my 2-6-2 is derailing at one of my turnouts the guide weels go one way and my drive weels go another. what can i do to stop that from happening?
Sometimes that means that the lead drive wheel isn’t in gauge. If you have an NMRA gauge I would check all the wheels. You can get one at the LHS if you don’t have one. It could also mean the track isn’t in perfect alignment.
Otherwise, it could mean the turnout is too sharp a curve for the drivers, the rigid part of the engine with the drivers can’t turn that sharply.
Who is the builder of the 2-6-2, what scale are you in, and what kind of track / switches are you using??
Had a similar problem with an IHC 2-6-0 on Atlas Snap switches. Asked a question similar to yours here on the fourms and wheel and track guage questions were raised. Wheel guage was fine, but as one answer suggested the Atlas Snap switch was out of guage just enough. Seems other Atlas Switches are OK but the Snap variety seem to have a problem. Since I found several of mine out, it seems to be true. Don’t know if the newer Snap switches have cured this or not. I decided to not try to repair the several switches, will use steamers that don’t derail or 4 axle diesels. Won’t use Snaps on my larger layout. Better to find out earlier than after having a bunch of them hitched down. I had tested my track with 4 axle diesels, but the little steamer wasn’t run until after the track was hitched down. Will know better next layout.
Good luck,
In no particular order, it could be the gauge of the axle that snags, or it could be a frog too high, or a guard too close on one side, or a guard not close enough to situate the flanges approaching the frog, or a too light frame on the leading truck. The turnout could be too sharp, as mentioned already, although that usually manifests itself in the drivers leaving the rails…the whole engine may bind, but it will often lift itself out of the rails.
With some good angled light, watch the engine go through the turnout forwards and backwards. See the instant you find the first wheel lifting. Then check everything about that place.
One thing to note. Often what happens up front on a steamer is directly as a result of what is happening rearward, at the last pair of drivers. I had fits with my first large engine, a Lionel Challenger, until I learned that the whole turnout was not level. There was a vertical kink, if slight, at the last joint so that light shone above the join for about 2" on either side of the joiner when I placed a straightedge across the join. When I lifted and stabliized that area, I swear the Challenger winked at me as it continued without a hitch next time I tried it.
Run it very, very slowly over the bad spot. See if you can see where the wheels start to ride up and over the rails. They may not derail because of the speed, but they will at least start to climb.
My guess is going to be a level problem, too. If you’lve got a grade approaching the turnout, you may have a kink so the engine isn’t level. Or, you may have a rail on one end which is sitting on top of the rail joiner, instead of inside it, lifting the rail up just a bit.
Steamers, by the way, are fussy. Everything else on your layout might get over these minor problems, but steamers will find them every time. That’s why my track tests are done with steam engines, not diesels.
thank you all for your tip
i did find two problems 1st was it wasnt level at the start of that segment, 2nd was that the rail that guieds the train had a slight flar and was catching the guide weel so i bint it slightly back so far so good but i havent tryed to sind the engine going the other way on the turn out (that part isnt finished yet)
With steamers, adding weight to the pilot truck can help.
i dont know if i can do that is n scale
thank you for the tips
yes there vary fussy. i havent modeled a railroads in 15 years. so all the stuff i new thin im haveing to reteach my self plus im building in n scale now insted of HO . More track less space .
i have a 12’ dog bone lay out that i just started building about 2 months ago with min 11"r .I also gave myself the ability to add on another "21’ " when im ready.
Do you think i could run an SD40 or larger engine with out it looking unrealistic on a 11"r
One technique I have used successfully to troubleshoot derailing problems is a digital video camera. You can go back and look in slo-mo and see the problem right away.
ill just have to buy one and find out. maybe it will give me a hole host of problems that ill have to fix