Rocky Diesel

[JeremyB]

Hi guys

I asked this question before but I have a GP-9 that seems to rock slightly when going over a turnout's frog. I have checked everything including the track, the wheel gauge, and all the gears in the gear tower but It still seems to rock when going over the turnout Is there anything else that could be causing this? Or is it one of those things that I'll just have to deal with?

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

My rollingstock rocks when they go over turnouts, but not my locomotives. I wonder why too.

[AggroJones]

There is a gap in the rail and the lighter weight equiptment may rock a little when passing over a turnout. If a GP-9 slightly rocks doing this, it is not out of the ordinary. Many locomotives don't flow perfectly smooth passing through turnouts.

[Eriediamond]

[#ditto] on Aggro's reply. Due to the small size and the tolerances needed for smooth running, the gap in a switch frog is a lot wider than scale. Also the switch size makes a difference too, a #8 or #10 switch has a wider gap then a #4 switch. The wide gap is to insure or help against derailments caused by slightly out of guage wheels and also to allow our not so scale wheel flanges to negotiate those switches. Some times diesels with 4 wheel trucks will rock more than one with 6 wheel trucks and also steamers with their large drivers will not rock as well. That gap is to rolling stock what a pot hole in a road is to your automobile. Hope this helps you. Ken

[JeremyB]

thanks for the tips guys, I never knew that some locos didn't flow perfectly threw turnouts.

PS to Ken, I never thought about that, I guess that gap to rolling stock is the same as a pot hole to my car.

thanks again guys

[ndbprr]

What brand of engine? Athearns tended to do this and there have been several fixes. I remember one guy put loops of wire into the tops of the trucks to steady the engine. As I recall the problem is slop in where the truck mounts the frame because it is a very small area. Reducing the clearances with shims either top or bottom should lessen the problem.

[JeremyB]

yes it is a Atheran