Track problem?

[plasticman]

hello,

I am having a problem with a section of track (n scale). Each time the train hits this one spot, it stops. I have too push it for it to go. I used different engines and the same thing happens. I've cleaned it using rail zip and also used sandpaper. Nothing works. Now the funny thing is if I put my finger on one of the rails, the train runs with no problems. I even replaced the track. (atlas code 80) I was thinking of soldering the rail joiners. Is it the track? Whats going on?? Please help.

 

[Jess Red Horse]

When I had this same problem with my HO scale track after much aggervation I discovered that the track was sitting on a twisted peice of road bed and when ever the train would hit that spot the track would twist in such a way that I couldn't really see it with the naked eye but it would bind the wheels up enough to make it stick.

Instead of tearing up my new road bed work I simply found the spot that was twisted and added a drop of hot glue under the cork road bed and held it down until it dried then the problem went away and when you said yours would work when you placed a finger on the track it sounds like when you did this you were actually straightening the truck out just enough to allow the train to pass over this slight twist.

I've learned early on that these tracks can be very picky sometimes.

Also when you said that you replaced the track and still had this happen I'd be looking at the surface the track is sitting on.

This may or may not be your problem but it sure sounds like the same way mine was acting up.

Good luck and let me know if that is indeed what it was.
Happy Rails, Jess Red Horse.

 

[Rotorranch]

That's a good diagnosis Jess, and it may very well be part, if not all of the problem.

Track work is very important. And N scale, being so much smaller than HO, it's even more critical. The problem is the rail joiners. If the track moves around on the roadbed, the rail joiners can lose contact. That's why folks will add feeders to the rails, lessening the importance of the rail joiners to carry the power to the track. Some folks will add feeders to every piece of track. hooking the feeders to the main power bus.

Even with feeders, if the track is "walking" around, the wheels on the loco could lose contact with the track, causing a stall.

You shouldn't rely only on the rail joiners to carry the current to the track. They get loose, especially if they've been installed a few times. Soldering joiners is a big plus. It pretty much eliminates the chance of a bad connection due to the rail joiners getting loose. And feeders are your friend!

Rotor

 

[MRLdave]

I had/have a similar area....I haven't ballasted yet as I'm checking for problem areas, and on one section, whenever I have the problem you describe , pushing on the outside edge of the track solves the problem, and then it's fine for weeks, or in the last case, months. But eventually the problem returns. I'm assuming the track is shifting slightly over time and the push realines everything, because I don't have to hold the track, just push it back into place. The track is nailed down, but I only put in about every 3rd nail , so there is some room for minor flexing. I'm hoping once I ballast, the track will be glued down and the problem won't resurface. Soldering the joints would fix it also (I think), but I'm not to the point I want to "permanently" mount everything. The odd thing is the location......the problem is in a section of track between 2 switches.........but the feeder for that section is at the beginning of the section, and the engines still run fine beyond the second switch. So power is getting beyond the bad spot, meaning it isn't a connection issue, so jess's though of a gauge issue might be something to explore. I have no binding, but maybe in my case the gauge is going wide and I'm losing the connection between wheel and track. You might check your gauge ..... after this I think I'm going to.

 

[UP2CSX]

The first thing I'd suggest is getting a volt meter and checking the continuity. If you see 12 volts DC (16 volts AC if you're using DCC) all the way through the track sections, the problem is not the tracks but the way the locomotive is picking up power. Jess and Rotor have pointed out two possible areas this can occur. However, I suspect that you'll find the you're losing power right at a rail joint and power isn't getting to the next track section. Sometime this is as easy as getting a small flat blade screw driver and sliding the rail joiner back or forwards a little. The other thing to watch for is that you don't have one rails sittng on top of a joiner instead of both ends being in the joiner.

Dave, I'd urge you to find out what the problem is with this section of track before you ballast. Ballasting almost always makes track electrical problems worse, not better. Your track should be straight and solid before you ballast. If you're ever going to solder the joiners, now is the time, before you ballast.

 

[plasticman]

hey jess,
so far this worked! I pushed down on one side of the track and now the trains run fine. I'll try to re glue the track. Hope this is the problem?!?! Thanks guys for all the post. Take it easy.......