Have a HO, two truck road engine, Walthers brand. When I pull thru a switch to a 15 degree curved siding, the engine pulls the 40’ Box Car off the track. Had a local model railroader stop by and decided that the coupling isn’t pivioting far enough. We are going to try a switcher engine, which has a shorter wheel base, or try a longer coupler. I know I can’t use a three truck road engine on a 15 degree radius track, but thought I could use a two truck engine with no problems. Any suggestions are appreciated
What is a “15 degree radius track” ?
Do you mean 15" (as in INCH) radius track? If you do mean 15" radius track, there is not much “model railroad” equipment in HO scale that will go around 15" radius track well. There are “toy train” items that will work work sometimes, but not reliably.
A common result of attempting to use too tight a radius track, is the locomotive handling it okay, and the car coupled the locomotive derailing. Even with coupler swing grossly beyond prototypical, this will happen.
Solutions:
- Larger radius track - for HO 24" is a nice minimum.
- Smaller scale - 15" radius works great for most N scale.
sorry 15"
There is no way that a HO 4 axle loco is going to pull anything round a 15" radius curve without some serious help. Most of them can handle 18" radius just fine. One thing that can be done is to modify the coupler pocket so that the coupler can swivel through 45 dgrees each side. This means however that it won’t self center. I did this with an AC4400 that was made for 24" radius. It pulls my cars just fine on 18" radius now. As stated above, 24" radius is a nice minimum, but if space is at a premium, 18" radius is the minimum that 90% of HO equipment will go.
does it help any if it’s a switcher engine? how would I modify the coupler?
space is also a premimum
18" is really the minimum standard for H0 scale. 99% of H0 equipment has been designed for 18" or larger curves. The only H0 stuff designed to operate on smaller curves are traction (streetcars) and narrow gauge (and that doesn’t use your standard type track). A shorter wheel-base switcher might work better, but you’re still going to have problems with longer cars.
If you really don’t have the space for even 18" curves, I would suggest switching to N scale before you get in too deep.
Changing the swing of a coupler is not really something for a newbee to try. You could change out the couplers to Long-Shank couplers from Kadee, that might help some. You’ll probably have to change the couplers on longer cars as well.
If the problem is only this particular siding, and it’s the only place where you’ve had to compromise with the 15-inch radius curves, you just might get by with a short, 4-axle switch engine. These shorter engines can deal with tight curves better because the ends of the engine don’t extend as far from the center pivot of the truck. On a curve, this means that the center of the coupler isn’t as far from the centerline of the track, which reduces the problem with the coupler on the adjacent car.
I’ve got no 15-inch curves, but plenty of 18-inch curves. I can run most anything I want on them. Of course, I model the “transition era,” so my diesels are short, and so are my freight cars. If you possibly can, avoid the 15-inch curves unless you are modelling small mining operations in the 1800’s, or you are running trolleys.
If your couplers were mounted on your trucks(wheel sets) instead of the bottom of the cars, you might have a good chance on making the sharp curves. The problem of truck mounted couplers is you can not back up very well without derailing the train.
Years ago the ready to run freight cars were outfitted with the truck mounted couplers. Modelers would cut the couplers off the trucks and remount the couplers on the bottom of the car. Truck mounted couplers were also called talgo trucks. They are mostly seen on passenger cars, to allow longer cars to handle the sharper curves.
I would try to put in larger radius curves. Or switch to very small engines and cars that will handle those curves. The curves you are using are more suited for a logging railroad.
SIMPLY PUT your curve is too sharp for that engine.
A smaller shorter wheel-based swicher such as a GE 44 tonner or EMD SW -7 type will work. What you don’t need is a ROAD ENGINE running on these curves.
RAILROADS railroads rarely used curves for steam less than 36" radius. HO track is sold in 15" radius, and probably what you have. My guess is your couplers are causing the derailments if the engine makes the curve without the car…
Your curve is too sharp for your engine when delivering cars.
HO 15 " radius is also tough on couplers too. .Try a KD#46.
You could always go with a Plymouth switcher.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/catalog/?function=detail&id=532
Or a 44 tonner.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/catalog/?function=detail&id=1148
Or even possibly a 70 tonner.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/catalog/?function=detail&id=1485
I had 15 inch curves on a mountain branch line on my old layout. As long as I went slow and used 1960’s (or before) cars and small engines, I had no problems. Nothing later than a GP-9 would work well on that tight of a turn.
Here is a switcher holding back a small string of coal cars as it works a 4% down grade through a tunnel. This is a 15 inch curve with code 83 track.