Thank you for this information.
doctorwayne After dragging the loco out of the way (and with the track power off) I laid my scale ruler across the rails of the turnout, and as I moved it along, it caught on the frog. This occurred when done from either direction, and revealed the problem: the long wheelbase, combined with the usually-too-stiff springs in these locos didn't allow the wheels to compensate for that minor height difference, and once all of the drivers lost contact with the rails, they also lost power. I went around the entire layout, performing the same test, and found four or five which had the same problem. A few passes across the rails with a not-too-coarse mill file took care of the issue, allowing those locos to pass through the turnouts with ease. I'm guessing that perhaps there was a batch of Atlas turnouts produced with this issue, but it was very easy to rectify once identified. Wayne
After dragging the loco out of the way (and with the track power off) I laid my scale ruler across the rails of the turnout, and as I moved it along, it caught on the frog. This occurred when done from either direction, and revealed the problem: the long wheelbase, combined with the usually-too-stiff springs in these locos didn't allow the wheels to compensate for that minor height difference, and once all of the drivers lost contact with the rails, they also lost power.
I went around the entire layout, performing the same test, and found four or five which had the same problem. A few passes across the rails with a not-too-coarse mill file took care of the issue, allowing those locos to pass through the turnouts with ease. I'm guessing that perhaps there was a batch of Atlas turnouts produced with this issue, but it was very easy to rectify once identified.
Wayne
Wow, thanks for that idea, Wayne. I don't have any issues with normal commercially made turnouts, but I DO with a Walthers/Shinohara double-crossover.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
snjroy...I have read that frogs for HO turnouts can be filed down if they appear to be too high.
Simon's correct about the HO scale frogs. Some time ago, a friend visited and brought several of his brass steam locomotives along, mainly to run and photograph them on my layout.
Several of them, particularly those with a long driver wheelbase, would stall on some turnouts, and we couldn't figure out why.
I asked him to leave a couple of the locos with me, in order to find out what was causing this. After putzing around for a while looking for the problem, I noticed that one of the locos, at that time stalled on an Atlas turnout, rocked when I pushed down on either the front end or the cab.After dragging the loco out of the way (and with the track power off) I layed my scale ruler across the rails of the turnout, and as I moved it along, it caught on the frog. This occured when done from either direction, and revealed the problem: the long wheelbase, combined with the usually-too-stiff springs in these locos didn't allow the wheels to compensate for that minor height difference, and once all of the drivers lost contact with the rails, they also lost power.
I went around the entire layout, performing the same test, and found four or five which had the same problem. A few passes across the rails with a not-too-coarse mill file took care of the issue, allowing those locos to pass through the turnouts with ease. I'm guessing that perhaps there was a batch of Atlas turnouts produced with this issue, but it was very easy to rectify once identified .
I had that problem with one of my HO Bachmann tank engines. It was just slightly rubbing, so I fixed the problem by filing down the under plate (all my other locos were ok). I'm not in N scale, but I have read that frogs for HO turnouts can be filed down if they appear to be too high.
Simon
PS: It appears that I answered while your second message was "in moderation". Sounds like you fixed your problem!
Took the n scale nmra gauge and could see that the atlas code 55 turnout guard rail and wing rail are not in gauge. I was able to file these rails so that they are in gauge and the engine is able to go thought the turnout much much easier.
is the the correct thing to do? Is this the case for these atlas turnouts. Seems like three of them have the same issue? Any help would be appreciated. Thank
Anyone have ever had an issue with an Broadway n scale 3466 EMD SD70ACe Diesel Locomotive and the fuel tank is so low it seems to hit the fog area of a code 55 atlas turnout. The cork road bed seems to be ok and the track is not moving and seems to be on the road bed correctly? i am new to model trains and would appriciate any help or ideas? thanks