Wondering if anyone here has success running their Blueline AC4 Cab Forward around 24" radius ok? I intend running it only on my main which is 30" but there’s the drill track to consider and one track coming out of the yard… also do you recommend weighting the pilot truck etc. Thanks.
bump please.
If you look at their website they advertise the minimum radius as 22 inch, so you should be good to go.
http://www.broadway-limited.com/5163bluelinespac4cab-forward4-8-8-24108bluelinesounddccreadyho.aspx
H. Yes, thanks I looked and I always add 2" to the radius listed. I ran one on my 24" in the past-I think, but now seems to be derailing on those curves and at a friend’s layout.
Unfortunately, I bought one last Fall and only ran it a couple-three times on my unfinished layout and I seem to recall it running fine through my 24" drill track but after being back in the drawer for a few months it’s derailing. I can’t find any other cause and can’t remember if I had issues before-but pretty certain I’d have remembered that!
Between this and the chuff sensor that “died” I’m gonna just leave my locos out and run 'em as far as I can until more track is laid. That way I can remember any issues-for sure.
That’s why I’m hoping to hear from people who DO run theirs with no problems through 24" radius.
I’m going to see if I can get a broader radi but I doubt it.
Hence my concern. Something’s changed?
Captain:
Though my minimum radius is 34", I do have some #5 turnouts in my engine yard, and for those short segments, I’ve had no problem with my AC-5 on the drill track. Is it the drivers themselves derailing, or perhaps just the lead truck? If so, it might be an adjustment problem with the truck, rather than the radius.
I know that BLI lists just about all of their articulateds to negotiate a 22" minimum radius. So far–and I’ve had my AC for about five years–I’ve had no problem.
Tom
Tom, it’s the rear set of drivers. They seem to be cimbing the (I think) inside rail. I’ll check again tomorrow. I’m pretty sure it ran the 24" curve in the past… I can’t find anything obvious wrong and it didn’t cooperate on my friends 24+ curve. I think it had problems there with 27" radius as well. That sure didn’t seem right. Checked for binding, glad hand catching ties, freely swinging trucks, etc. What’s the divergent track’s radius on a #5 turn out? (Shinohara in my case.) I’ve loaned my Walther’s catalog out). I’ll check on that online.
Jim, sounds like the turnou may be the culprit, eh? It wouldn’t hurt to (power off, eh?) go over every inch with a mirror and a track guage as there could be a mini kink that could be opened up a little by filing the inside edge of the rails. I have done a few and even the best flex track can end up with some narrowing. By the way I always put the free rail to the outside of the curve as geometry will show that opens up the guage just a tad. Putting it on the inside will tighten the guage. John in Sooke, BC
Hi John. It’s derailing on curves, away from turnouts. It’s going through #5 yard throat turn outs just fine. I tried seeing if one rail is higher than the other but it’s not. Man, I guess no one is running (or trying to) the AC 4/5s through 24" but me. Hope you’re having fun at your bros. I went down to Tom’s for a work day on Sat. Practiced throwing toggles for the double crossover and the Port to U.C. job.
I believe I found the problem. It was one of those things that once you saw it, it looked as big as a house! (sigh). On top of the rear driver set there is a vertical plastic post that slips up into an elliptical hole on the underside of the boiler.
It slipped out when the locomotive was picked up and was hitting against things under the boiler sides.
It seems that SOMETIMES when one picks up the loco to set it on a track, the pin ends up where it belongs but other times gets held against something and hangs up.
It would be nice if there were a retaining ring or something to hold it in the hole, but now that I know it’s there I’ll be more careful.
I looked with a lighted opti-visor and everything but must have had the pin “fall” into the hole when the loco was upside down by pure luck.
Thank you everyone for the usual good advice and responses.
Hopefully my coming back to fill you in (as promised) will keep some other poor soul sane should they have a mysterious-disappearing-reappearing derailment issue.
No diss on Blueline’s AC4/5. Itls a beautifully modeled locomotive and they’re very helpful folks.
I had a similar problem with my Y6B. A plastic part out of place.