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Beginner Derailed With Hobby
Ric is new to the hobby and would like some guidance from experienced readers please:
“I just starting model railroading and did a layout. Two curved tracked before the switch and at the switch the train derails. I have checked for level and it was a little off, fixed that and that didn’t help. I switch curved track and that didn’t help. I’m lost and that doesn’t take much.”
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3 Responses to Beginner Derailed With Hobby
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There are a couple possibilities why the units derail. The best (and probably cheapest) investment you can make is to purchase an NMRA standards gauge. What might be happening is that the switch points aren’t seating tightly against the stock rail so the locomotive derails. Check the track gauge at the points, check the point gauge and check the frog. If those are all within standard, then using the standards gauge, check the wheels on the locomotives. They don’t have to be out of gauge much to cause problems.
I used to have the same problem and went to peko turnouts,also helps if you can run a short piece of straight track before your turnouts. regards John Hanlon
I have just completed installing an “O” gauge layout based on one in the MTH catalog with curves connected to a switch: the steam locomotive engine derailed constantly at the switch. I successfully solved the problem by inserting a section of straight track bbtween the curves and the switches.