I hope I am not becoming a nuisance. I am suffering from the curse of learning. Just when I get something figured out a new list of questions…
Tonight I noticed the engine doesn’t begin to crawl until the throtle dial reaches 45. I also, rather amazingly, after two evenings of running haven’t gone beyond 60 on the dial. I have, however had many, what I speculate to be, speed derailments involving box cars, but none involving the engines. I want to know what is common amongst you relating to when the engine begins to move and how you know how fast is too fast.
For what it is worth I am using a railmaster 1300, enough 22" radius curves to complete a circle, atlas rail terminal joiners, and a Genesis F7 A/B. Another battery of reasons I mention this…
I am experimenting with flex track, soldering, and cork roadbed as that seems the ideal direction to go for all sorts of reasons. These are also three things I have never known and surely won’t master overnight. I am certain the performance will be far superior to the plastic roadbed, but how much I do not know. Problem is, I want to do other things too.
Is it feasible to start constructing a layout-- structure and scenery-- and add the rail later? Is rail integrity and performance such that a complete functioning rail system be in place before anything else? Can an engine shed and a few buildings go in and be connected later? Should the mainline be the first, or should everything be planned cohesively? I expect the answer is cohesively, but if I chose otherwise would I be asking for trouble?
See, I am having fun right now, if it weren’t 104 degrees today I would still be having fun, playing with different configurations of plastic track atop the tables. I guess I will do all of it. I can experiment with making a structure and some scenery and learn how to lay roadbed, track, and solder all the while playing with the plastic track. Sure, that will be easy enough.[;)]
Respe
I’m not sure if I can give you good advice since you model in HO and I model in N scale. I can tell you that I have NEVER had a speed related derailment, even when I have occasionally run my trains at scale speeds of 150 mph plus. I’m sure your derailments are due to track flaws. Locomotives are less prone to track-related derailments than your rolling stock since they are heavier. So all indications are that it is your track rather than speed.
That is not at all uncommon. It took me several days until I could get my beginner’s oval running properly. And that was with plastic roadbed “EZ Track”. You might want to try running your fingertips all around the track looking for trouble spots. Very slight gaps where track sections connect will generally not cause trouble, but ANY difference in height where the sections connect will have to be corrected before you will have smooth running.
I’m glad you have trains running, and it sounds like you have far fewer problems than I initially had. Just make sure you get your track work right from the beginning. I spent more hours working on track in my early MR days than I ever wanted to. But I have been rewarded with track that gives excellent performance even when running cheap (and probably out of spec) rolling stock.
[:)]
Jacob,
Welcome to the hobby. Since you are new, and still in the oval stage, let me give you some broad-brush suggestions and ask you to do a little research.
Your engines tend to stay on the track because they are heavier and their center of gravity is low. I would hazard a guess that your boxcars are not properly weighted, the trucks are loose, the wheels are plastic, and you are using horn-hook couplers. How many did I get right? Adding weight to the rolling stock to the NMRA recommended practice is one way to help your trains perform better. Keeping the center of gravity low (mounting the weight as low as possible) helps to keep it on the track. Metal wheels generally perform better than plastic, don’t attrack dirt, and add low weight to your rolling stock. Make sure to get an NMRA standards gauge to keep the flanges in gauge. Tighten up the trucks on your cars to where they rotate freely but do not wobble. One can have just a tiny bit of wobble, but not both. Change to knuckle couplers. Horn-hooks are junk and don’t allow you to push cars along their centerline, resulting in derailments when switching. They don’t look very realistic, either.
To get your engine to start sooner, it probably needs a good cleaning and lubrication. You will need to eventually learn how to disassemble your engine completely and clean, lube, and re-assemble it. I use only automotive transmission fluid for lubrication of any and all surfaces. (I don’t normally lube couplers, but when needed, I use a dry graphite lubricant.) You may need to learn how to re-wire your engine, since some models are built with wire / electrical contacts that are convenient to assemble but not real reliable for operation. You’ll find stuff you prefer to use and stuff you don’t ever want to use. Remeber, it’s your railroad!
Now for the research. Check the archives on this forum and on the layout building for expanded discussions on all of the above. You will find many opinions, suggest
Welcome to the Hobby Jacob. It seems like you have a good outlook on the hobby already, having fun but still learning and progressing. I’m no psychic but, I can see many years of enjoyment in this hobby for you. Someone said this in another topic ,sorry i forgot who it was, but still I think it’s good advice. The only dumb question is one that isn’t asked.
In regards to design. Each person designs his or her layout differently. whatever they want to highlight they will put in place first and then design around it. if somone likes switching they may plan out their industrys first then fill in the gaps between towns. if they enjoy mainlines they may plan the mainline first and if they like scenery they may layout scenic areas first. ie. bridges and rivers. Some do a combination of both.
So theres really no set way to design a layout. pick out what you want on your layout and plan from there. a good thread to read regarding design is Joe fugates Clinic on designing a layout for operations. which can be found at
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=1&TOPIC_ID=25535
And John Armstrongs book Track planning for realistic operation. You don’t have to follow every rule but these two resources will give you a layout with less headaches.
Regarding roadbed- I’ve fallen in love with AMI instant roadbed. I layed this on a freinds layout and fell in love with it for it’s ease of use. It’s easily bendable sticky on both sides so no glue and goes done easily. It’s a little more expensive but the time and trouble you save makes up for the price difference. It’s roadbed that is sticky on both sides. So you stick the roadbed straight to the layout, then layout your track on top an add ballast. firmly pressing ballast and track on the roadbed and you are done. On my new layout it’s what I’ll be using.
Andrew
Marc C,
Your guesses are fairly accurate. I do not how to make the yellow quote box so I’ll do it the traditional way.
In you message you wrote, “I would hazard a guess that your boxcars are not properly weighted, the trucks are loose, the wheels are plastic, and you are using horn-hook couplers.”
Here are the results. I haven’t the first idea on correct box car weights, I will visit the NMRA page today and see what I can learn. The trucks could be loose. This is real subjective though as I have not seen a correct sample. I will play with tightening them. All the wheels are plastic. I will order some metal wheels sets today. I do not have any cars with horn couplers, but, I know that the couplers are not all uniform in height. This is something else I will focus on learning about while I am at the NMRA pages.
Thanks for your direction.
Respectfully,
Jacob
Jacob, with flex-track, you have to have joins that are fairly smooth, solders that don’t take the rail out of guage or add lumps near the flangeways or on the running surfaces. Gaps between rails, end-to-end joins that impart a sudden change of direction, and even changes in grade from one piece to another, can lead to problems.
If you have a light straightedge, lay it on the track at several spots, and try to tilt it at each end. Also, bend low and look for gaps from the side; do you see light between the straightedge and the rails? That might be enough to cause rolling stock that is a bit on the light side, or whose wheels are not in guage, and especially height disparities between couplers and mixes of couplers, to cause much of your troubles.
All your snap track joints have to be even and smooth. On curves its importnat as the flange is pushing on the outer rail, one misalignment and off you go.
I tend to like no track gaps on curves to eliminate that problem and flex track does that, but you cant always avoid that even with flex.
Since a model railroad is that, the habit has often been get the track down and scenery later, make sure it runs well and fun.
But good track planning involves the whole of a scene including structures and scenery. If you can lay track well after scenery is in place, more power to you.
But theres no exact set way to build a layout, but some good directives in doing so.
Building a serious layout like I am takes careful work so everything works together. I am beyond the looping model railroads of snap track, I will get bored fast of running trains in a circle.
Good lubrication and relationship of gearuing to motor says how a loco responds to the throttle.
My LifeLike 2-8-4 crawls with the throttle barely notched, thats good model design.
My hats off to LL for that.
I bought a bachmann Virginian E33 electric loco but it responds a little more like yours, I personally may look into a regear on it to slow it down.
Since I will be more into switching I won’t desire high speeds, I need slow coupling speeds, so my loco selections require slow speed capabilities, but also with coal hauling ove mountains, my steamers have to drag coal slow over long grades…and stay on the track!
These long coal trains have to run on curving twisting track going up and down and track alignment is critical.
Other reasons cars can fall off the track… buildup of track dirt, look at the wheels and make sure they’re clean. I have scratched caked on dirt off wheels with a screwdriver.
You can clean wheels with a paper towel stretched over the track and pour a little alcohol on it and roll the cars across the paper towel. Watch the dirt show u