Very rarely do I have any luck when pushing a train into a switch. I have DCC and go in as slow as I can and it hardly ever fails and something always comes off the track. I've even put weights inside the box cars.Do alot of you have this same problem and what can I do about this?I am getting very fdrustrated about it.I have 5 sidings and 5 locos with sound.It ruins ewvewrything I want to do when this happens.I'd love to hear from anyone with this problem Especxially if you solved it too.
I had a problem like that at one time. It was caused by what is called an 'S' curve. The turnout was set into a straight section of track with the diverging route curving off the the right. the curve then immediately turned back to the left then straight. This curve followed by an opposite curve is the 'S' curve. It will cause derailments almost every time no matter how slow the train is moving. The easiest way to eliminate the problem is to insert a section of straight track between the two curves. This section should be as long as the longest car you'll be pushing through it.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
You mean the track that connects to the switch shoulds be straight?My track is straight connected to the switches.I am using #6 switches.It's not much fun when this happens, because that's the whol idea about my operation.Please, I need a ot more input on this, Thanks alot.
If this isn't your problem then I suggest you take a hard look at the track work including checking the gauge. A hard to see kink at a curve can play havoc with your rolling stock.
More information is needed like from which side of the turnout are you coming from and where exactly are the wheels coming off. Do you have an NMRA standards gauge? Are all your wheels in gauge? Are they picking the frog points or the coupler pins picking the diverging rail? Are your trucks too tight and not swiveling? Is there any kinks in the rails that join the turnouts? Are the frog point guard rails too tight or too loose?
These are just a few questions that need to be answered to help you.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
They are coming off between the beginning of the points to the frog.I did see once when the knuckle on the coupler was touching the frog.
If the trip pins on the couplers are catching on the frog or on the rails that's you problem right there. There are two ways to correct this. Bend the trip pins up a little so they don't snag the frog or rail or cut the trip pins off.
What brand of turnouts are you using, and what sort of switch motors or controls do you have? And what brands of rolling stock are you having problems with? Are you using knuckle couplers or horn hooks? I would also recommend getting an NMRA standards gauge and making sure all your wheels are in gauge.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Does this happen with all leading cars? Suppose you swap them out one at a time so that each trial has a new lead car. Do they still derail at the same point? If so, then your points rails are out of gauge, and I would bet it is because of a sloppy hinge...if you are using that kind of turnout. EZ-Track turnouts are notorious for this problem, and for points rails that need to be filed to a razor sharpness at the very leading tip. But as suggested several times, you need an NMRA track gauge and you should place it every inch along the various routes through the turnout to find out if the turnout's rails are out of gauge.
At the same time, you ought to check your wheel sets on each car to verify that they are not the offenders. The turnout may be fine.
Trip pin height, as suggested by Jeff, can be a problem as well. They may droop to low and be snagging on the guard rails beside the frog. My Bachman Spectrum heavyweights do that, and that problem can be traced to their crappy coupler mounting system.
-Crandell
There is several things that come into play..
1.Correct wheel gauge.
2.Correct coupler and trip pin height.
3.Turnouts..Are they closing all the way? Do they have blunt points?
4.Is your track smooth flowing like this?
All of the above will cause grief.
You should be able to shove a 50 mixed car train through a switch with zero derailment.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
The pic of your switches look like they are VERY gradual.Is that HO or N scale?Mine is N scale and I am using #6 turnouts.Your's are so gradual looks like you don't have any problems
Those are HO Atlas #4 switches.
You can do the same with those #6 switches..I post a picture later of N Scale switches.
Nap time for me, But I'll check on this post after I get up. I am pleased to tell you all I am 90% happy now.I put my track gauge on the tip of the points and they we'er way too tight. I spread them apart with my fingers and went in and out 4-5 times with no problems. Question is, how do I keep them at the right gauge???
Glad you got the problem fix.
I still post the pictures.Mine you they are just laying there as a example.
Atlas Custom Line Standard Switch yard ladder.
Kato Unitrack #6 switch yard ladder.
If I can fix it by spreading the rails by the points, How would you make it a permanent fix?
What happened when you spread the rails...did one pop out of the spike heads? Sounds like defective turnout to me. But, if you can slice off the spike heads, you can use several adhesives, or even track nails through freshly drilled holes in the plastic ties. Gorilla glue should work, but it leaves a hard foamy mess. Epoxy would be super.
to make a perm fix try using code 70 spikes (smaller head) in a location that will clear the points. I've never had any luck gluing or soldering rail to circutboard ties.
They should make a plastic rail spreader. It would fit on the bottum of the flange and not interfere with the wheels.I worked at Homestake Mining Company. It was a Gold mine that went as far as the 8000ft. level and was operational for 120 years.I was a track maintenance man for most of the 27 years I worked there.We had spreaders that looked like a huge bolt. Two huge bolts on each end and brackets to fit on the bottum of the rails and could be adjusted any way you wanted to.If the track was too wide or too narrow, they really worked great. Wish someone made them for little scale trains,LOL