BLI 4-6-2 derails


MilwRoader_Steve

Well-Known Member
Greetings all,

HO newbie here. I have a BLI 4-6-2 which does not operate well.


I have the Micro Engineering Code 70 yard ladder system with #5 TOs. The loco:

1) Does not like the unpowered frogs - - - That I will fix whern I automate with TO motors.

2) derails a lot. Especially in reverse. It seems as though the tender may be too light as it almost always cants/leans/lists over in reverse and the misses the frog.

I would appreciate any suggestions on how to fix this. Pictures and "how-tos" much appreciated. I like the loco and do want to run steamers, but at this point, I'm about ready to sell the thing and get 40s era diesels. I have two now with 4 wheel trucks (a Bowser and a Walthers) and they run great through the ladders.

Thanks in advance.
 
Have you (a) checked the gage of the tender wheels? (b) tighten the screw on one truck (try the rear one) so that it swivels freely but does not tilt, and leave the other one slightly looser so it has some tilting freedom (but not all that much)? If that doesn't work, try loosening the rear truck and tightening the front one. Is the drawbar between the engine and tender causing the tender to sway in reverse? Might need some adjustment (shimming or adding a washer on either the engine or the tender. Per your thought, can you add some weight to the tender?
 
You say it does not like the unpowered frogs. What do you mean by that? Does it stall on the turnout? Do you have the traction tires on the loco? You can have traction or electrical connection but not both.
 
Correct, Ken, the loco either stalls or does a sound restart going over the #5 frogs. Seems that only the 6 driver wheels are power pick-up. I guess I had thought some of the other idlers would pick up track power. No traction tires installed.

TR - Good idea, I'll try making some adjustments to the tender trucks. I also somewhat wonder if I can replace the 6 wheel trucks with 4 wheel trucks on the tender.
 
OK, the sound restart is key to the problem. The wheels are making contact with a shorting rail. You might consider putting a little CA glue on any rail that is close to the main power rail so there is no short by the wheels. Basically, the wheels are making contact with the opposing rail near the frog and shorting the system. The CA glue will insulate that rail from the wheel making the contact.
Make sure the CA glue is dry before running the loco over it.
As for the tender, just add some weight inside it to help it track better.
 
Steam engines can be challenging,...but stick it out if possible. Adding a little weight to the tender sounds good, and check to see if the guard rail (check rail) across from the frog of the TO is a bit too wide allowing the wheels to shift over and pick the frog?
 
Steam engines can be challenging,...but stick it out if possible. Adding a little weight to the tender sounds good, and check to see if the guard rail (check rail) across from the frog of the TO is a bit too wide allowing the wheels to shift over and pick the frog?
Peko Code 100 turnouts have had a problem with too wide a gap between the stock rails and the adjacent plastic guard rail, allowing the wheels to move until they "pick" the frog. That is because those turnouts are really OO scale! The solution is to glue a .010" shim on the side of the guard rail facing the stock rail. Also, making the shim just a little taller than the guard rail will keep the wheels from climbing over the shim. I have only had to do that on one Peko turnout, on the guard rail of the straight route! I think the new Code 83 Peko turnouts are to American HO scale specs.
 
You had mentioned the stalling, I have I insulfrog peco switches and found that if I snipped the feed wire on the inside frog rails I had no more problems. I’m still messing with it and from what I read the proper fix is to put the plastic insulators on the from rails. It’s a simple test to verify , just snip the feed wire where it can be reconnected. I like the suggestion of the shim on the frog.
 



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