Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!
Turnouts and Switches
Russ seeks guidance from others in the hobby and asks:
“I am using a 060 Tank locomotive to test my atlas turnouts. When working slowly it stops – when working faster it can derail.
As it goes through the points the loco seems to rise a little. What am I doing wrong?”
Add your comment to help Russ.
6 Responses to Turnouts and Switches
Leave a Reply
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
Download Your Free Catalog
Use Tiny Railroad Micro Controllers
Model Train Help Ebook
I had an 060 doing the same thing. I found a bulge on the bottom of the loco was lifting the loco when it passed over the switch. A couple of strokes with a fine file removed the problem.
Sometimes the gauge on the wheels is not quite right for the clearance between the frog and check rail or the flange on the wheels are too deep and ride up on the floor of the frog. Test with a chassis without a motor so that you can move it slowly by hand over the point.
Robert
The flanges on the drivers may be the old Pizza cutter tall ones riding on the flange ways.
It mIGHT be a wheel problem. Check the back to back measurement. are the wheels too course causing them to stick at the frog or maybe the check rail.Is there some tiny piece of foreign matter (ballast?) in between the check rail and the runnin rail? 0-6-0’s tend to stall on turnouts unlessALL wheels are picking up current. Check that the loco pickups are all in wheel contact, especially the front and rear wheels. Can’t think of anything else it could be Geoffb
Because the wheel flanges are too deep is the problem, then you need to cut the flanges.
What I do is remove the body and decoder (if you have one) then solder wires to the motor. Attach the wires to a train DC power pack. On a board with sandpaper attached I hold the loco and run over the sand paper till I get the correct flange height. When the loco works OK I dress the flanges with a file.and that part is done. Then I check the gears for chips. There will be chips. I clean these out with contact cleaner and compresses air in a can. Repack the gears in a molly grease and reassemble.
I run N scale with Code 55 and Code 40 track. I have 49 locos and about 30% work OK on Code 40 track. I have a Life Like 0-6-0 that barely ran on code 55 track. It was funny to see it go around my code 55 test track. It looked like Mr. Toad’s wild ride. Now it runs great on 40 and 55 track.
Your 0-6-0 may stop going through a turnout slowly because of lost electrical contact at the frog. Here are two possible reasons: Your 0-6-0 does not have all wheel pickup. If this is true, then adding extra pickup wipers to the isolated wheels really helps. Use phosphor-bronze .010″ wire for this. Another fault may be that the turnout frog is not powered. You didn’t say exactly what Atlas turnouts you use, but they make one model with a metal frog. You must wire the frog to a switch that connects the frog to the power source dependent upon the turnout’s direction. The schematic should be on the package. Other turnouts have only a plastic frog, nothing you can do for that except making sure that all you loco’s wheels have good electrical pickup. Having a flywheel on you loco’s motor also helps getting over the dead spots anywhere on your layout.