Has anyone got any ideas on why on some of my turnouts the front wheels of the engine will begin the turn but the back wheel will keep going straight? It only happens on two of the 7 turnouts. The turnouts themselves appear to move fully in each direction when switched. Any help would be appreciated.
The first thing you should do is check, whether the turnout is in gauge - get a NMRA gauge to do this. Then check, whether the wheels of your locos are in gauge, also using the NMRA gauge. If both turnout or wheelsets are not in gauge, a little tweaking will help.
It seems to me, that the wheels on the trailing truck of your loco "climb" the rails in the turnout. Aside from wheels or turnout being out of gauge, the cause could also be flanges, which are to deep or to thick. Watch closely, what the loco is doing, when it slowly moves over the turnout, to determine, exactly where the cause is.
It would be helpful to know what brand of track you're using. Newer track, especially the code 55 variety from Micro Engineering or Atlas, are a lot more precisely made, and are therefore more demanding of proper wheel gauge.
Most locomotives are delivered with the wheels slightly out of gauge, usually too close together. On older code 80 track, this may not present a problem, since it allows for more "slop". It's easy to fix wheel gauge, just slip the blade of a small screw driver between the wheel and the gearbox and gently twist until the wheel budges. Check the gauge with the NMRA wheel gauge to make sure you've got it just so.
Odds are a lot longer that there's a problem with the turnout. If you've re-used the turnout from older layouts, or it is visibly in rough shape, you'll be better off just replacing it with a new one.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
I have atlas code 80 track i am going to get an NMRA guage. I am just getting into the hobby so its all new to me other than the fact that I have always loved trains. I just want my first layout to work then I can move on to making the scenery and coloring it.
Thank you so much, I will try the guage and hopefully i can figure this out soon. If it comes to it though in the end I will replace the turnouts and go from there.Thanks again.
I'm 99 percent sure the problem will be with the wheels on the locomotive.
I am also using Atlas Code 80 track! I am very close to ripping all track up and replacing it with something else, not sure what yet?!?! My local "train store" says Kato is bullet proof!!!
I have had enough with atlas... I have had the same problems... gauged all my locos n stock n track, took hours! I was given a bit of advice and recently read it in MRR mag or website... tweaking and filing switch points may help... it did to a point. However the plastic in atlas product seems to be a gremlin on 75% of my turnouts! I am really fed up with it...!
>sigh<
N scale track is only as good as the installation. If you're sloppy and don't pay attention to detail, you're going to have problems. N scale physics require very smooth trackwork. This is something that takes time and patience. It took me years to develop a process that yields consistent results.
Kato Unitrak is pretty close to bulletproof. But it also only barely looks like prototype track. If you're willing to sacrifice a realistic appearance for hasty installation, then go for it. But if you want your layout to look like a model railroad, and not like toy trains, you might consider revisiting your track laying technique.
What specifically are you having problems with? Are you using flex or sectional track? (or a mixture of both?)
I promise, laying N scale track that both looks and runs good is possible. But you absolutely cannot cut corners.
There are two critical areas you have to check with each new piece of track: Electrical connection, and Mechanical connection. For good electrical connection, you should place a pair of feeder wires to each piece of flex track, and generally about every 3-4 feet. These should be tied to a bus wire that follows the track below decks. To make sure the juice is getting to the locomotive, make sure the track is clean, and that flangeways on turnouts, crossings and other specialty track are free of debris.
To ensure you have good mechanical connections, you want to make sure your track joints are smooth, and the rails are perfectly aligned both vertically and horizontally. HO trains are a lot more forgiving of bumps and humps. N scale trains are not.
It is wise to solder your track joints to ensure that you have both. Allow for a "loose" joint to occur in a straight section about every 6 to 9 feet to allow for expansion and contraction.
If you take some time and care to install your track, you will get years of enjoyment out of it with smooth running trains that don't sputter or derail.
This type of observation really bothers me. I turned 70 yesterday and am gathering layout info and hardware and have just purchased Atlas N flextrack 2500 (100). I have been looking forward to this for years.I will need to purchase turnouts in the near future. Is it just the Atlas turnouts that you don't recommend? If so what would be better and compatable with this Atlas track? From what I see Kato has neen scarce lately.
Fran,
Fearlessly forge ahead with your track work. If you're using code 80, I recommend getting the Atlas "customline" turnouts that don't have the big coffin actuator on the side, and use caboose industries ground throws to operate them These are the most economical choice.
In fact, I'm in the process of rebuilding my yard with Atlas c-55... if you contact me off-list I can box up the turnouts I've pulled and the ground throws and maybe we can work something out!
Another good choice would be to use Peco brand turnouts, but make sure you get the version with the insulated frog. (I bet the idea of an insulated frog conjures up some interesting images...) Anyway, they make the wiring a lot easier. The geometry of the Peco medium turnout is very close to the Atlas turnouts, so you can drop them into an Atlas track plan with a few minor adjustments. The Peco cost a bit more, but have self-sprung points, so you can manually operate them without any extra hardware.
wm3798Another good choice would be to use Peco brand turnouts, but make sure you get the version with the insulated frog.
HI Lee,
I agree whith you when you say we need bullet proof track in Nscale and anyway in any scale.
Horizontal and vertical connection need to be perfect at each track joins.
I disagree whith you about the use of insulated frog turnouts, Of course they made the electrical wiring easier but in Nscale we need full electrical continuity even whith long locomotives;
Some brands of turnout have already isolated live frog, especialy the new ones because of DCC.
Using any brand of turnout whith a live frog,but not isolated like Peco, you can easily isolate the frog using the Fastrack method; put the turnout in a pin vise and cut the frog from the rails whith a jeweler saw, solder a wire to the isolate frog and wire it whith the turnout motors. (Check www.handlaidtrack.com - Fastrack site- to see more about this method).
Because the turnout has a "live isolated frog" now you can also solder small jumper between the stock rail and the wing rails; now you have a full live electricaly commercial turnouts and it's also full DCC compatible.
These modifications take no more than a few minutes by turnout but the results are amazing speaking of stalling engines.
If you are making a ladder , you can solder all the turnouts togheter so the rail have a full continuity in the ladder.
I had used this method whith Peco turnouts before I use the fastrack turnouts .
You don't need to have a high skill level to tuning these turnouts in oustanding electrical live turnout.
Marc
Marc,
I agree, a "hot" frog is always better than an insulated frog, but our dear OP is just now working out the basics of installing smooth track work... throwing in the wiring issues of ElectroFrog turnouts at this point might be enough to send him to butterfly collecting or quilting.
Lee said:
"might be enough to send him to butterfly collecting or quilting."
It might even cause them to take up the raising of live frogs!
The reason I have not already used Kato Unitrack is the less than real look of it, however I am really discouraged with what I am dealing with in Atlas Product!!! I am very maticulous about my craftmanship!!!
wm3798 .. throwing in the wiring issues of ElectroFrog turnouts at this point might be enough to send him to butterfly collecting or quilting.
.. throwing in the wiring issues of ElectroFrog turnouts at this point might be enough to send him to butterfly collecting or quilting.
She may already know how to do those, and now she's moving on to model railroading!
I'm putting together my first layout with Atlas Code 55 turnouts and Micro Engineering Code 55 flex track and I'm pleased with the results so far. I've got undertable Tortoise switch machines and Caboose switched ground throws. I power the Atlas isolated frogs with either the Tortoise switch leads or the Caboose switch. Power for the frog comes from the track power bus.
I'd recommend Code 55 for better realism. I'm painting the track too and I'm finding that to be a truly meditative process........
Eric
I'm kinda likin this stuff
K -
Don't want to sound like odd man out here, but I have 20 code 80 #4 and #6 ATLAS turnouts on my layout and when I've have derailment issues it was always one of two things. (And for the record, I'm using a very congested layout, like 100' of track on 3'x8' frame and doing a lot of theoretical no-nos, like turnouts adjacent to curves etc.) Most of the current ATLAS turnouts and cross-overs are very close to spec.
The most common reason has been loco or rolling stock derailments are wheels (axles( being out of gauge. Get and use an NMRA gauge or micrometer and adjust the axles as necessary. The guide rails on turnouts are very unforgiving to out of spec flange distances.
Second, and less common, reason is poor track work. You have to make sure the the adjoining track rails line up as close as you can get them, both in height and lateral positioning. Use new joiners and solder if necessary. In some cases a little filing or sanding of the rails may be necessary.
Archer
wm3798 Marc, I agree, a "hot" frog is always better than an insulated frog, but our dear OP is just now working out the basics of installing smooth track work... throwing in the wiring issues of ElectroFrog turnouts at this point might be enough to send him to butterfly collecting or quilting. Lee
Hi Lee,
From this point of view I agree also whith you.
Anyway the method I described before is a good way to have more flexible Peco Electrofrog turnouts.
See you later.
Marc.