If the traction driver is a "tad off", this could cause your derailment problems. The weights on all four drivers have to be in sync. BTW, did you know that you could put a traction driver wheel set on driver # 2 as well as driver #4? This increases pulling power of the Kato Mikado by another 25% "on average" Stay cool and run steam..... Stay cool and run steam..
Darn it! Another setback. Got my Katos PAs to work. Got my ER-Sharks to work, after they derailed on the fixes for the PAs. Most everything runs fine now, until-- I put my set of Kato RDCs on the line tonight. They used to run without a flaw, even with Jeanne driving at 140 MPH (or above). Now they don't. Am I fixing everything until it's broken? Any advice on the care and feeding of these rockets?
Pete: Where are they derailing?? Shim the outer rail to slightly bank the rail. Stay cool and run steam....
Back to trackwork for a moment Check everything carefully and examine the trouble spot with plenty of light and magnification. I am sure the veterans know this, but make sure there is enough clearance for steam engines when laying a crossover. Even a 5/8" piece of Code 80 between the two turnouts will suffice. I was just driven crazy by a Consolidation that seemed to jump when in the crossover. It turned out to be the plastic thing outside of the train body behind the first drive wheel hitting the upper part of the housing of the switch mechanism. Rather than rip up my yard area, I filed down the corner of the plastic housing of the turnout and the steam engine passes through unencumbered (another reason to go with Unitrack on expansion for me).
Mark: Files are wonderful... They correct so many minor problems. A file makes them "disappear". Stay cool and run steam....
Perserverance . . . I may be lazy, sloppy, procrastinating and logically challenged, but I do perservere. Finally got everything with a decoder, and all the cars, around the layout. The PAs were good "bad track" detectors. Everything else that had a problem, I think, was in bad wheel gauge, as I adjusted quite a few wheelsets over the past few days. I'm still bothered by some of my vertical transitions--not smooth, and easy to fix. Easy to fix--HAH! That's what started all my problems since Hemi's train ran so well. But some transitions just look silly to me, so the fixes start right after the big Xmas party. "Fix it until it's broke" should be my signature. Now I'm having a problem with Accumate couplers pulling apart near the head of heavy trains. Since some of them are unit trains of 36-48 cars, I just may break out the superglue--the next best thing to duct tape! Arrrrugghhh!!
