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7 Responses to Engine Stutters and Derails on Curve
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For a stuttering engine there are several possibilities which come to mind. First check the track wiring. Do you have it jumped every few feet and not relying on track connectors? Check the engine for faulty wiring/broken lead. If you are running DCC is your system check out?
When you engine hits a curve it derails. What type of engine are you running? How tight is your track radius? Where the track comes together is the rail seated in the track connector correctly? Steam engines and 6 axle locomotives need a bigger radius to run.
Wish I knew more details to help you better. Dave
Your engines can be part of the problem but also look at the radius of the curve and the transition from straight to the curve radius, If using flex track in the curves the connections of the ends of these rails that are located in that curve will flex outward and you basically have a kink at the connection. The rail has to align. to correct this problem fit your flex track and then straighten the track at the connector area and soldier the joint to make the rail one aligned . then flex it back in position and mount the track . Don’t over soldier. This gets rid of the jerk in the rail and makes the track act as one long rail through out the curve. Using flex in the curves gets rid of several connections and also less chance of loosing power through each connection. from Newman
You have not given enough information. How tight are your curves? How old is the engine? Do other engines act the same? Is your engine a Bachman? How much have you run this engine? Is the engine used, or purchased new? Is there still a warranty on it?? Steam and wheel set? or Diesel.?? I can only guess, unless you give more info.. Bill
If your track alignment is not kinky, or radius isn’t too tight, then the engine’s wheel wipers/contacts may be dirty or bent. Question is, is it shorting around the curves, or is it an open circuit? Many problems usually show up on curves, because that is where any binding or bad contacts or loose wires) are put to the test. You didn’t say weather it was a steam loco, or diesel, but steamers are subject to binding more than diesels because of the longer wheel bases. Also, with having a tender attached, the draw bar can be binding, or breaking electrical contact due to loose or bad wiper tension (depending on how the loco is made). Make sure there is no debris in any of the axles, and that all of the wheel wipers are clean. If you loco has metal trucks, they may be shorting to the wheels on the curves, I have had that problem. You may need to put insulated spacers on those axles to prevent the shorts. On some steamers, the pilot wheels will short against the loco’s frame, another common problem, that can be tough to isolate.
Check if your loco trucks can move/swivel freely; i.e. they are not over-tightened or are restricted by some part of the shell. Good luck!
Sounds like a tight spot in the rails on the curve–Loco wheels will ride up and off the track. Gauge the spacing on the rails check if theres either too much space or too little space .
Stuttering:
Clean the wheel rims.
Clean axles or inner faces of wheels where the motor pickup contacts touch them.
Old motors can benefit from cleaning of the brushes and commutator. (Fiddly job but worth the effort.)
Derailing:
As well the issues mentioned above, old rolling stock sometimes has wide wheel flanges, which cause problems on modern low-profile track.