[kstrong]

See the Garden Railways Basics column in the current (April) issue of GR for some ideas on what may be happening and how to correct them.

Later,

K

[markn]

per Tip #16 of GRs Tips and Tricks.....Also check the  distance between wheel backs-should be 1.575 inches if you have a dial caliper or 1 9/16'' by eye and ruler (actually 1 37/64" but if you can read that, you probably didn't get in to large scale because it's "Braille Scale")   .  I had a similar problem and spreading it to the correct width solved the trouble.  The tips says its easy to adjust plastic wheel sets because they are 1. generally made in two plastic halves on a metal axle and 2. generally made, how do you say,  quick and cheap in two plastic halves on a metal axle.  Generally a metal wheel set that is off is a bad apple and probably needs to be replaced.

[Anonymous]

Steelman,

 

 How large are the wheels, what make are the turnouts? You could have one or the other problem

Wheels small enough to not bridge the gap in the frog; wheelflanges smaller than usual - in which case you shim the gap at the bottom of the frog; or the gap being to wide which allows the flanges to pick the point of the frog - in which case you shim the guard rails.

But before you do any of that, check the Back to Back dimension of the wheel sets - can vary with the make of wheels you use.

At least that's what our techie says, he handlays a lot of turnouts.

Hope that helps!

 

ER 

[Anonymous]

In this hobby we all have our favourites and mine is camber, check the levelness of you points from side to side!

Use a small spirit level say 70 mm long or 2" to 3".

rgds

[Steelman65]

I keep getting derailed at the frog (throat?) The wheel diameter is small enough to drop between the rails at that place which is enough to make it come off the track. Anyone have any suggestions?,

 

thanks