Curved turnouts in HO

[MRRSparky]

I am having difficulty with a Walthers code 83 curved turnout. My track plan has it located at the bottom of a grade. I've "re-manufactured" it to eliminate the plastic throwbar in favor of PC board version and have wired a Caboose Industries to route power to the points and frog.

Backing a loco through it creates a short, but not operating forward. Certain cars derail going through it, in spite of the fact that track gauge, point distance and flangeways all meet or exceed NMRA standards.

I am considering three options: replacing the code 83 version with a code 100 version of the same swithc, replacing it with a Peco medium radius switch (my favored solution), or eliminating it completely.

I've had difficuly with nearly every Walthers switch I've used but their curved switch matched the geometry at the time. Does anybody have any thoughts on the best course of action?

[cmrproducts]

Scott

I am using Shinohara code 100 curved turnouts available from Walthers. I am running DCC and the only thing I do to the turnout is cut the frog area and put drop wires on all 3 ends of the turnout. Although I only run diesels the turnout is so smooth to run through and my engines do not stall even though the frog is not powered. Other visitors to my layout have run steam, and they do not seem to have a problem with the turnout either.

BOB H Clarion, PA

[Sperandeo]

Hello Scott,

I'm not sure I have an answer for you, but I've often seen "back-to-back" shorts on these turnouts where the back side of a metal wheel running along the stock rail brushes against the open point of opposite polarity. You say you've remanufactured the turnout, but you didn't specify whether you have the points (and closure rails) wired to match the polarity of the adjacent stock rails. If you don't, that's my suggestion for fixing your problem. (See figures 21-6 and 3-12 in my book, "Easy Model Railroad Wiring.")

If you've already done that, I'm not sure what to tell you, except to ask if you can determine exactly where in the turnout the short is occuring. If you can be more specific about that I may be able to help.

Good luck,

Andy

Andy Sperandeo
MODEL RAILROADER Magazine

[MRRSparky]

Andy, I DO have your book and I'll check the sections you mention. But to answer your questions, I am using the Caboose Industries ground throw that routes power. I have the center tap soldered to the closure rails, the two outside taps soldered to the appropriate stock rail power feed.

It appears the frog and closure rails are connected electrically internal to the switch. In my "re-manufacturing," I removed the Walthers bridle bars between the point rails and the brass tab under the junction of the closure rails and the point rails so that, electrically, the frog, closure rails and point rails are all one. I used rail connectors, soldered to the closure and point rails so that when I throw the switch, I am "bending iron."

[gerryleone]

Hi, Scott -- my whole layout is fitted with Walthers 83 turnouts, both curved and straight, and all of my engines run through them just fine... except one. It's an IHC without RP25 wheels (i.e. larger flanges). This engine does exactly what Andy described above: it shorts between the point rails and outside rails.

I solved the problem by gluing rail-height strips of regular copier paper to the rail-sides of the point rails. They're virtually invisible and work like a charm. The only caveat is to make sure the paper strips don't interfere with the points closing -- if they do, cut them shorter.

-Gerry

[MRRSparky]

That's an interesting thought. Do you mean the area between the point rail and the stock rail, or the inside of the point rail?

[Anonymous]

I haven't used the switch that you have but think that the others are overlooking another possible cause of your problem.

You state that the switch is at the bottom of a grade. If the switch itself is on the transition to the grade it would have a vertical curve in it. This might cause a short with a pilot on a steam engine or a metal gearbox on a diesel touching a rail and causing a short. The vertical curve could also cause a wheel to lift if it did not have sufficient play and being on a curve it would tend to go straight causing the derailment.

Take a look to see if any of this might be the cause of your problems.

Doug