coupler help needed

[who_dat73]

I have bought a Life like gp38 high nose with dummy and now the problem I have is when I go into the curves it pulls the front wheels off the track I have tried to chang the radius of the curve but still no good recived one helpfull hint but lookin to see if I can get a little more help from anybody in here??
It is HO scale and the couplers are scre mounted to the body if that helps.
I love this set very nice looking so I want to run it if possable

 

[spitfire]

What radius is your curve? Are you saying the second unit is the one who's front wheels go off on the curve?

Quality engines and rolling stock (like Life Like) always have couplers mounted to the body. Train sets will often have couplers mounted to the trucks, as this allows tighter radius curves.

Min. radius for most engines is 18". More is better.

Val

 

[who_dat73]

on curves and radias

the curves started in the normal section track radias and then I widended it out from there the Loco is mounted to the body the stock is mounted to the wheel set and yes the first car after the loco derails no matter if it has the dummy or the powered

 

[spitfire]

Sorry, but do you know the radius of the curve in inches? Or, could you tell us what kind of sectional track you're using? Some is 18" radius, but some of the Bachmann track is actually 15" radius curves. Offhand, I'd say this is the problem.

Normally, instead of widening your curves through the arc, you widen them at the approach, so the train eases into the curve. This is called easement. It's virtually impossible to do with sectional track, but very easy with flex track.

Val

 

[who_dat73]

on sectional track a radius

I used sectional track to make a mock up traced it then layed down the road bed over the tracings it was a mixed lot of sections mostly atlas and the final track was flex track and as far as the radius I never got passed basic math because of my learning dissability so anybody that can give me a laymans way to figure radius would be a great help
I used AMI Roadbed and that was my first mistake I am speaking for myself only but that might have been a contributin factor to some of my problems, Dont recomend it for a first timer kinda tricky.
Thanks for the advice
I did post this question in the HO section and had a responce that truck mounted couplers wont work with body mounted couplers ?? know anything on those lines??
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=13431 this is the thread that was posted there

 

[Ralph]

anybody that can give me a laymans way to figure radius would be a great help

Hi,

One way might to be to make yourself some templates of various curves by taking a yardstick, drilling holes at the points along the yardstick for radii you might want such as 18", 22", 24" and larger. Drill another hole at the end of the stick. Screw the yardstick down to a board and then place a pencil in the hole for the radius you want. Place a sheet of paper in a way that will let your draw an arc by swinging the yardstick and pencil over the paper. You could then mount these curves on pieces of cardboad to make them stiffer and use them as guides while laying track.

Oh, I guess you'd need to accomodate the amount of space taken up by the hole you drill at the end of the stick...so maybe you'd want to mark your yardstick at 18 and 1/4", 22 and 1/4", etc to compensate.

Ralph

 

[Pitchwife]

Hi,
Oh, I guess you'd need to accomodate the amount of space taken up by the hole you drill at the end of the stick...so maybe you'd want to mark your yardstick at 18 and 1/4", 22 and 1/4", etc to compensate.

Ralph

What I did was to drill the pivot hole at the 1" marker, then drill my radius holes at the radius distance +1". Less of a math headach.

 

[who_dat73]

I feel like a idiot

I feel like such an idiot for not understading Vals question about the radias of my curve I was thinking in terms of degrees then relized what was going on here call me stupid I deserve it!ops:

 

[spitfire]

No way who dat!! There are no stupid questions, just answers that don't fully explain sometimes. I made the assumption that you knew what I meant, talking in model RR shorthand, and that was my mistake. Sounds like Ralph's explanation was all you needed. :thumb:

Val

 

[Ralph]

What I did was to drill the pivot hole at the 1" marker, then drill my radius holes at the radius distance +1". Less of a math headach.

Brilliant! Great idea!

Oh and who dat...I'm right there with Val and just about every other Gauger...there are no stupid questions.
Ralph

 

[jon-monon]

the curves started in the normal section track radias and then I widended it out from there the Loco is mounted to the body the stock is mounted to the wheel set and yes the first car after the loco derails no matter if it has the dummy or the powered

It's generally not considered a good idea to mix body mounted couplers with talgo or truck mouted couplers. But as I recall, the Tyco and AHM trainsets of 70's had talgos on the rollin stock and often body mount on the loco's. Are all four wheels on each truck on the offending rollin stock resting on the track (while coupled to the loco)?

Knuckle couplers or horn/hook?

jon