Are the wheel guides (thingies on either side of the frog) able to be powered? Or already powered (I dont have a meter to test)? My SD60s get a little hickup that I 'd like to scare away.
It depends on the track brand you use, I think. The ones furthest away from the frog (the part in the middle) are only for keeping the trucks aligned with the outside rails, but the ones in the center may or may not be powered the same polarity as the frog... depending on track manyfacturer? Yeah, That's it
Its Atlas c55... the wheels on one good SD60 loco glide right through, the other wheels on my problem child loco (along with some cars) actually ride up over these "alignment rails" and sometimes cause a derail Im guessing I'm going to have to calibrate my wheels - any suggestions on how to do that with these new models??? I can't even figure out how to get the shell off, nonetheless calibrate the wheels... (sigh) [ 01. October 2003, 04:30: Message edited by: nscale_lover ]
Put the engine on it's back and use a very small flat blade screw driver to pop the frame out of the body. Take your time and watch what you are doing. it is not that hard to do. On the fact that one of your engines and several of your cars are riding on top of the "guard rail". Have you checked each car and engine to make sure that the wheels are in proper gauge? If the wheels are too narrow on the axle, it will cause the wheels to ride up over flange ways, instead of following the flange way. Go get an "N-Scale NMRA Standards Gauge" at your local hobby shop. This tool will let you know if your wheels are in gauge, tell you if your rails are wide enough or too wide (in gauge) and if your overhead clearance is enough on your trackwork. I never put cars or engine on the track with out checking each wheelset to set if it is too wide or too narrow.
While we're on the subject, (I know you must be using a lot of the atlas c55 switches also?) I'm having issues with my Atlas B-23-7 coming at a #7 switch towards the points. When it's set for the diverging route, the cars go through just fine but the locomotive inadvertently changes the points and goes the other direction. Is it a simple matter of just filing the points or something? I'll play around with it when i get a chance but I was wondering if anybody's had the same problem. I've got the table set up and about half of the Subterrain and track laid. Slides right under the bed, looks sharp. Causes quite a stir here in the dorm...heh I'll have to figure out how to get pictures online, I don't have a digital camera at the moment Thanks Derek
What are you using to hold your points in position? The Atlas code 55 switches need some kind of positive force (switch machine) on the points to keep them aligned with the route you choose. I am using SPDT slide switches to throw the points and route power to the frog.
That seems to have been the problem. I don't have machines yet, and the first time I ran the loco through it messed the points at will. I stuck a nail at one side of the switchbar to hold it in place and that seemed to work pretty well. The B23-7 still seems a little unruly though, and at a higher speed (probably higher than I'll run trains anyway...) one truck STILL jumped the points. The nail is a pretty authoritive at holding the points, and the train could still jump it (in extreme situations)...My experience with switch machines is that they arent extremely strong holding the points. Do any switch machines hold well or the Caboose ground throws maybe? Thanks
Derek, did you check the point rail tips to make sure they are really knife sharp? (The tip MUST lay tight against the track rail with NO gap at all. Both sides!) If there is any flat face you can see with a magnifying glass, (or a slight gap), a plastic flange can (and will) climb up over the point rail and roll across to derail you. Also, check the frog point to make sure it is aligned on BOTH sides. If one side, (usually the curved side), is sticking out into the flange-way a bit, again, a plastic wheel flange will climb right over it, and even some metal flanges can climb up over it. If you find the frog point is aligned correctly, check the distance of the guard rail opposite. There may be too wide a flange gap, which will allow a pair of wheels to slide into the gap in front of your frog and catch on the frog point anyway. You would have to remove the guard rail, file off some of the rail foot to get it close enough to fit the NMRA gage, and re-solder it in place. The next thing would be to make sure all wheel pairs are correctly gaged, and look closely to make sure the flange has a ROUNDED edge. I have found a number of flanges with a sharp edge. These climb up over curves, turnout point rails, and frogs, like crazy! Gently file the sharp edge off both sides of the flange tip on both wheels. One other thing I have found when trying to use plastic wheels, especially on #4 turnouts and curves: is that some track rails have a sharp edge on the inside of the rail head. This knife edge will allow the soft plastic to get a "bite" on this edge, and climb up over and derail. I no longer use #4 turnouts, and I run a smoothing file along the inside of curved rails to remove these sharp edges. Hold the file at about 45 degrees on the INSIDE of the OUTSIDE curved rail and carefully dress the sharp edge off no more than it takes to leave a flat angle of 1/64 (.015"). (Too much will allow the flange to climb up the 45 degree surface like a ramp, see?) If that doesn't work, change to metal wheels, or pray! [ 09. October 2003, 21:07: Message edited by: watash ]
