OK sports fans, here's my problem (or at least the top one of many).
I work in N-scale, but am posting here because it's a technical question (I think).
I built my layout using PECO turnouts (their MEDIUM #6, code 80), about half insulfrog and half electrofrog. Things went swell until this holiday season, when various family members collectively supplied me with enough cash to buy some rolling stock. So, I'm the proud owner of a half-dozen new Microtrains cars. All should be right with the world…. high quality turnouts and high quality rolling stock.
But… half of the cars derail on half of the turnouts most of the time. This is not the case for my Atlas cars (their new 55-ton gondolas with their new couplers).
The situation arises when a train approaches the turnout from it's throat (I don't know the right word, the base of the Y. If the turnout is thrown so that the train continues on the straight path, then there's no problem. But if the turnout is thrown so the train follows the curve of the turnout, then the cars in question derail.
This is irrespective of track that follows or precedes the turnout, straight or curved, though you might want to know that the tightest curve bordering any turnout is 19" radius. The leading wheel of the car derails within the frog of the turnout, the leading truck doesn't turn far enough to track the curved path. They try to continue the straight path, ride over the lip of the frog and drop down onto the ties past the frog.
1. the problem is much worse with electrofrog turnouts than insulfrog ones.
2. the turnouts are brand new, they are not nailed or deformed in any way. I glued them down.
3. the derailment occurs within the turnout, not at any railjoint or rail that isn't part of the PECO turnout.
4. the cars are all brand new, not mishandled in any way. They derailed right out of the box.
5. half of the cars don't ever experience this problem
6. the trucks on the offending cars appear to work freely when not on the rails; i.e., they don't appear to bind or anything.
Has anyone encountered something like this? I suppose I'll have to replace the trucks, but I'd like some advice before I go to the expense -- new trucks came on the cars, after all. I bought Microtrains cars and PECO turnouts because I was looking for the best.
Bill
I work in N-scale, but am posting here because it's a technical question (I think).
I built my layout using PECO turnouts (their MEDIUM #6, code 80), about half insulfrog and half electrofrog. Things went swell until this holiday season, when various family members collectively supplied me with enough cash to buy some rolling stock. So, I'm the proud owner of a half-dozen new Microtrains cars. All should be right with the world…. high quality turnouts and high quality rolling stock.
But… half of the cars derail on half of the turnouts most of the time. This is not the case for my Atlas cars (their new 55-ton gondolas with their new couplers).
The situation arises when a train approaches the turnout from it's throat (I don't know the right word, the base of the Y. If the turnout is thrown so that the train continues on the straight path, then there's no problem. But if the turnout is thrown so the train follows the curve of the turnout, then the cars in question derail.
This is irrespective of track that follows or precedes the turnout, straight or curved, though you might want to know that the tightest curve bordering any turnout is 19" radius. The leading wheel of the car derails within the frog of the turnout, the leading truck doesn't turn far enough to track the curved path. They try to continue the straight path, ride over the lip of the frog and drop down onto the ties past the frog.
1. the problem is much worse with electrofrog turnouts than insulfrog ones.
2. the turnouts are brand new, they are not nailed or deformed in any way. I glued them down.
3. the derailment occurs within the turnout, not at any railjoint or rail that isn't part of the PECO turnout.
4. the cars are all brand new, not mishandled in any way. They derailed right out of the box.
5. half of the cars don't ever experience this problem
6. the trucks on the offending cars appear to work freely when not on the rails; i.e., they don't appear to bind or anything.
Has anyone encountered something like this? I suppose I'll have to replace the trucks, but I'd like some advice before I go to the expense -- new trucks came on the cars, after all. I bought Microtrains cars and PECO turnouts because I was looking for the best.
Bill
