Just got an atlas Gold series RS1 for christmas and tried to run it arround the layout and it derails on a 28” Curve at the same spot in the reverse direction only. No other locomotive, steam, diesel or freight car or passenger car, 4 or 6 axle derails there. No Steam 060 or 282 or 464 derails. The NMRA Gauge shows the rails are the correct distance apart.
Any ideas?
Gary,
Check the gauge of the drive wheels of your RS1. Also check to see if the track dips in that spot of the curve. Could be more than one thing going on.
Tom
When i have that happen i find a wire or something not letting the truck rock and track propperly. Run it without the shell and watch. Slow speed and push it through that area. Could also be something like the axles arent tracking because of flashing. I will have to try mine when i get home. Had them for a while. Just have not gotten them through the paint shop
Wolfie
If the track is fine, check for a binding in how freely the truck turns. Sometimes the wires lay under the shell in a way that shortens the slack needed to allow the truck to turn.
But if it derails on a turn, there is probably a dip in the outer rail compared to the inner rail. A stiff truck will find that dip easier.
Nice Christmas present! [Y] I’m agreeing with what Tom told you, checking the wheels on the loco.
I found the best way to diagnose derailments is get my eyeballs right down on track, and slowly move the loco, or the car, over a trouble spot and see just what is happening. I’ve even used my optivisor to get a close look. Of course, this only works if it’s on a section of track you CAN get that close to, without scenery, etc., being in the way.
Mike.
Ok one at a time I’ll Check each of the recommended actions. It will take me a while but I’ll get back with the results.
Thanks for the posts.
Well that worked!
Front truck wheels were just slightly too close and the track was not level across the rails. Off level about an 1/8th of an inch. Now it flys through and crawls too.
Thans to all.
It’s not the track radius. Did you check if the wheels are in gauge?
Henry,
I think Gary answered the question: The front truck wheels were slightly too close together and the rails weren’t level.
Tom
Well, I thought it was fixed. Runs around curves up reverse (cab forwrd) which is the way i ran it after I thought it was all fixed. I did run it both ways in the tighter curve 26”. When I run it forwards (hood first) on teh 28” radius track it derails about 1/2 way through the curve. Again no other loco had any issue on either curve.
GOT to be something with the trucks. Guess I neeed to take the shell off and look arround.
Post a photo of the curve.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Rich
I did not see that post. But it’s still broke.
I still say it’s a track issue. Finer models can be a bit more picky, but if they loco runs both ways with no problem through a 26" radius curve then 28" should be no problem. That loco should run at speed through 20" or less radius, actually. I suspect such things as the joiners not holding the rails in exact alightment, so there is a lip on the inside running surface in the middle of the curve, or there is a kink at the joint, or there is a hump or dip in the track through the problem curve.
–Randy
I tend to agree with you, Randy. That is why I am calling on Gary to post a photo of that curved section of track.
Rich
Ok will do later today
Decided to do this before I shovel snow!
The atlas derails about halfway between the bottom of the picture and the bridge.
Here is a TOP view. The derail occurs about mid point.
I ran a 6 car train backwards through this spot and no detrails.
With track, sometimes a location upstream of deralment may may be the problem. That is the loco may actually be derailing at another location but appearing to be on the track .
Gary, in the first photo, on which track does the loco derail? The track on the left or the track on the right?
And which direction is the loco moving when it derails? Moving toward the bridge or moving away from the bridge?
Is the loco moving forward, that is with cab at the back, when it derails? Or does it derail in reverse, that is moving forward with cab at the front?
Rich
It derails on the left track going away from you moving forward cab in back.
Yes, been there :(.
I watch it derail about half way through the curve so I know it’s godo until then. You can also hear it when it derails.