Turnout Tip

[Roadtrp]

One of my turnouts had been giving me fits. Any time I backed the train over it at anything more than an absolute crawl, the train would derail. I had spent way too much time taking apart and reassembling the surrounding track to make sure that all connections were tight and smooth.

Eventually I noticed that on my other turnouts, if I took my finger and pushed the track away from the way it was set, it would return to the set position when I removed my finger. On my problem turnout, it just stayed where my finger pushed it. I adjusted the tiny screw that is in the middle of the movable part of the turnout until the track would return to the set position after having been pushed aside.

Problem solved. Now I can back the train over the turnout far faster than would ever happen in reality. I'm just getting back into the hobby after a 30 year absence, so I may be the only model railroader on earth that didn't already know this. But just in case I wasn't, I thought I would pass my experience along.

[der5997]

Getting back after 30 years, WELCOME BACK. [:D] What scale are you in? The description you give doesn't ring bells with the turnouts I've been using. Are yours your 30 year old stock, or recently purchased? Who is the manufacturer? You'll notice quite a few changes in technology over 3 decades. Enjoy!

[Roadtrp]

I'm modeling in N scale. Everything is new... my stuff from 30 years ago was Lionel O scale. I had an extensive setup, but did not have a place to store it during my "apartment era". I gave it to my brother to store in his basement, and he ended up selling it. [:(!]

The turnouts I'm using are Bachmann EZ-track, which is turning out not to be quite as EZ as I thought it would be... [:P]

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp
...my stuff from 30 years ago was Lionel O scale. I had an extensive setup, but did not have a place to store it during my "apartment era". I gave it to my brother to store in his basement, and he ended up selling it. [:(!]

So how did you beat the murder rap? [:-,]

[Roadtrp]

QUOTE:

So how did you beat the murder rap? [:-,]

I didn't. Why do you think I've been away for 30 years? [:O]

Just kidding. [;)]

He said he needed the space in his basement to finish off a bedroom, and didn't think I'd care. About half of the equipment was his. It had been a combined layout from when we were kids -- largely paid for and built by my father -- some of it vintage stuff from when HE was a kid.

He offered me half the money, thinking that would make it OK. I didn't want the money, I wanted the trains. I never took any of the money -- I figured accepting it would mean I was OK with his decision, which I was NOT.

I told my daughter the story at Christmas when I got my new train stuff, and she thought it was sad that I had waited so long to get back into something I seemed to love so much. I don't really know why I waited so long either. Life just sometimes gets in the way of doing what you want.

[der5997]

Roadtrp: Sorry I don't have any experience witht he EZ track. Hope your project goes well. There is a ton of help and experience on these forums. My brother and I "shared" a Hornby O clock work train set that probably gave me the virus. The real dose was caught at school however where one of the staff ran the model club and scratch built brass OO Great Western Railway equipment. That was in the late 50s. You're right about life getting in the way of doing what you want. It wasn't until my daughter asked for a train set one christmas that I got back into the hobby.
And by the way folks, please don't do what I did and make the thing so complicated that the children can't run it.[:(]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE:
I didn't. Why do you think I've been away for 30 years? [:O]

Hmmmm... They didn't see it as justifiable homicide?

Welcome back to the hobby! I was away from the hobby for about 15 years and got back into it this past spring. A lot has changed with the advent of DCC and modern electronics but the biggest change that I found was prices! Prices for MRR stuff has increased greater than the inflation rate by about 20-25%.