WHY?

[Fergmiester]

Why is it every time I get a new Engine I have to replace section of track? Just when I thought my track was just right the "new" kid on the block proves me wrong!?

The Kanawha is telling me to replace a #6 turnout (Atlas)

Any thoughts and yes I've used my NMRA track guage!

Anyone with similiar problems?

WHY?

[Anonymous]

My new steamers will find track flaws that I had for years but were acceptable
for diesels.

[CP5415]

Murphy's Law!

That's why [:)]

Gordon

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

Murphy's Law!

That's why [:)]

Gordon

No Pot hole! Winter was worse than I thought!! After thinking a for a moment I went back, with a level and found there was a dip in the track. Funny how none of the other 22 engines seemed to have noticed it[:(!]

A shim was all it needed to level it.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergmiester

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

Murphy's Law!

That's why [:)]

Gordon

Funny how none of the other 22 engines seemed to have noticed it[:(!]

A shim was all it needed to level it.

Now what?

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomotive3

QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergmiester

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

Murphy's Law!

That's why [:)]

Gordon

Funny how none of the other 22 engines seemed to have noticed it[:(!]

A shim was all it needed to level it.

Now what?

Well I figure if I get the BLI 2-10-4 C&O T-1 it will be more like WHY, WHY, WHY? and then lots of track and hair will be flying.

The post was in frustration as I had tried for about an hour or two to fix the problem. To the naked eye everything thing looked true and I didn't want to have to rip up track. Other engines running the same line showed no signs of the pilot riding up and derailing so the question was WHY? One would think if 22 engines can ride the rails without incident then what's wrong with the 23rd!?

[tomwatkins]

Been there , done that, got the tee shirt. I'm Almost through going back and increasing the radius of several curves and replacing all my #6 1/2 curved turnouts with # 7's. Why, because my Genesis 2-8-2's didn't like them. The diesels, 2-8-0's and even the Spectrum Light Mountains were fine. The Light Mikes weren't and I like and need several of them. It took a two pronged approach to really solve the problem. I did a lot of work to the Light Mikes to improve them. I got a lot of good advice from several people on this forum - thanks everyone. I also decided to increase radius and frog numbers, which also helps. Every now and then I go back and relook at John Armstrong's chart on the pain inflicted by steam locomotives. As with anything by Mr. Armstrong it's very accurate. But I still like steam better than diesels, and besides, model railroading is fun.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tomwatkins

Why, because my Genesis 2-8-2's didn't like them. The diesels, 2-8-0's and even the Spectrum Light Mountains were fine. The Light Mikes weren't and I like and need several of them....

Tom Watkins

Funny that, I have Genisis 2-8-2 and I found it to be the least finicky of the bunch. However I found the Heritage 2-8-4 had a very light pilot and tender. So besides leveling the track I also weighted the pilot (1.5 gm) and the tender (50 gm) with Kub Kar (Pine Car) weights. Made a big difference.

[tomwatkins]

Fergie,
That is strange. I've got more time and aggravation in the Light Mikes than possibly all of the others. Don't have an answer except that my railroad has lots of grades
( 2 to 2 1/2% is common) with curves and turnouts in very close proximity. That's prototypical for the area I'm modeling. But right now, knock on wood, everything is working fine. Sometimes you just have to outstuborn it.
Tom watkins

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tomwatkins

Fergie,
That is strange. I've got more time and aggravation in the Light Mikes than possibly all of the others. Don't have an answer except that my railroad has lots of grades
( 2 to 2 1/2% is common) with curves and turnouts in very close proximity. That's prototypical for the area I'm modeling. But right now, knock on wood, everything is working fine. Sometimes you just have to outstuborn it.
Tom watkins

I use my Allegheny and Spectrum K-4 Pacific to test the track as if there's a flaw they'll find it. Up until now anyway.

[cwclark]

guess we've all been through this..I had too sharp of a radius curved section of track right under a bridge..so I get to move both the track and the bridge to fix the problem...and the worst of it was that it was in a place that was almost unaccessible...i'll never do a layout in a figure eight ever again..but at the time in a 9' X 12' room it was all i could do to get the most railroad in such a small space...from now on it's nothing less than 24" radius and a level will go on the track before it gets put into place...when one learns from their mistakes will make a better modeler out of them....

[tomwatkins]

Yes it does make us better modelers. It's very much a process rather than a point. The doing and learning is one of the things that makes it so much fun.
Tom Watkins