Have an Atlas #4 turnout (not one of the previous problem turnouts with the RS-3) that steam loco leading trucks and some cars have taken to jumping the point rail when they should be going straight through from the single track end.
Track and wheels are in gauge. Turnout is flat. It appears that the point rail is lower than the stock rail on the diverging route, allowing the wheels flange to ride up onto the point rail and try to take the diverging route.
Any thoughts on shimming or ??? to get the wheels to stay on the point rail would be greatly appreciated.
Shimming might do the trick. I would also check the points they are ptobably loose. If that doesn’t do it you may have to replace the switch. I have had a few of that were bad right out of box, but was ableto use with some work. Good luck neil
It may respond by shimming under the one side of the throwbar, but I would consider sliding a thin piece of plastic, say some clear plastic of the kind products come in that you have to cut with scissors, under the whole throwbar. Either way, it should work, provided the point rail tip hasn’t already been filed too much or rounded.
Look very close at the point’s shimming the throw bar won’t work, properly set up, the points should already be sliding on top of the ties in that area. If you look closely you will see that there is no details on the ties, in the area that the points are supposed to slide on. They would not be able to go any lower to begin with. Some thing else is wrong with that turnout. Point ends filed down too much, or something. One point may even be at an angle, causing what you are describing. They should be perpendicular to the rail head, not slanted, which I believe may be your problem. LOOK closer.
From the way I’m reading the problem, the flanges are picking the point. Try filing the point where it touches the stock rail. You want it to blend into the stock rail smoothly. Run your finger along the stock rail to where the points are touching it, you should not feel an edge where the points start.
When I have experienced that problem, the point rail is sitting at an angle rather than perpendicular, even if it hasn’t been filed or tampered with.
I’ll go back to my original suggestion. Replace it, life is too short. I spend too much time fooling around with tempermental turnouts and other specialty track like double crossovers and 3-way turnouts.
One best practice to implement is to test all new turnouts on the bench. Put on that Optivisor and examine the point rails closely. Then test it in place on the layout. When a turnout fails, it fails immediately. Replace it. Return it. Exchange it until you find the perfect turnout. In my experience, 9 out of 10 turnouts work fine out of the box. The ones that don’t, never will.
I’ve had the same problem before…A small flat file can work wonders…
Give it the finger test and if your finger bumps the rail then file it down some and retest continue this until your finger passes over the problem area smoothly.