[sigh] This is the greastest hobby I know, but sometimes it can test your patience when something just doesn’t work right. For me that sometimes is track, especially on a curve or curved turn out, when for some reason certain engines just don’t want to travel through the curve or turn out. As they make their approach they ride up over the outside rail and de-rail.
Here’s a prime example:
Nice looking curve, good detail but the track is faulty. Between the curve and the curved turn out some of my engines would just ride up the outside rail and jump the track. So, one day I took my fingers and pulled up the outside railing and ties, giving it a very slight bank then ran the engines and train through it and they did fine with the elevated outside track. I have actually heard the experts say that banked curves on model railroads really don’t serve a purpose, I disagree.
In some cases such as this, adding a bank in the curve and the turn out solved a problem
I ran out of styrene but I found box car doors in a drawer, extra ones and placed them under the outside rail and the thickness of the rail doors was just right.
In the second image of the curve with the shims in place, did you eventually cover with dirt/ballast the center of the track - the red and black doors are very visible in that image and in my opinion really stand out (and not in a good way).
If you don’t mind me asking, what is the radius of your loops? I have noticed that with my passenger cars for example the loops need to be at least 6 feet, that’s about a 34 inch radius, right.
I am in the process of building a new building for my next railroad. I hope I can build one at least 20 feet by 24 feet, so I know I will have at least 6 feet of loop at each end, may be even larger because for the first time I would like sweeping curves that would look really good. It will horseshoe in shape, running along the walls on three sides and open ended so you can walk inside the layout.
With the broader curves I hope I will have smooth running trains without derailments. And, yes I want the curves banked.
The broader your curve, the better things will run.
I have a small “L” shaped layout, bench work is less than 60 sq. ft. I have a loop on each end that is a 24" radius, and as I said, with just a slight bank.
I can run the 80’ + cars, but cars that are in the 70’ “ish” or less range are my choice. No problems with frieght cars, some passenger equipment I have stay away from.
I can run 6 axle locomotives with no problems, and train length is about 15 to 20 cars, with one engine.
Good luck on your new layout building and plans, sounds great!
I have many curved turnouts and only one has given me problems. The problem was solved with shims, however, that only worked until a new big steamer was purchased and it had its own issues with the T/O.
The T/O was on cork and foam and in the end, the only solution was to mount it firmly to a piece of plywood without cork. It never caused another problem and once ballasted you do not notice it is not on cork.
It is Walthers largest curved T/O and needed to be firmly mounted to a solid surface.
