I recently bought two HO turnouts made by Bachmann for 15 dollars and change each. The store also had some turnouts by Bachmann for about 33 dolllars each. the turnouts seem to cause derailing. Does that happen as often with the more expensive versions? What actually causes the derailing? George
I don't think it is neccesarily a price issue vs quality. Some Atlas switches have had guage issues causing derailments, they are probably more expensive than other brands but also far cheaper than Peco or Micro Engineering. Any brand switch can cause derailments if they are damaged by user or worn out over years and heavy use. Causes of derailing at switches: 1. Wide Guage 2. Mis-aligned frog 3. Switch points loose 4. Switch points not closing snug against stock rail 5. Humps caused by bent material 6. Humps caused by excessive solder at feeder wires 7. Improper placement of feeder wires (inside the guage, no-no!) Generally, Atlas is the most common brand. Lot of folks prefer Peco or Shinohara switches or even hand lay their own from Central Valley kits or entirely scratchbuilt. I have a few Shinohara switches I plan to use on my next layout.
Check your trucks and make sure that they are turning freely, and than check the gauge of the wheels. I am assuming that these are new turnouts. I am like GP30. I started my layout handlaying code 70 rail and turnouts, and finished using Shinohara flextrack and turnouts. No problems at all.
The BEST tool for checking track gauge/wheel gauge is the good old NMRA STANDARDS GAUGE availabe for almost all scales/gauges. With that one tool you can check as to whether the track and turnout guardrails & frog are within "specs" and the back to back wheel gauge is proper. As with many things these days, you get what you pay for. And buying used track at the train show/LHS...forget it. Never consider using used track/turnouts on your layout. If you don't want to spend the money on quality products then maybe stamp collecting or butterfly catching is a better hobby alternative. My dos centavos... Woodie
One bad culprit that crops up more often than I would like, in my experience, is twisted or non-level turnouts. First, their support from the roadbed must be very good. If the roadbed is poorly laid or prepared, the turnout sitting on it, especially when subjected ot the weight of a locomotive, will often cause derailments because the leading axles are lifted on one side. It's not so bad on the through route, but the diverging route has flanges on the outside of the curve being shepherded toward the change in direction according to the turnout. If that outside flange is lifted.....do I gotta go on and 'splain it? Points rails in commercial turnouts often need work. They are not properly hinged and the point rail wobbles. Or, the point, itself, is too thick or lies sufficiently away from, or his higher than, the stock rail, and the flange will pick. Sunken or high frog surfaces at the frog point. Guard rails too high or too low, or set too close to the rails opposite and the flanges are pinched out. A throwbar that goes for a walk AFTER the first weight-bearing axle has passed it by, resulting in the next oncoming axle picking the point. Yup, I have seen 'em all. First, make sure the roadbed under the turnout is level and flat, but certainly planar if it can't reasonably be level because it's on a grade. Then, make sure the turnout is well fixed in place such that it is well supported under it in all places. Next, take a close magnified look at the throwbar action and how the point rails lie against the stock rails. Are the point tips truly razor thin? They should be darned close! When the throwbar is thrown fully to one side, does the point lie flush to the flange face of the stock rail? I have been known to have to impart a single degree bend into a point rail tip about half-an-inch from the tip that solves a picking problem. Once you know that everything is in gauge, no high rails, no pickable points, then turn to how the locomotive moves through the turnout at a scale 10 mph. Next, cut it down by half to 5 mph. Use strong light and an Opti-Visor to look for the first indication of a lifted or sliding wheel...it'll be there, you just have to spot it. Stop the loco immediately, and ask yourself why is THAT axle lifting THERE? Is this the problem spot, or is it somewhere else back down the frame of the locomotive? The answer is yes 50% of the time, and the reason is that something about the turnout, or the turnout/locomotive synergy in combination, is happening further back that horses the one lifting axle up and out of the gauge. I can't tell you how many times I have learned this...yet again. That's just the turnout. There is always the locomotive to pay attention to as well. We don't know if the loco is too long for the frog number. We don't know if the approach to any of the exits of the turnout is on a curve...a no-no generally.
What a great post. And I have learned some of your points the very hard way, the rest of your points I haven't learned yet I'm taking notes! I don't know how many hours I have spent trying to track down derailment issues that have indeed been somewhere else entirely, starting at a spot not suspected and yet expending a ton of energy on a spot that was merely the place it all culminated in a derail. Frustrating.
George, This is what I found out in ~2 years working on Bachmann turnout derailing problems. http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine...ling-Experience-(Bachmann)-(-2-yrs)&highlight= Bob
In defense of commercial Atlas switches (HO), for the price I think they function and look fine. The secret to success with them is laying them unkinked/twisted and level (using a small Craftsman type). They can be on a grade as long as roadbed is laid smoothly and level side to side. Nailing them heavily down can kink them as well. Next, stallouts are usually the frog not being powered. Once you correct this (I won't go into that here) they are 98% reliable and in my opinion the most USA RR looking of all the commercial ones offered, including Peco . Peco's head block ties are way out of proportion and the spring action in the rod is not needed unless you plan to leave them that way (without ground throws). Otherwise, they are unnecessary if you ARE adding ground throws which lock points in place anyway. And, to me, they are stubby looking; maybe not in Britten though, and the points are too close making an even more unrealistic appearance than Atlas, Shino, or, of course, hand laid switches...
