X crossings in HO

[sklwfea]

MY 0-4-0 stops on the X every time. How can I wire this track unit to improve movement?

[ratled]

Before you change the track have you checked the loco with a NMRA gauge?

ratled

[Graffen]

sklwfea

MY 0-4-0 stops on the X every time. How can I wire this track unit to improve movement?

Firstly, what make of track is it?

Secondly, what do you mean by X crossing? Is it the frog of a regular turnout? Or a crossing track?

You need to have what is called a "live frog" to improve the electrical circuitry in the turnout.

In that case you have to isolate the frog and power it with current from a polarity switch.

[MisterBeasley]

Is the engine stalling or are you getting a short?

I had an Atlas 30-degree crossing on my layout.  It would short whenever an engine went over it.  I assume it was a manufacturing defect, and replaced it with a Walthers crossing.

Now, I have a stalling problem.  Back when we were discussing this on another thread, someone suggested that the plastic guard rails on some crossings are too high.  This lifts the wheels off the metal rails, and they lose contact.  For longer engines with multiple power-pickup axles, it's no problem, but for an 0-4-0 it can mean a stall.  The solution is to sand down the guard rails.  I've been doing scenery lately, so I haven't gotten around to removing the crossing from the layout to do this, but it's on the list.

[dante]

Another possible solution, at least to a stalling problem with an 0-4-0, is to add a separate pickup shoe to the loco (see Tomar) that will allow pickups to straddle the dead frog.  Shorts are another matter, of course.

Dante

[MisterBeasley]

Does the 0-4-0 have a tender?  If so, adding pickups to the tender's wheels and wiring that power back to the engine will greatly improve any stalling problems.

[cv_acr]

I assume that by "X" crossing he means a diamond (X is a pretty clear picture of what that looks like)

An 0-4-0 is a very small engine and will easily stall out on dead, insulated frogs. (I don't know what kind of track the original poster has, but I'll guess that it's commercial track with plastic frogs.) If the 0-4-0 is a tank engine (no separate tender) like the little "Docksider" that Bachman or Model Power (I forget which) had, it unfortunately may be completely incompatible with the particular crossing. You'd really need to auto-power the frogs somehow for such a small engine to work on the crossing. Which will not be possible with a commericial diamond with plastic frogs.

[dante]

As I mentioned, I added a pickup by Tomar to the frame of my 0-4-0 (original Varney Docksider tank). This provides a space of about 2" between the front driver pickup contact point and the Tomar.  I checked this spacing against a 30 degree crossing by Walthers/Shinohara (not installed) that has metal but insulated "frogs."  It is more than enough for the driver and added pickup to span the dead zone, even if it were all plastic.  45 and 60 degree crossings have shorter dead zones.

Dante

 

[CTValleyRR]

MisterBeasley

Is the engine stalling or are you getting a short?

I had an Atlas 30-degree crossing on my layout.  It would short whenever an engine went over it.  I assume it was a manufacturing defect, and replaced it with a Walthers crossing.

Now, I have a stalling problem.  Back when we were discussing this on another thread, someone suggested that the plastic guard rails on some crossings are too high.  This lifts the wheels off the metal rails, and they lose contact.  For longer engines with multiple power-pickup axles, it's no problem, but for an 0-4-0 it can mean a stall.  The solution is to sand down the guard rails.  I've been doing scenery lately, so I haven't gotten around to removing the crossing from the layout to do this, but it's on the list.

Mr. Beasley.  I did this on my layout using a rotary tool and didn't have to remove the crossing.  A good vacuuming afterward cleaned up the plastic dust.