Help, no matter what I try I can’t keep my son’s cars from derailing when passing through the Bachmann switch. I’ve tried filing them down and that works but they seems to be derailing when they pass the 1/4" gap between where the apex of the two inside rails come together and the next piece of rail is. Is there a fix?? My son is getting disenchanted because of constant derailing…HELP.
Sounds like the cars are derailing on the frog. You might try weighting the cars. Another solution might be to install metal wheels in the cars, that would also add weight. Have you tried running the train real slow through the switch to see the action of the cars.
How old are your sons cars? Are they the only ones derailing? Are the wheels in gauge? Are they older cars with deep wheel flanges? Do they derail going through both legs of the turnout and in both directions? Just thoughts here that it may not be the turnout causeing this. Ken
Hi, sorry about your experience so far…it is disconcerting when stuff you like doesn’t work as it should.
It turns out that the commercial turnouts (switches) are not often in compliance with the standard set up by the NMRA, and their specs differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. We are not talking 1/16" here, but enough that some brands perform better than others.
As stated above, if the cars are quite old, there might be issues with the distance between their flanges on each axle, but it is also possible that the flanges, themselves, are too high in profile (stick out too much from the wheel) that they can run through the frogs. The frog is where the rails come to two points that face each other, where one side of the axle runs through depending on which way the distant swiveling points rails are set…straight through or diverging left/right). If the flanges cause the cars to ride up and off the rails, you could easily get a deraiment.
In many of the commercial turnouts, there is filler, usually plastic, between the rails in the frog. Since these are not really higher end precision products the manufacturers fill the frogs so that flanges ride up on the filler and don’t fall down between the two frog points…the points that face each other with a gap between them.
Additionally, there might be a disparity in elevation between the two frog points. One might be considerably higher than the other (I suppose it could happen), in which case the higher will also cause a bucking and possible derailment. One last possibility, which should be quite rare, is that the frog points are not aligned so that the flange does not make contact with one of them as it transits the gap.
I would suggest removing one of the offending trucks from a piece of rolling stock, and using light finger-tip pressure on the pivot, run it forwards and backwards through the frog. You may see what is happening that way.
I would buy a new switch.
FEW ‘prefabricated’ tirnouts maintain NMRA specs throughout , + EVERY product is made with (+)(-) tolerances, + SOME Manufacturers products are just plain better made than others.
YOU CAN BUY a ‘transparent flat car’ to see WHERE it is derailing, and an NMRA GAGE to see where it is OUT of specs, but that information doesn’t FIX the problem, does it? A “1/4 inch gap” is, and sounds, excessive.
BEST SOLUTION is to REPLACE THE SWITCH (a) Same Brand (b) Better One. While you’re at it, Gauging wheels and unifying car weights won’t hurt.
MANUFACTURERS’ STANDARDS VARY Greatly - but are ALWAYS based on (No#1) ABILITY TO $ELL. I think I would look at something like a KATO made product for contrast, and your skills - or lack of - for adaptability.