QUESTION FOR A EXPERIENCED MODEL RAILROADER

Hi Guys

I was wondering how normal it is for a engine to stutter a bit when traveling over a frog??this happens to me the engine shutters just a little, but enough to annoy me should I just shrug this off and just come to terms as this is something we model railroaders have to live with???

Jeremy

Thanks again to anybody who answers this.

To Jeremy The problem could be dirt on that switch and poor electrical contact.Also locos that do not have all wheel pickup willdo this. Clean all the area this problem occurrs at and clean the wheels on your locos also…

depends on which type of track your train is running on also…my american flyer frog has plastic so it sometimes shuts off, but Rambo is right most likely all you need to do is go to your local hobby shop and pick up some brick cleaning eraser and run it over your tracka few times…conductivity is a must in this hobby; so while you are at it you might as well clean it all…best of luck

I have clean track, I think the problem is that the wheels fall in between the frog, how would I fix this there plastic frogs and the turnout is bachmann

you didn’t specify if it was just the one loco, or everything, so here’s an answer for each.

(1) check your back-to-back measurement - ie the distance between the backs of the wheel flanges. it may be that they’re too close together. check it against a pair of Kadee wheels, they are usually set about right, and move the wheels to the correct distance.

(2) Alternatively, if the problem is with all locos, you can build up the plastic base of the frog with a strip of plasticard, so that the flange of the loco wheel rides on the plastic rather than falls down the gap.

Jon

Jeremy,
Consider using lower case when you post a thread. All Capitals in internet talk means you’re shouting. KIND OF LIKE THIS!

yeah

Caps can be used on a word by word basis to emphasize the word, such as the following, …the so called RULER of the country.

Hi Guys

I was wondering how normal it is for a engine to stutter a bit when traveling over a frog??this happens to me the engine shutters just a little, but enough to annoy me should I just shrug this off and just come to terms as this is something we model railroaders have to live with???

Jeremy

Thanks again to anybody who answers this.

To Jeremy The problem could be dirt on that switch and poor electrical contact.Also locos that do not have all wheel pickup willdo this. Clean all the area this problem occurrs at and clean the wheels on your locos also…

depends on which type of track your train is running on also…my american flyer frog has plastic so it sometimes shuts off, but Rambo is right most likely all you need to do is go to your local hobby shop and pick up some brick cleaning eraser and run it over your tracka few times…conductivity is a must in this hobby; so while you are at it you might as well clean it all…best of luck

I have clean track, I think the problem is that the wheels fall in between the frog, how would I fix this there plastic frogs and the turnout is bachmann

you didn’t specify if it was just the one loco, or everything, so here’s an answer for each.

(1) check your back-to-back measurement - ie the distance between the backs of the wheel flanges. it may be that they’re too close together. check it against a pair of Kadee wheels, they are usually set about right, and move the wheels to the correct distance.

(2) Alternatively, if the problem is with all locos, you can build up the plastic base of the frog with a strip of plasticard, so that the flange of the loco wheel rides on the plastic rather than falls down the gap.

Jon

Jeremy,
Consider using lower case when you post a thread. All Capitals in internet talk means you’re shouting. KIND OF LIKE THIS!

yeah

Caps can be used on a word by word basis to emphasize the word, such as the following, …the so called RULER of the country.