I have about ten engines now, I suppose (HO). All run well through my turnouts except my BLI GG1 (in one direction) and, now, the new Bachmann 2-8-0 that Bachmann very nicely sent me to replace an earlier (actually two earlier) disfunctional one. What happens with the 2-8-0 is that it seems simply to drift off in the direction of the branch line for some reason, and then derail.
My trackwork is no doubt not brilliant, but it does mostly seem pretty reliable: peco code 100 turnouts, soldered, etc. I suppose there something about the combination of turnout and grade that makes this one place a special case, but I guess my question is, how do you figure out whether it’s a problem with trackwork or a problem with the engine itself? And, once you’ve figure that out, what are the procedures for fixing things?
I have seen some references in MR and elsewhere to “tuning up” turnouts, but I don’t really understand what is involved, at least if it’s not an electrical problem. And if the problem is the engine, especially with a light lead truck or something, what on earth can one do about that?
Many thanks for any advice, or references to useful discussions, if there are any. Meanwhile, I guess, back to the basement …
check wheel gauge, look for any tiny details that might touch the front wheelset guiding it the wrong direction, check track gauge, and level of track.
watch the wheels carefully at the switch and look when they start going off.
Are your points rails lying flush against the stock rails when thrown in either direction? Are the heads of the points rails level with the heads of their stock rails? If either of these is no, you are not going to get the action that the points rails are meant to provide the leading truck and drivers.
Is the turnout on a grade, or at the beginning or end of a grade? Maybe there is a vertical kink that you will find only when you place a straightedge atop the turnout and get eye-level with the rail tops. Shine a light behind the turnout. Can you see a significant gap between the rail tops and the straightedge? There is your problem.
Does this happen only at one turnout? If yes, it isn’t the gauge on the loco, but it just might be anywhere along the points to frog, inclusive, of the turnout. Commercial turnouts are not always strong on adherence to quality control and to NMRA standards. Most are, but many are not.
Look for a kink at the join to the turnout just before the points. That is where I have found my flaws when a new loco seems to want to leave the rails after it enters the diverging route.
Get an NMRA multi-gauge that has flange and track gauges. Check the frog with the flange gauge, and check each point rail when it is flush to the adjacent stock rail to see if the distance between it and the opposite stock rail is in gauge.
Like the others have said, it could be so many things. I had a Spectrum Union Pacific 4-8-2 Lt. Mt. a couple of years ago that did the same thing, and I could not for the life of me figure out what was causing it. After a couple of months, I sold the engine on ebay, bought another one just like it and it ran fine. Go figure…
Since you sound like it only happens at one turnout, I would say it is that turnout. But, first check above items. Steam engine lead trucks should be free to move in all three directions to follow track easily, so that means the screw should not be a tight fit in the hole either. Steam engines are also sensitive to changes in pitch and/or camber in trackage, especially at turnouts. Make sure all rails of the turnout are in the same plane. Make sure all points within the turnout are in gauge. Make sure the point rails are not rolling and are flush with the stock rails.
Get a good flashlight, run it slow, and watch it from the front down low. If you hang in there, you should be able to fix it, and then you will have learned something valuable.
Switches and grades don’t go together well. Sometimes difficult to avoid. How steep is the grade?
Like stated above, check it with an NMRA gauge to see if there’s a spot that is binding or allows too much play.
Also check the following, some may seem obvious but a lot of problems get solved by looking at the obvious.
Is this the only switch were these engines derail?
Do they run well over other switches? (I mean good, not barely make it)
What kind of engines do you have, i.e. BB truck diesels, or steamers (large? small?). The GG1 and the Bachmann 2-8-0 have a larger wheelbase with leading/trailing trucks. Diesels with BB or CC trucks are much more forgiving.
Is it a curved turnout?
If you have checked everything and the problem persists, I would replace the switch.
Start with a slow speed run across the turnout up to the speed it derails, watching to try to see exactly where it derails to determine if it is the points or the frog and/or wing rails. If the points file a long taper bevel to the end of the point, making sure there is no burr on the back to hold it off of the stock rail. Run your finger nail across the closed point and you should not hang up. If it is at the frog or wing rails use an ignition file to lead into it with a slight taper. If the steam engine has a very light pilot truck pressure you might increase spring pressure with a shim on top of it. That should make it track better. jc5729
Is this turnout secured to the benchwork? Or is it free floating?
Fastening down a turnout especially on a grade, can cause problems with the rails being uneven. Can also cause a turnout to not throw properly by getting hung up/binding up.
I always fastened the track before and after the turnout and left the turnout float track.
If it’s any consolation, Big Steam is the thing that teaches most of us humility about our trackwork. In my case, I’ve got a P2K 0-6-0 that derailed at a couple of places on my layout, even though nothing else ever had a problem there. After a while, I realized that the trackwork had some glitches, and after some ripping up and reworking, I cured the problems.
Although one of these trouble-spots was at a turnout, there was nothing wrong with the turnout itself. Instead, it was a poor rail-joint connection, where the flex-track didn’t match up correctly with the curved turnout rail. I fixed it, and the other track joint, and now the 0-6-0 runs around flawlessly.
Then I got a BLI Hudson. Yup, same spot. See what I mean about humility?
Just getting back into the hobby so I bought a new BLI 2-10-2 to run on my 10 year old layout. First big new steam engine since 1963! So I rush home, move those old diesels, set up the engine and watch her go! About 10 feet! Then derail, rerail, derail, etc. Two days and I am still fixing that old track! Course I knew I needed something to spur my interest but this is a bit much![:(]
Yuppers, Mr. Beaseley hit the nail on the head… I use my 4-8-4 Rivarossi or Lionel Challenger to check my track… sometimes a COMPLETE pain in the BUTTINSKY, but, if those suckers take the points well (in both directions), then just about any other train I have will (if its wheels are in gauge!). Good luck…
I had derail situation re front truck on Bachmann 2-8-0 at siding switch. Siding did have a bit of a down pitch to it relative to main line. Close examination of where truck derailed led to check of track gauge at that point and gauge was OK. Engine did not derail at any other points on layout. Track work is not perfect by any means so I tend to be suspicious of track first. OK, track checks out-maybe I should add some weight to front truck. But before doing so I decided to check wheel gauge of offending truck. Bingo! It was off a bit. Adjusted wheel gauge slightly and truck now tracks through point where it previously derailed. The wheels on the front truck are quite a tight fit to axle and without proper tool I was able to adjust same sufficiently to resolve problem(since it is a siding exit when problem occured all I need is slow speed compliance). My problem was probably more due to elevation change than gauge of truck since all other sections of layout was acceptable to front truck before and after adjustment.
Then there is the story of the guy who went to the doctor, raised his arm above his head, and grimaced. “Doc,” he said, ‘whenever I do this I get an excruciating pain down my back!!’
“Well stop doing that,” said the doctor.
Perhaps you should consider constructing a layout without any switches - what you are referring to as “turnouts”.
Actually, since I know absolutely nothing about switches I wouldn’t touch this subject with a ten-foot pole.