blackestate wrote:The track is powered in only 1 place, Sounds like I need more power suppled?
Also the wire from the controller is small, should it be larger?
And the train does not move until the controller gets to about 25% power. Is that normal?
I have not made it out to get the gauge yet. And I am using cheap solder
You are saing that the distance between the rails can change even though the plastic ties have the rails clipped to them? I am having more luck with the flex track, than with the smaller pieces that I got to begin with.
My track is laid on top of black foam road bed, on top of 2" styrofoam insulation board. Right now it is held down with pins for sewing. there is also no banking in the corners. The train seems to run well except these two places.
The track is powered in only 1 place, Sounds like I need more power suppled? Also the wire from the controller is small, should it be larger? And the train does not move until the controller gets to about 25% power. Is that normal?
thanks for all of the help.
cudaken wrote: Texas Zepher, on the solder I hate to say it but you are not quite right. Solder does conduct power.
I not sure about the cheap stuff but I use silver solder.
With that I will shut up, not meaning to go against someone that knows 50 times more than me.
I have to agree with Ken on this one, TZ. I used solder to close hairline gaps between flextrack rails on curves when I didn't want to do any cutting of ties and slid the inside rails into the next section. Otherwise, no continuity. A quick swipe of a tinned iron and my trains lit up on the other side of the gap. Later, I soldered feeders to get past that obstacle for cheap insurance, but until then, the solder worked marvy.
-Crandell
Texas Zepher, on the solder I hate to say it but you are not quite right. Solder does conduct power. I not sure about the cheap stuff but I use silver solder. I used it to tin (coat copper pick up's on HO slot cars) so they pick up better and you can tell when they are coated.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
cwclark wrote: beegle55 wrote:you can use medium grit sandpaper for a substitute, please don't use sand paper on your rails ...go with the bright boy..it's not abrasive like sand paper.
beegle55 wrote:you can use medium grit sandpaper for a substitute,
beegle55 wrote:Soldering is an option for better connection
Dough, here is the NMRA gauge.
Note: For Help with NMRA Gage letter definitions and the AAR Plate diagrams on which it's based see: Standard S-7 Clearances and the NMRA Gage
WARNING: This GAGE is intended only for checking STANDARD dimensions. Misuse as a tool may damage the accuracy of the GAGE.
Figures 3 and 4 below identify the different Components of a turnout for use with the Instructions on the reverse side.
WARNING: WHILE THESE GAGES ARE VERY DURABLE, THEY ARE MEASURING DEVICES AND NOT METAL CUTTING TOOLS. THE USE OF THE GAGE TO REMOVE METAL (EVEN SOFT SOLDER) WILL CAUSE WEAR ON THE MEASURING SURFACES AND DESTROY THE DEVICE AS A MEASURING INSTRUMENT.
http://www.nmra.org/standards/rp2.html
There is the link. If you cannot find one local I be happy to pick one up for you from K-10 trains and mail it to you.
Crandell, yes I am getting a little better. Now have both main lines up and running, tho main 1 still does not like Proto 2000's 6 wheel trucks. I was amazied at how many wheels where out of gauge. I have now logged 45 hours on main line 2 with out a derail and have 33 freight car's, (most 50 footers) 3 tanke cars and 3 coal cars. 1 of the coal cars never made it around the track before!
Dough, to adjust the wheels you pull the axel from the truck. I use a needle nose pliers to hold the center of the axel and twist the wheel and pull or push as needed. Check with the gauge and do again if still out of gauge. Same with my Athearn engines. Also make sure the flanges of the front and rear axels are in a straing line. If not straight they will derail on a turn out. Frist just try flipping them in the trucks, taken care of 85 % of my missed alined trucks. (thanks Darrel for that tip)
Also be a good idea to pick up a truck tuner. Mine is a Reboxx T-100 and cost $9.95. You use it to open up the bossters of the trucks (where the axles goes) and free up the axles so cars roll easyer. That will help your lower speed running, pull more cars and cut down on derailing (string effect) in turns.
While I am at it, pick up a cheap kitchen scale and weight your cars. I got mine from Target for $5.99. With the proper weight stated by the NMRA cars are less like to derail in a turn. Math is for every 1" of car you need .25 oz per inch and then 1 oz. Say you have a 7" freight car, take 7 X .25 = 3.5 + 1 = 4.5 onces. I use pennys and liquied nail. You could use anything that will fit in the car but you want the weight's low for a better center of gravity.
Glad to see you have a small bench than me as well. That was my main misstake, I started with a big board, no one to ask questions and did no rearch just threw down rails. Board is U shape and is 19' X 4' X 8' X 13'. Plus I cannot walk around the board because one side is againt a wall. 4' is to wide to lay good track work.
Good Luck, ask questions and learn from this great site.
The gauge is a thin piece of sheet metal, stainless steel I believe, that has an odd near-rectangular shape around its perimeter. The edges have notches in them to check flange clearances, points gauge, rail gauge, and wheel gauge, but there is even a larger notch on one edge to check clearance to a train station platform, for example, and there is one to check your couplers' heights. It is a great investment, and as stated, comes with straightforward instructions.
I reach for it several times a day, although I am in the process of building a layout. It won't be cheap, as in $4.00, but you should leave the store about $12.00 lighter, maybe more.
Before you get into filing, sanding, scraping or whatever else, buy an NMRA gauge and check the wheelsets of the offending piece. I've had brand new cars that had the wheelsets seriously out of gauge. Once I had checked and adjusted the gauge, things were infinitely smoother.
If you're losing power on a turnout, my guess is that one or both is happening. The frog is not powered and/or the locomotive does not have all wheel pickup. This is especially true of older and/or cheaper models.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
blackestate wrote:so what is a NMRA gauge? and how do I use it? and make adjustments? I work all day making small adjustments on equipment. Just need a little more info. thanksYou guys are great! and I am having a ball. Sometimes I feel like a little kid again...
blackestate, when you buy the guage it comes with instructions on use.
Regards
Tom
Ken, it warms my heart to read your post. I am very happy that the gauge did so much to help you, and I am sure your confidence in your equipment is high right now.
Dough welcome to the hobby, I am new as well and if you read some of my post you will likely find some of are problems will have over lapped.
I have never ran steam yet so I don't know how or if the wheels move when contack the track. But I had the same problem of lossing power in a turn like yours. Rails where cleaned many times with a bright boy, joints where soldered, wheels where all cleaned on my 12 wheel drive E-6's and SPD-40. Ran a power tap to the track (flex 36" 24 inch turn) and still dead in the same spot?
I then happen to run a 8 wheel drive F-7A on that line, no power loss? Seems I had drive a few spikes to deep and there was a little bit of a low spot. The longer trucks of the E-6's and SPD's would bridge the low spot and lose good contack. Not sure if your steamer could do the same thing or not.
Atlas turn outs are OK at best, if you look at Sept MRR Mag there is a articel about tuning them and I think they cover the Frog height. I have 10 turn outs, 7 are Atlas. If there is a derail it is at the Atlas, 3 are Peco's # 8's and never a trun out problem.
If you don't have a NMRA guage, get one fast! I was to the point of selling all my stuff last week or so, I was done! Bought the gauge and found 40 rolling stock and 3 engines where out of gauge. Plus 4 Proto 2000's replacment axles where out of gauge as well!
Good luck and hope to see you post.
beegle55 wrote:Use a file to even the switch and smooth track where joiners are placed. Soldering is an option for better connection, but you can make sure your track is properly and securily put together, then put track tacks along to hold it down and keep good connection. And yes, a bright boy is a good thing to have, but you can use medium grit sandpaper for a substitute, but wipe away gritty residue with a paper towel after you are done cleaning it. As for the turning radius, take other peoples advice because I dont have any experience with IHC locos, especially steam. Good luck! -beegle55
please don't use sand paper on your rails...too much will take out the metal of the rail and cause low spots and pits ...sand it enough and you won't have rails worth a hoot for a train wheel to run on...go with the bright boy..it's not abrasive like sand paper...chuck
Doug, you appear to have most of it figured out! Believe it or not. The 2-8-2 configuration is usually quite forgiving, but there are 8 coupled drivers after all. That length may give you trouble on some 18" track curves. Personally, I would never have anything less than about 24" on my layout now that I have some time under my belt in this hobby. You are interested in steamers, so my bet is that you will at some point have a strong hankering for a big fella, like a 2-10-2, or a 2-10-4. That would be when you have to take up those 18 curves and start afresh...not necessarily a bad thing, but...you know.
Your rail joiners are not making a tight enough contact with the rail ends where your loco stalls. You may have to use a punch to gently tap them tighter, or simply replace them...they do get spread with handling.
As for the "switches", the correct term in the hobby is "turnouts" so that we never confuse them with "switches" of the type that we throw to change polarity in DC operations...direct current. I don't know how old yours are, but maybe they are fine. It could be that the locomotives you are using have large flanges on the inner edges of the wheels, and these will ride up on filled turnout frogs. The commercial frogs will sometimes have plastic or metal fill so that the flanges will ride on them to get the wheels to the other side. (the frog is the crossing in the middle of the turnout where one side's wheels must cross over the inner rails). So, older locomotives will often have large flanges that may buck the loco up and off the rails entirely when they meet the filled frogs.
If you can, get ahold of a track and wheel gauge (a thin metal piece that measures whether things are going to fit on the rails) from your hobby shop. Then, check every single axle on anything you place on the rails with that gauge. You'd be surprised at the variance.
Good luck, and welcome!