I have a new, HO, IHC 2-6-0 that is binding noticeably on a Walthers/Shinohara DCC friendly #6.5 curved turnout. It seems to bind on the guard rails of either position. I note that the center drivers have flanges but the “book” says it should handle 18" radii. Anybody else have problems with this loco or turnout?
I have an older one that runs excellently. It was purchased within the past 4 years or so after IHC began using smaller flanges. Mine was made by Mehano in Slovenia and I have put a DCC decoder into it even though it was not DCC ready.
Wheels binding on the turnout’s guard rails tends to indicate that they may be out of guage, but I have never had that problem with any IHC product.
I think only their latest offering, the 2-10-2 has RP25 flanges, and the rest are oversized. What code is your rail? Is it possible the flanges are bottoming out?
If not, I’d check the gauge as Cacole suggested.
I have to agree: either the wheels or the turnout are out-of gauge.
If your loco is one of the older ones, with over-size wheel flanges, it’s easy to turn them down using a cut-off disc in a Dremel. Hook up some jumper wires so that you can power the loco while holding it upright in your hand. (And make sure that you do hold it upright, to avoid having the filings fall into the mechanism.) Apply power so that the loco’s drivers turn at about half-speed, or a bit faster. With the Dremel running at high speed, lightly touch the face of the disc to the flange of the spinning wheel. Do not use the edge of the cut-off disc, and do not apply more than very light pressure. Be sure to wear safety glasses when performing this procedure, too. Alternate between the different drivers, also, to avoid overheating the tires, which could cause the plastic driver centres to distort. For the wheelset in the pilot truck, I simply used a replacement from the “parts department”. [swg]
Wayne
Thanks guys. The model was new last year but I will check the flanges anyway. The rails are code 83. It was made by Mechano in Slovania.
Wayne,
When you turn down the flanges, do you contour them afterwards, or just leave them squared off? I’ve seen them left that way, but to me it always looks like it’s just daring them to pick a switch or rail joint.
I could be mistaken, but I am fairly confident the inner curve (the diverging route) of a #6.5 W/S turnout will have a radius somewhat under 18", and that may be the problem. Also, the guard rails on these turnouts do not conform well to the curvature of the adjacent rails, so there might be a problem with binding there as you suspect.
If I can find the post where someone provided the radii of the various routes on the various curved turnouts by W/S, I’ll come back and correct or add.
Added- This thread may be of use to you http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1109674/ShowPost.aspx
Hmmm. I never even thought of that possibility: I turned them down mainly to improve the appearance, as I thought that the over-size flanges made it look too toy-like. The engine tracks well on my layout, which is Atlas code 83, with mostly Atlas turnouts. No problems on the several Shinohara and Walthers turnouts either, including some number 2 1/2 wyes. This loco isn’t a great puller and I usually doublehead it, even on short trains, as my layout has quite a few grades. It runs well with its usual partner, an old, but re-motored PFM B&M B-15 2-6-0,
but it also runs well with my Bachmann Consolidations, too. However, in both cases, its high starting voltage means that the other locos drag it a short distance before it starts running on its own. I plan to eventually remotor it and add some more weight.
Wayne
Code 83 rail is most likely the problem. I have only ran mine on code 100 rail. What you describe as “binding” is probably the wheels being lifted off of the rail and losing electrical contact by the large flanges as it tries to go through the turnout.
I have two of the older models with deep flanges. They run well on my home layout Atlas and Shinohara turnouts, and well down at the club which is all code 83 hand laid everything. I would check out the turnouts and the locomotive with the NMRA gauge. Could be wheels out of gauge, could be the turnout is out of gauge, or the guard rails are too close or too far away, or that there is a lump of something stuck down between the stock and the guard rail. Or a point or a frog has a rough place. Also make sure the pilot truck is free to move, and has the little spring in place.